Start taking an active stance on diabetes
Tuesday, August 29, 2017 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments

Imagine having to rely on these everyday for the rest of your life to control diabetes
(Picture from Pixabay)

It’s quite apparent that diabetes is a serious problem in Singapore when the Prime Minister focuses a major portion of his National Day Rally speech on it, to the point that it almost feels like a health talk. Certainly, I would agree that we have reason to be alarmed when our small nation is only second behind the USA in ranking of incidence of diabetes.

A high incidence of health problems in a country is not only detrimental to productivity when most of our only natural resources are its people. But when many people are requiring medical treatments, the manpower shortage – doctors, nurses and other medical staff will become even more severe than ever. There will be shortage of hospital beds, and there will be long lines of patients everywhere. Naturally, it is also a huge drain on welfare.

Much of the Prime Minister’s advice is very good advice, though they are also not news. Replace white rice with brown rice or mixed grains, drink water instead of sugary sodas, do more exercise and try to achieve at least 10000 steps a day… such advice has been repeatedly advocated by health enthusiasts and medical professionals everywhere in the world. They have also been discussed in one of our blog posts here.  And here is an article on making brown rice more palatable. Sadly, not everyone is willing to compromise their taste buds, until something serious happens, and by then, it may be too late.

Perhaps one of the main problems is that Singaporeans really love our food. It is no news that we have a large variety of dining options, from hawker centres to hipster cafes to fast food to Michelin restaurants. On top of that, there are plenty of food blogs dedicated to reviewing and recommending new eating places and menus. A new menu by Macdonald’s can easily get tongues (or keyboards) wagging as foodies wax lyrical over the good and bad. 

As a member of my neighbours’ WhatsApp group dedicated to food, and not being much of a foodie myself, it is quite sobering to see people across different age groups being so interested in food. It is also evident that many people enjoy eating out, or perhaps, they simply don’t have time or interest to cook, and they so they dine out on a regular basis (one of the things health professionals and enthusiasts discourage due to the inability to control what goes inside the food). Aside from sharing photos featuring meals they had, as well as the opening hours of the elusive wanton mee stall nearby that opens infrequently, another hot topic for them is durians. Thanks to them, I’ve learnt that durian buffets are a thing in Singapore. For fees ranging from $30 to $50, you can enjoy your fill of durians, and not just during the durian season. And durians are absolutely bad news for diabetes.

Singapore, renowned for being a food paradise, is chockfull of temptations. To have the government implement restrictions or bans would not only be considered draconian, but also require resources to enforce. Ultimately, awareness and self-restraint are the best tools to combating diabetes and the related health issues. That also includes going for regular health screenings to detect symptoms and problems that have not become serious enough to make an impact, and are still at a more easily treatable stage. A piece of good news is that from next month onwards, health-screening fees are cut down to $5 for those above the age of 40. Nevertheless, even without a health checkup, I believe most of us, especially the younger generation, are well aware about whether we actually are at a risk of diabetes (sedentary lifestyle, eating out a lot, on the chubby side). It is time to stop living in denial and start making a proactive decision to safeguard one’s health.


Medal-winning para-athlete Jason Chee loses right eye to cancer – what is this cancer and can it be prevented?
Thursday, August 17, 2017 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments


Image from Pixabay
 
Jason Chee really has it tough. He first made headlines in 2012 when he lost his left arm and both legs in a ship accident while serving in the navy. Subsequently, he trained in table tennis, represented Singapore as a para-athlete and has even won medals. Unfortunately, he has been dealt another setback, this time in the form of eye cancer. Due to the size of the tumour (larger than 1cm), radiotherapy would not work, so his only option was to undergo surgery to have the entire affected eye removed. Nevertheless, the brave man is taking it in stride, and has gone back to training in table tennis with the use of one eye.

Eye cancer, or choroidal melanoma / eye melanoma, is rarely talked about in Singapore, compared to cancers like breast cancer and lung cancer. That is because it’s more common in Westerners, but low risk does not mean no risk, as demonstrated by Jason’s situation.
There are no known specific causes of eye cancer, though as with most cancers, genes play a role. Risk factors include:
o       Light eye colours such as blue and green
o       Being white
o       Increasing age
o       Certain inherited skin disorders
o       Exposure to UV light

Eye cancer usually does not have any symptoms, which unfortunately makes it difficult to diagnose until it gets serious. If there are any symptoms, they usually include:
  • Growing dark spot on the iris
  • Flashing lights sensation
  • Change in the shape of the pupil
  • Poor or blurry vision in one eye
  • Loss of peripheral vision
  • Sensation of flashes and specks of dust (floaters)
These symptoms are also present in other types of eye problems and may not necessarily hint at eye cancer. Nevertheless, you should take immediate steps to seek further diagnosis as it could make a difference to your ability to retain and protect your vision. Regular eye examinations can help detect early abnormalities in the eye.

