Are you familiar with www.postsecret.blogspot.com?

Here comes a new website that aims to inspire and reach out to people through wishes. Launching of the site will be on October 1.  You might want to send your wishes na rin. Here’s the site: www.wishlistmaster.blogspot.com.

The printer. Something that we use on a daily basis, at home, in school or in the office. We print all types of stuff like emails, homework, research papers, financial statements and many more.

But do you know that there’s something in printers that can cause serious health risks?

Know more about it..

Another excellent breakthrough in the field of science and medicine. A joint research by specialists in University of Haifa(Institute of Evolution) and Indiana University recently discovered a mathematical method that is able to indentify genes that battle against viruses and diseases in our body. Based on a research lead by Dr. Leonid Brodsky and Dr. Milton Taylor, they’ve already identified over 37 genes(out of possible 20,000 genes) that help in combating the Hepa-C strain.

According to Dr. Brodsky, “”When we know which genes are responsible for fighting the viruses which attack our liver, we will be able to look for the medications which will activate these genes most favorably”. He further added, “”In the specific case of hepatitis C, we have now isolated the genes that show which patients will respond to treatment. Until now, all patients received treatment for an extended period of time without knowing whether or not they would respond. In the future, we hope to find other medications that will be more effective in activating all of the 37 genes.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Although I don’t think I’m a blogger well-established enough to feature the writings of another blogger, still I’d like to take this opportunity to share with your another doctor’s perspective on the status of the health care system in the Philippines. This just goes to say that not few doctors (and not only me) see the terrible dilemma our country is facing regarding our health care system and that doctors are raising their voices to be able to let the whole country know that many changes should be done soon, if not, now.

Here’s Dr. Carl Dwight Demetria‘s take on the issue (as posted in another forum):

* * * * *

Health care in the Philippines is dying.

And for me, it is a slow, painful death. Like a hemorrhaging patient with advanced TB, who neglected to take the needed but annoyingly long anti-Koch’s medications.

We could run the merry-go-round of declaring who is the more righteous: the pragmatist who believes that “the best provider is the one who leaves”, or the apologist/optimist who generalizes medical students as rich, and can tolerate a few more years of drought before
they hit the big time in local medical practice.

But the prospects for our patient named Philippine health care is necessarily colored by our personal experiences as doctors. Even as we slowly espouse evidence-based medicine in our human patients, in social problems such as this one we inevitably fall on our own emotion-colored glasses to see the picture.

So to add to this discussion I return to what I have experienced in my short stint as a doctor.

Even while studying in the State University, there has always been a distinction between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. This delineation can be noticed once somebody initiates a discussion about future plans. The ‘haves’, either by virtue of a sizeable war chest, an inheritable clinic practice, or extensive networking, are almost always cocksure about their plans for the future: residency in PGH, or taking the USMLE.

The ‘have-nots’, who have struggled silently to get through medical school, are not as sure as to their future plans. The lack of a medical Economics class does not help matters.

As they approach the clinics, they all see first hand the innards of a government hospital, and its one oft-repeated saving grace: the richness of clinical material called patients. Otherwise, the bureaucracy cripples everything from supplies to having enough nurses to the imposed, but subtle, monstrosity that is termed ‘hierarchy’. Only a few would dare express delight at this set-up, declaring their fealty to the hospital and the corresponding willingness to sacrifice ‘few’ years to train there. Most would be silently waiting for the day that they could break free from the hospital’s grip.

Continue reading this entry

Game Addiction is Not an Addiction, says experts

As simple as that. Game Addiction as we commonly call someone playing (video/online) games as if there’s no tomorrow, is still out of the “addiction book” of the doctors. Isn’t that neat? Further showing how politicians and some members of the media are just using this topic so they have something to say, and have something to report? All that talk, just so people will think they are responsible, or maintain their reputation, without any consideration the result the gaming industry can contribute to the economy, and the positive effects of gaming.

Quoting:
“…more study is needed before excessive use of video and online games – a problem that affects about 10 percent of players – could be considered a mental illness.”

Continue reading here…

Siguro lahat naman yata ng tao dumaan na sa trahedya ng puberty at teenage life. At ang pangyayaring ito ay umaabot hanggang sa pagtanda natin. Don’t worry, no biggie naman ito—big deal lang naman sa mga overzealous vain people. Ang tinutukoy ko lang naman ay ang mga pimpols, tigidigs, zits at kung ano pa ang gusto mong tawag diyan. Basa pa at alamin pa.

If you set aside one peso a day (1AD), you will have P365 by the end of the year. Not much but enough for some refreshments in a gathering of around ten to twenty youth in an urban poor community like Payatas. The gathering can be a spiritual encounter, a life-coaching session, a livelihood training, or a just a social get-together. No doubt such activities will help the youth reach their full potential. Read more at Quick and Random.

