Beating the queue at the doctor's
Friday, January 27, 2012 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments

It’s back to work or school after a very long weekend of Chinese New Year celebrations, a rather stressful point of time as we attempt to readapt and deal with work that has piled up over the holidays. Contributing to post-holiday blues are ailments like cough and sore throats that prey on us while we let our guard down with the feasting and late nights. The erratic weather isn’t helping matters.

According to a news report on Channel News Asia, clinics saw a spark in patient load on Wednesday. Upper respiratory tract infections including cough and sore throat are among the most commonly treated ones.

The symptoms of cough and sore throat are easily identified. They usually start off with itchy dry throats, some phlegm and a bit of coughing. In the early stage, cough and sore throat can actually be prevented from escalating, and you can avoid a visit to the doctor and his nasty sleep-inducing cough syrup if you take the right steps to care for your health (Of course, if you need an MC, that’s another story).

Cough and sore throat are caused by the drying New Year goodies and alcohol, rich, heaty foods, and lack of rest and exercise. It is essential to get back to your daily routine of getting up early and going to bed early to ensure that if you have ample amount of sleep. Getting up early is probably no issue for those who have work and school. For those who plan to do late nights to finish your work from over the holidays, bear in mind that working with a tired mind reduces productivity and may lead to more mistakes in your work, slowing you down instead.

Drink lots of water throughout the day to replenish your body fluids, and soothe your throat. Avoid cold water and soft drinks as these could irritate your throat and aggravate your cough. Warm water is best for your throat, or at the very least, go with water at normal temperature.

Dislike the tastelessness of water? Whether you prefer Western or Chinese medical remedies, almost everyone who has tried the lemon honey water home remedy would agree that it works for throat discomforts.

Honey helps because it has antibiotic properties. It releases hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiseptic compound, disinfecting the infected area and killing germs. Before antibiotic was invented, honey was used as an antiseptic on wounds to prevent infection and hasten healing. It was even used as medicine for other ailments, including diarrhoea, stomach upset, and of course, coughs and sore throats. Lemon is also an antiseptic, and taste-wise, it complements the sweetness of honey.

Best of all, the recipe is very simple. Fill a mug with water. Stir in a table spoon of honey and heat it in the microwave for about one and a half minutes. Remove the mug and stir in a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon. You can drink it immediately!

Warning: If the sick person is diabetic, regular honey may be detrimental to his condition. Be sure to choose organic honey instead. Honey should also not be consumed by babies below one year old. Honey may contain spores of a bacterium that can grow in the baby’s immature digestive system, causing infant botulism which is a fatal illness.

Another fuss-free method to supplement this home remedy is to gargle with warm salt water a few times a day. Salt is a natural disinfectant and it can help to reduce the germs in your mouth.

Ginger tea also brings quick relief to coughing symptoms. While it may be tedious to prepare it from fresh ginger, traditional Chinese medical halls sell them ready-made, and supermarkets sell instant ginger tea in the form of powder and teabags.

Bear in mind that depending on the severity of your cough or sore throat, such home remedies may have limited effects. If your condition is serious or does not improve, you will still need to seek medical treatment.

Last but not least, abstain from heaty New Year goodies like shrimp crackers and bak kwa until your throat gets better, and when it does, consume these goodies with lots of water and ample rest!


Keep Fit the More Relaxing Way!
Friday, January 13, 2012 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments


Find lifting weights too tiring and boring? Hate puffing like a buffalo at the end of a run? Brisk walking is a simple, low intensity sport that is suitable for people of most ages and health conditions! If you haven’t been exercising in a while and want to start getting fit, brisk walking is a good way to start slow and build up momentum.

In fact, most of us already engage in some form of brisk walking daily. As the world’s fastest walkers, we keep even the densest of crowds moving at top speeds during peak hours. Like personal trainer Lucy Knight rightly states in this article,"It (Walking) is free, enjoyable and already a part of everyday life. All you need to do is correct your technique, walk faster and for longer and you will lose weight."

In spite its low intensity, brisk walking shares benefits of other higher intensity sports:

- Helps you to lose weight if you walk briskly for 30 to 60 minutes each day
- Keeps you active, and therefore prevents you from gaining weight when you get older
- Improves immune system
- Improves brainpower because walking stimulates the blood flow, and sends oxygen to the brain.
- Reduce chronic diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes

It also has these added benefits:
- Prevents osteoporosis (thinning of bone tissue and density) since it is a weight-bearing exercise
- Enhances your mood and reduces depression, especially if you walk in a scenic place filled with greenery, such as the park.
- Helps prevent peripheral artery disease, an illness that impairs blood flow in the legs
- In pregnancy, brisk walking protects against miscarriages. It can reduce fatigue and related pains, helps lose weight easily, lowers risks of gestational diabetes and prevents spontaneous abortions by lowering the hormonal fluctuations which cause uterine contractions.
- In weakened cancer patients, it is a suitable exercise that helps to improve blood circulation and lessens the side effects of chemotherapy.

Now that we know how good brisk walking is, how do we go about it appropriately?

It is very important to note that just because its low-intensity doesn’t mean you should start walking as and when in inappropriate attire. If you do not wear appropriate footwear, you may end up with feet ailments.

As with indulging in other sports, wear loose fitting clothing and sports shoes with well-cushioned soles to make walking comfortable for you.

To get the best out of brisk walking, you should walk with the right posture and technique. There are many different techniques for brisk walking, and Knight recommends this:

1) Stand tall with your arms by your sides and pull your navel towards your spine so that your core muscles are working.

2) Focus your eyes five to six meters ahead and keep your shoulders relaxed. Bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle and cup your hands lightly, rather than clenching your fists.