Eye cancer has the ability to spread to other organs, and so it is certainly important to seek immediate treatment and further examination. As Jason says, “I had a full body check and thankfully the cancer had not spread to my other organs. It was very good news and I felt very happy.”

Often when our loved ones or ourselves come down with a major illness or cancer, the first reaction is usually, and understandably, “Why me?” Often, we question the causes, whether there were signs, was it our own fault for overlooking them or increasing our risk exposure. Nevertheless, despite the fact that the methodologies for detecting and treating cancers and other rare illnesses have been improving rapidly, thanks to investments in research and technology, certain illnesses remain a mystery in some ways. 

If life should deal us a tough hand, the only way is forward, with a positive mindset.
"I'm only left with my right arm. Now, I'm only left with my left eye. You only live once, so I live life to the fullest and be happy day by day."

Certainly, Jason’s grit and determination makes him a role model and inspiration for everyone. Although his surgery was just about three months ago, he is already training hard to adapt to his one-eye vision for the ASEAN Para Games, held in Kuala Lumpur from Sep 17 to Sep 23. I wish him the very best.

Sources: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/jason-chee-medal-winning-para-athlete-loses-right-eye-to-cancer-9129602
https://eyecancer.com/eye-cancer/conditions/choroidal-tumors/choroidal-melanoma/
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eye-melanoma/basics/definition/con-20027875



More than meets the eye
Thursday, August 03, 2017 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments
Image Credit


 
Improved technology has made it possible to create contact lenses that are thinner, contain more water content and hence more comfortable to wear. Sometimes they are so thin that the wearer does not even feel them. But the downside to this is that the lenses may slip further into your eyes and you may not even realise it!

In July this year, a woman made news for the discovery of 27 contact lenses lodged in her eyes. She wasn't even aware until she was due to go for a cataract surgery and her surgeons found the unexpected. Certainly, it seems incredulous that anything can go into the eye undetected, let alone to have so many lenses stuck in the eyes over a span of wearing disposable contact lenses for 35 years. But ask any regular daily disposable users and they will likely have some anecdotes about losing a contact lens in their eye or near-misses to share. 

Personally, I can relate. I was having a hard time removing my daily disposable lens in one of my eyes due to the lack of moisture. As I had a finger tip to the lens trying to move it around, my eye suddenly felt free, but I couldn't see the lens anywhere. I assumed that it had dropped somewhere. Shortly after, I started having this feeling of "something in my eyes". I attributed it to irritation from long wear of the lenses. It also felt as though an eyelash or dust particle had fallen into my eye. Eye drops did little to relieve the grittiness. A couple of days later, I was pulling down my bottom eyelid, trying to locate that mysterious eyelash that might have lodged itself in my eye, when I spotted a dark coloured film (I was wearing coloured lenses) at the bottom edge of my eye. I gently prodded at my bottom eyelid, and it eventually came out. I was very lucky that it didn't have to take an infection to set in before I'd have to seek professional help. I can imagine how much easier it is for a clear contact lens to go detected. I made up my mind to be more careful and to never to let that happen again.

Here are some ways you can protect your eyes from similar accidents:

When removing your lenses, make sure there is sufficient moisture. If your eyes are too dry, the lens will not come off easily and trying to force it out could aggravate the situation. Always have a bottle of eye drops meant for use when wearing contact lenses, so that you can lubricate your eyes anytime when wearing lenses.

Don't rub your eyes when you're wearing lenses. You could dislodge the lens, or worst, tear it, resulting in multiple fragments in your eyes that may be impossible to remove without surgery.

Don't sleep when wearing lenses. You'd be depriving your eyes of oxygen and that's a sure recipe for a red eye and consequently, an infection. The lenses may also move out of place when you sleep.

If a lens appears to be missing when you're trying to remove it, and you can't find it anywhere on the floor, don't take for granted that it's simply left your eye, like I did. Go to the optometrist. Your vision and eye health, and peace of mind are far more important than the possible time and costs incurred.

If you're a frequent wearer of contact lenses, do attend regular optometrist appointments to ensure that your eyes are healthy.

Our eyes are fragile organs and vision is a priceless asset. We should never take them for granted.