Lose weight by wearing glasses. Really?
Friday, April 27, 2012 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments
Scientists in Japan have a solution to this.

Have you ever had the experience of feeling full just staring at a gigantic portion of food? Or felt compelled to take more at the buffet table because your plate isn't full?

Japan’s new dieting tool – food-enlarging shades, works on a similar principle – by appealing to your sight and thus your brain, making you think that you’re eating more. The lenses on the shades make your food look 1.5 times larger, so you feel fuller faster.

Researchers did an experiment, and found that those who wore this food-enlarging gadget ate 9.3% less than those who didn’t wear them.

This does sound like a healthy long-term solution of controlling one’s diet. Humans are habitual creatures. When we get accustomed to eating less, we will continue to eat less willingly, even without wearing those glasses or nagging ourselves into self-control.

Then there is yet another type of glasses, also invented in Japan, that claims to be able to manipulate the smell and taste of food. Which means that you can eat a bowl of bland soup noodles, and be duped into thinking that’s a bowl of laksa when the glasses feed you the smell and image of laksa. This reminds me of Willy Wonka’s magical chewing gum in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, in which chewing the gum allows you to taste and feel the sensation of an entire dinner course going down your throat. I wonder if they got inspired from this wonder gum. In any case, this invention sounds a little unbelievable, but if it can be pulled off, it will be great respite for many people with conditions that prevent them from eating their favourite foods.

The use of sight to manipulate your thoughts hasn’t been new. Years ago, Japanese company Yumetai produced blue-tinted shades that were meant to suppress one’s appetite. This is because blue makes food look unappealing and thereby suppresses the brain’s hunger sensors.

Would you eat this?

There are no known statistics about how effective they are, although it doesn't hurt to try, since Johnny Depp is often seen wearing blue shades, and he's got a svelte figure. If you don't want to go through the hassle of buying and shipping them from overseas, just tape blue cellophane paper over your glasses.

But ultimately, diet control is still determined by your self-discipline. After all, nothing’s actually stopping you from removing those glasses from your face when you’re feeling ravenous.

Written by: Ng Mei Yi


Don't lose your eyes to diabetes!
Friday, April 20, 2012 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments
But if he didn't pay for his diabetes meds, he could be a blind millionaire.

Recently, a friend of mine in her twenties expressed shock on Facebook about the possibility of blindness in a diabetic patient, having read about it in the newspapers. Someone teased her in a tongue-in-cheek manner, saying that he was more shocked that she didn’t know diabetes could lead to blindness.

Indeed, thanks to plenty of health resources in the mainstream media and online, the dangers of diabetes are now common knowledge among the educated, but there are still those who are not in the know, especially the fortunate ones who have had absolutely no contact with the illness and hence, no need to read up about it. Nevertheless, diabetes is becoming more commonplace, as observed in my previous article. Diabetes will not cause too much impact on a patient’s life if it is treated with proper care and understanding. However, if the condition is not kept under control, a patient could end up losing essential body functions, such as sense of sight.

There is a group of eye problems that diabetic patients may face as a complication of diabetes. These problems include:

- Diabetic retinopathy, where blood vessels in the retina are damaged. This condition occurs when blood sugar levels fluctuate in the body over time.
- Cataract – While common in old age, cataracts develop at an earlier age in people with diabetes.
- Glaucoma – increased fluid pressure in the eye causes damage to the optic nerve and leads to loss of vision. While not unique to diabetic patients, some with diabetes has nearly twice the probability to contract it compared to other adults.

These conditions will lead to partial or total blindness. Fortunately, they can be treated in their early stages. If you have diabetes, you should have an eye checkup every year. If your vision is blurred or you’re seeing dark spots and shadows, seek an

Ophthalmologist immediately. In the meantime, control your condition by taking medication as advised by your doctor and leading a healthy lifestyle. 

Laser treatments are commonly used to treat the above-mentioned eye problems. They are usually painless and recovery is very quick. For more complex problems, however, surgery may have to be done. Retinotherapy can also be treated with medicines that help to slow down the occurrence of damaged blood vessels in the retina.

Of course, prevention is still the best cure and can save you lots of time, money, effort and pain. So don’t scrimp on that yearly check-up or necessary visits to the doctor, or you may find yourself sacrificing much more.  

Written by: Ng Mei Yi
Sources:

http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/diabetic/retinopathy.asp

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4567456_diabetes-cause-blindness.html

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/2007/Mar/Diabetes-causes-blindness.html

http://www.findmedicaladvice.com/diabetes/why-does-diabetes-cause-blindness.html


CHAS?
Friday, April 13, 2012 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments


Early this year, CHAS joins our ever-growing list of acronyms. But unlike ERP, CHAS is one that delights the masses.

CHAS stands for Community Health Assist Scheme. It is the new and upgraded version of the Primary Care Partnership Scheme (PCPS). This scheme allows Singapore citizens from low and middle-income groups to receive subsidised outpatient treatments for acute and chronic conditions and even basic dental services at select General Practitioners and dental clinics.

Yes, while PCPS was accessible to low middle-income groups, CHAS benefits even families living on thousands of dollars of income per month. How so?

The eligibility age has been lowered from 60 years old and above to 40 years old and above. The exception is those who have severe mobility problems (unable to do any one of these six activities for yourself - washing / bathing; toileting; transferring; feeding; dressing; and/or mobility) – there is no age limitation for this.