3) Leading with the heel, take a step forward with your right foot and move your arms in opposition (i.e. as your left arm moves forward, your right moves back). Transfer your weight through the heel of your right foot.

Finally, how often and how long is probably another popular question. It really depends on your health condition. If you have any special conditions like pregnancy, or illnesses, you should consult your doctor before launching your brisk walking programme.

If you have no ailments or special conditions, you can base the frequency and speed of your brisk walking based on your preference. If you have not exercised in a long time, you should start slow. A recommended routine for starters would be 20 minutes of slow to moderate walking per day. When your body gets used to the daily work out, you can then increase the duration of each work out, and the speed.

Need more advice or encouragement to start your routine? The Health Promotion Board has a National Brisk Walking Programme, whereby briskwalking clubs have been established at all CDCs. More details are available here: http://www.hpb.gov.sg/programmes/article.aspx?id=6606

Sign up at your nearest CDC and start walking your way to good health!

Additional sources: http://health.sify.com/11-benefits-of-brisk-walking/


Back to School
Friday, January 06, 2012 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments

The long holidays are over and school’s back, a period of blues for many school-going children and teenagers. After weeks of fun and freedom, it is rather trying to readapt to the highly disciplined and taxing lifestyle of a student. It is especially more difficult for those who are making a transition from a different education level, or those who switched schools.

At the start of the school year, students may feel stressed about their new lifestyle and the daily pressure from having to comprehend lessons and complete homework. They may miss the holidays and feel blue. Having to get up earlier in the morning, as compared to during the holidays when they could get up later, may make them grumpier and more tired.

While having to meet their classmates again is at least exciting for some, it may mean social pressure for others, especially the less sociable ones, and those moving to a new environment. All these pressures can be overwhelming for both children and teenagers. In more severe cases, they may feel depressed, or even develop headaches and health problems. Parents should not assume that prolonged displays of tantrums and surliness are normal. Furthermore, such behaviour could affect the student’s studies and ability to assimilate in class.

What parents can do to help:

Talk to your child – Set aside some time to ask your child about his day at school. It helps your child to get problems and worries off his chest, and knowing what ails him, you may then be able to offer solutions to help. If anything, it assures your child that regardless of problems faced at school, he has family to fall back on for support and friendship.

Preparing healthy food and herbal drinks – Making drastic changes to one’s lifestyle can have a negative impact on one’s health. After getting out of bed at 10am or later during the holidays, having to wake up a few hours earlier on school days is a torment. Your child may also have difficulty falling asleep at night, either due to needing time to adapt, or having to complete homework. Ensure that your child eats healthily and cools down the heatiness in his body with plenty of fluids and herbal drinks to cope with the upheaval. Breakfast is very important – it energises you and keeps you alert and focused throughout the day. Make sure your child has breakfast before going to school, no matter how early the hour.

Be your child’s alarm clock – Put a stop to it if your child is going to bed later than he should to achieve the required eight hours of sleep, or gaming when he should be doing homework. Do wake your child up in the morning to ensure that he gets up with sufficient time to have breakfast and get washed and dressed properly. Feeling ill-prepared for school can instil a sense of anxiety and insecurity.

Don’t deprive your child of his favourite activities – Just because he’s back to school doesn’t mean he should live like a jailbird. If he has finished his schoolwork, allow him some time to indulge in his favourite past times, like watching television or gaming. This will help him to relax and take his mind off the pressure and anxiety from school.

Observe their behaviour – It is generally normal for students to feel depressed for the first week or so, but after that, they should have adjusted rather well to school life, especially with the help of their classmates. If your child is still gloomy and upset about school after as long as a month, displaying lack of appetite and interest in his usual hobbies, complaining about feeling unwell and developing headaches, and yet refusing to open up to you about his problem, you might want to consider speaking to his teacher or roping in professional help from your General Practitioner, who might refer him for counselling if required.

Do look out for signs of bullying. Check if he has attained any mysterious wounds and bruises. Is he spending his pocket money too quickly? Victims of bully, especially young children, may not dare to seek help or get the attention of an adult as they may have been threatened against doing so.

How students can help yourselves:
 Make friends – Friends make even troubled times feel better. If you find yourself in a class with people you don’t know very well, introduce yourself. Chances are, your fellow classmates may be nervous about making new friends and shy to break the ice. Most people are willing to warm up if you display no ill intentions. If someone won’t accept your friendship, simply turn to another person, instead of indulging in self-blaming and feeling self-conscious. At least you tried, as there is bound to be someone who appreciates you.

Join clubs – Join a club with activities that interest you. It will give you something to look forward to in school, and you can also widen your social circle and make friends with people who have things in common with you.

Express your emotions – If you have problems or fears, it is healthier for you to get them off your chest. Talk to your parents, friends, or blog about it. You may get some solutions.

Have something to look forward to – As you attempt to drag your heavy feet to school, think about your favourite tv programme that night, mum’s delicious cooking or that movie you are going to catch with your friends on the weekend. Time passes more quickly and happily when you have something to look forward to.

Set yourself some goals for the year – Going to school should not be perceived as a torture that you are forced to go through. Learning academic skills and working with others are beneficial to you and a crucial part of growing up. Think about how less fortunate children from around the world are deprived of an education, or have to travel far to take lessons at a dilapidated school, and you would feel more fortunate about being able to attend school.

Consider some school-related goals you would like to achieve in school, for example, scoring better in certain subjects, adding all your classmates to your Facebook friends, or being picked to play in the school team, and focus on working towards them. The process of achieving your goals will make your school life more meaningful.

Have a healthy, happy school year ahead!