Sunny Health

The suicide of Robin Williams is an immeasurable loss to the entertainment world and all who look up to him, but on the bright side, it has encouraged more to discuss their struggles with depression, and for the sceptics to take it more seriously.

One can be identified to be depressed if he/she has lost interest in once pleasurable activities, and/or experiences feelings of hopelessness. But clinical depression manifests in different manners from person to person. Other common signs include:

- Lack of concentration or difficulty in doing tasks that were previously thought to be easy
- Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
- No appetite or can't stop eating
- More irritable, short-tempered and aggressive than usual
- Reckless behaviour
- Those who drink or smoke may indulge in these in greater frequency
- Thoughts that life is not worth living.

Depression often happens after a major setback in life, such as the loss of a loved one, being fired, losing (or fear of) bodily/vital functions as possibly in the case of Robin Williams who was revealed to have Parkinson's Disease, etc. However, depression can also be due to genetics, or seasonal changes in countries with four seasons.

Adding on to the complexity of this problem is that most people are not able to put themselves in the shoes of the depressed, even psychiatrists, if they have never suffered from depression before. Often, they tend to belittle the struggles of depression, and that is what makes depression overlooked.

Depression is sometimes also misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder, because there are times when the patient feels cheerful, and other times, absolutely down. While these are signs of bipolar, they are also perfectly normal in depression, as depressed people do not necessarily feel down all the time.

A depressed person, especially one with suicidal thoughts, is in a delicate state of mind. You can't regard them as a regular individual whining about life's hassles, because that is not what they are doing. Talking is not a means for them to let of steam, but a cry for help. Aside from ensuring that he/she is getting professional help and taking the necessary medicines, here are some things you can say or not say, to let them know that you care, even if you can't help them.

What to say: You’re not alone in this.
What NOT to say: There’s always someone worse off than you are.

What to say: You are important to me.
What NOT to say: No one ever said that life was fair.

What to say: Do you want a hug?
What NOT to say: Stop feeling sorry for yourself.

What to say: You are not going crazy.
What NOT to say: So you’re depressed. What's new?

What to say: We're here to help each other through difficult times.
What NOT to say: Try not to be so depressed.

Fears of the deadly Ebola virus, previously only rampant in Africa, have revived fears when Patrick Sawyer, a plane passenger died from the virus. His sister had succumbed to the virus weeks ago, and he had boarded a flight from Liberia to Nigeria. Health workers are now frantically tracing all the people he had contact with on the flight.

With travel becoming more frequent today, illnesses are no longer contained in their source country, and such worries are not unfounded.

The virus is hard to detect in early stages, as symptoms can take from 2 to 21 days to appear. Issuing travel advisory to the sick is therefore virtually unhelpful as the victims may not even be aware that they have been infected by the virus in the first place. According to WHO, this illness is often characterized by the sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding.
There is currently no cure or immunisation for it. Depending on the type of strain, some victims are able to make full recovers while others die from it.

That is not to say that one should get all panicky about it. The disease is only transmitted through close contact, via blood, secretions and other bodily fluids and discharge, including urine and faeces. Patrick Sawyer had been vomiting and having diarrhoea on the plane, which led to concerns of transmission. But most people are usually not in any real danger of contracting the virus unless they are health care workers or researchers who are often in close vicinity of the victims or their samples.

To reduce risks of contracting this disease:

- Avoid travel if you exhibit any of the above symptoms, even if you feel well enough. Your immunity is low when you're not in top form, and that increases the risk of falling ill.

- See a doctor  if you exhibit any of the above symptoms, and avoid close contact with others. With people going places these days, even if you yourself have not travelled, you may meet someone who has travelled to the affected region and is a potential carrier of the virus. Be responsible to yourself and your loved ones.

- Practise good basic hygiene, including washing hands, wearing a mask when sick, covering your mouth when sneezing, and use of protective equipment when advised or when necessary.

- When abroad, avoid close bodily contact when possible, especially with people you don't know. Take a leaf out of the Obamas' books and fist-bump instead of shaking hands. Avoid touching animals too. Fruit bats are considered natural hosts of the Ebola virus.

But perhaps the only things that can truly prevent this disease from wrecking havoc in its African host countries, brings hope for a cure or vaccination against this virus are intangible things like education, communication and research. If you're like to support the cause, Doctors Without Borders is one reputable organisation helping to battle humanitarian emergencies.

The hazy months are here again, and quite possibly, many kiasu Singaporeans are already buying masks, with the more enterprising ones thinking about how to propagate the urgency of the situation make a quick buck out of this. Hold your horses before you run to your nearest pharmacy in a panic, you might change your mind after reading about common misconceptions concerning the haze.

Myth 1: I can't find / wear N95 masks, so I'll wear surgical masks to keep myself safe.
Surgical masks can't block out the very fine particles found in the haze. No matter how many layers you wear, it's not going to be helpful. Heck, you can't even protect yourself from inhaling germs and viruses. However, if you want to prevent your saliva from getting all over the place when you cough or sneeze (likely to increase in occurrence on hazy days) go ahead by all means. It would be a very considerate and hygienic thing to do.

Myth 2: I'm in big trouble if I don't wear an N95 mask on hazy days.

If that were true, senior citizens, children and those with respiratory problems will never see the light of the day. The masks are unsuitable for children due to the incompatible size, and not appropriate for those with weaker lungs as it can be difficult to breath when donning an N95 mask.

In fact, if you will be staying indoors for long periods of time, with the air conditioning or fans switched on and windows closed, you do not even need an N95 mask. Only those who spend long hours outdoors should wear an N95 mask. If you're nipping from one sheltered spot to another in the open and the haze is really bad, you can dampen a handkerchief or cloth and hold it over your nose when walking in the open. Many people were seen doing this when the haze was at its peak 400+ psi and masks of all sorts were in shortage thanks to hoarders.

Myth 3: I will fall ill, even end up with cancer, if I expose myself to the haze.

For most healthy individuals, you won't actually fall sick just because of the haze, though you might experience mild discomfort like tearing eyes and itchy throat which are temporary. Elderly and children with weaker immune systems and those who are already sick or have chest problems may fall ill and should thus stay indoors and rest as much as possible. Medical attention should be sought if feeling unwell.

Cancer is certainly not a cause of worry as according to a United States Environmental Protection Agency study, there is little evidence for a direct relationship between haze exposure and lung cancer.

Myth 4: Chugging water helps flush out haze particles that has infiltrated my body

There is no scientific evidence of this, but certainly, drinking water is good for the immune system, and regardless whether there is haze, you should be drinking 8 glasses of water or as much as your body needs everyday. There is no need to make the effort to drink more than usual.

Additional tips: Coupled with the El Nino that is estimated to also affect Singapore these few months, the weather is really going to be hot and stuffy. If you're wearing the N95 mask out, it will certainly feel very comfortable. Consider bringing with you a portable fan or a handheld paper fan to fan the heat off you. And a water bottle will be very useful in replenishing the water lost through perspiration.