The qualifying income ceiling has been raised to a per capita monthly household income of $1,500 and below. Per capita monthly household income means the monthly household income per head in the household and of course, this makes a huge difference over monthly income per household. This allows even the sandwiched middle-class to benefit from significantly subsidised health care at private clinics.

Quoting Nee Soon GRC’s Lee Bee Wah, who illustrates the benefits of the new CHAS clearly in her monthly message to the residents,

“This is essentially achieved by the implementation of a two-tier eligibility criterion. Households with a per capita monthly income of $1500 and less but more than $900 will receive subsidies on select dental procedures and chronic disease management. Households with a per capita monthly income of $900 and less and an annual household value of $13,000 or less will enjoy the above-mentioned with an added subsidy on common illnesses like coughs and colds.

This means that even a family with a gross monthly income of $8000 for example, consisting of a working couple, two elderly parents and two children would be eligible for subsidies under CHAS since the monthly income per head is less than $1500.”

This is a really helpful scheme as it helps reduce travel time and waiting time at hospitals and polyclinics. In addition, patients who are too unwell to go all the way to the polyclinic will find this a godsend as they can simply go to the nearest clinic for equally affordable treatment. Unfortunately, many people who are eligible for this scheme are not aware or only vaguely aware of it.

http://www.chas.sg/clinicsdirectory_gp.aspx is a comprehensive list of clinics that support this scheme and the list is really huge. I was surprised to see my nearest dental clinic and GP (which are not part of any of those fancy chains of family clinics and somewhat obscure) on the list and I have since made Dad and Mum sign up for it.

Applying is easy. Just download the form from http://www.chas.sg/page_patients.aspx?id=157 or get a hardcopy from any Government Hospitals, Polyclinics, Community Centres and Clubs (CC) or Community Development Councils (CDC). Attached a photocopy of your IC and any other relevant documents as required on the form and you’re good to go!

Written by: Ng Mei Yi


What do cell phones and cigarettes have in common?
Thursday, April 05, 2012 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments
You can get addicted to them, and when that happens, your well-being can be adversely affected. Sometimes, the damage is irreversible. They are portable - you can bring them around with you, which of course, makes the addiction even harder to manage. Addictions are human weakness and nothing to be embarrassed about, but when your health deteriorates because of them, it is no laughing matter.

In my previous post, I shared about ways to identify signs of cell phone addiction.

As with all types of addictions, the greatest challenge is not exercising the solutions, but admitting that you have an addiction and are willing to release yourself from it.

If you have been looking out for signs of phone addiction in yourself, you probably don’t need to worry about this. If you’re helping someone else, first of all yelling at him or telling him straight in the face that he is addicted and demanding that he locks his phone away will most likely only result in aggressive denial. Instead, talk to him in a calm manner, show him tangible proof (like phone bills), remind him that the cell phone isn’t his only source of entertainment. Let him know that there can be positive outcomes from reducing phone usage e.g. the money from the reduced phone bills can be used for treats like outings, movies or a new dvd. Understand the reasons behind his obsession with his cell phone so that you can come up with feasible solutions. Is he bored or lonely? Perhaps the cell phone is his only outlet of relieving stress.

But recognising signs of addiction doesn’t necessarily mean a desire to rid the addiction. In fact, some people are so proud of their addiction that they make it a point to announce it on a T-shirt (though they are probably not badly affected if they can joke about it). The hazards of phone addiction are reasons why we should not be too attached to our metal pals, and they should be explained or reinforced to the user so that he/she can make a wise decision instead of feeling compelled into it.

Constant exposure to radiation, straining eyes with glaring screen light and small size of graphics and text, poor sitting posture that can lead to aches, putting on weight due to a sedentary lifestyle, failure to communicate comfortably with others upfront due to overreliance on typing behind a screen…… these are hazards than can be easily comprehended without extensive scientific knowledge, and are possibly already felt by intense users. Being aware of the problem makes it easier to resolve cutting down on phone usage.

An ultimate ban on cell phone use is not realistic, as cell phones are actually useful and important communication tools if used well. Confiscating a phone may only instigate rebelliousness as the user turns to other sources and means to obtain a new phone.

Start off by removing non-crucial applications from your phone, as these are often the greatest distractions and reasons of addiction. Many entertainment functions can still be performed without your phone. For example, you can watch videos on your TV and computer, and at a much more comfortable size too. You can access Facebook and Twitter on your computer, though not all the time, but that is precisely why you’re fighting an addiction. There are other great games available for free online; you won’t be missing much by removing your gaming applications. Without having access to these on the go, you will find more time to engage in more important and meaningful activities.

Do not bring your cell phone charger with you when you are outside of home. Limit yourself to charging your phone only once a day. If you find yourself with no access to a useable phone before the end of the day, you will have little choice but to start regulating your phone usage.

Take your mind off your phone with other fun and interesting activities. Watch television with your family. Attend social gatherings and outings with your friends. Go out for a walk in the park and breathe some fresh air. Crack a book. You will find these activities more healthy and fun than hunching over the tiny screen.

Don't be embarrassed to ask for help. Tell your family and friends honestly that you are using your phone way too much and would like to stop this. They can help you to keep your phone usage in check, remind you when you are using it for too long, and create opportunities and activities to get you off that phone.