Kung mga jetsetters o first time niyo mag-cross continent, malamang ay naranasan niyo na ang common problems ng mga travelers; ang jetlag. Ang jetlag ay nangyayari dahil nag-a-adjust ang body clock sa timezone ng bansang pinuntahan. Ituloy mo lang.

Or let me rephrase it, there evidence is weak linking game addiction and violence. So in other words, the argument that “Gamers Will Soon Become War-Freak Adults” was just a politician’s attempt to blame gaming for something the society does not want to blame on them (the politicians).

Continue reading here…..

Frustration instead of indifference.

Frustration over not seeing a clear solution to the four-year Darfur conflict.

Never be indifferent to the suffering of millions of our African brothers.

Learn more about the Darfur crisis.

Do your little share. Let’s all save Darfur.

[via The New (Online) Confessions]

Last Tuesday, when I wrote this post, I was still at the early stage of my chickenpox. I was belittling the disease and still could afford to make jokes about it. My attitude was, ah, chickenpox shmickenpox! Little did I know that I was just about to start my bout with living hell. For several days now, I have been weak, nauseous, feverish, itchy, and most of all, ugly. No, I’m not ugly. I’m disgusting. Do you know what those people look like in Filipino movies who get kulam by a mangkukulam with itchy ugly boils all over their bodies? Ayun! That’s exactly what I look and feel like.

Read more in Toe’s Kurokuroatbp.

Located on the second floor of the university’s main building, the UST Museum of Arts & Sciences began collecting and classifying specimens as early as 1865. In the beginning, it was merely a co-curricular arm of the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, but it eventually began amassing a number of items which were not necessarily related to the medical endeavor.

Click here for the rest of entry and to view the photos taken inside the museum. 

So Monday night, I was sitting down, innocently watching the finale of The Amazing Race All-Star and seeing Danielle cream the others in gossiping and managed to bag a million dollars, when I suddenly felt cold. I was so cold that I didn’t even take a bath (I take a bath twice a day come hell and high water) and merely changed into pajamas and snuggled into bed under the blankets. Suddenly, I was having chills. Honey took my temperature and I was running a 38.5 temperature. Unbelievable! It was totally unwarranted. We had a relaxing Royal Ploughing long weekend, I exercised, I ate well… there was no reason for me to get sick. Tuesday morning, my fever went down but I didn’t want to go to work because I wanted to recuperate because I was about to travel to Manila next week for work and I hate traveling when sick or tired. This morning, while taking a shower… gasp!!!! I have butlig-butlig! Oh, my beautiful self! (You have to take my word on that). It’s self-destructing! I immediately called the Filipino doctor and described my symptoms… I have chickenpox! Gassssssssp!

Read more in Toe’s Kurokuroatbp.

Herman Pontzer, Ph.D., associate professor of physical anthropology in Arts & Sciences, has developed a mathematical model which shows that having longer legs mean less force production and lower energy cost.

If longer legs are more efficient, how come I’m still thin?

Read the full story here

You can subscribe to these great magazines for FREE. These contain valuable information about the new treatment modalities, new discoveries, diseases and more.

1. Heart Health Magazine of the British Heart Foundation
Heart Health is your FREE quarterly magazine from the British Heart Foundation. It is full of information on the latest treatment, medication and patient services. There are lots of bright ideas too, with great recipes, healthy living top tips, real life stories and special reader offers.

2. Johns Hopkins Public Health
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health publishes Johns Hopkins Public Health magazine twice each year. Topic range from women’s health to global health or any health topic of your interest.

3. Babytalk Magazine (For US Residents only.)
Babytalk has all the information expectant and new parents want and need — from health and safety issues to the latest and greatest products for baby. And it’s yours FREE! (You will never receive a bill.)

Continue reading health and safety:

During my three-day duty at the OB-GYNE outpatient department, I was overwhelmed by the number of abortion cases. We had an average of five cases a day. At least one-third of these mothers had induced abortion, which means that they resorted to mechanical or chemical means to terminate their pregnancy. Usually they seek for consult because of fever and chills, and other associated symptoms of septic abortion.

Our city is just a small portion of the Philippines, yet there are already numerous induced abortion cases encountered. It made me think (or not like to think) of the rampancy of the case nationwide. Prolife.org say that every year, as many as 750,000 women undergo induced abortion in illegal “clinics” all over the Philippines. That’s how prevalent induced abortion is. It’s quite a frustrating number.

Continue reading

Hand washing is undoubtedly the best way to prevent spread of infectious diseases. Soap manufacturers always come up with innovative products that “enhance” this preventive techniques. We see ads on TV about how effectively hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps prevent germs which almost always convince the consumers. Recent studies however say that washing hands with ordinary soap and water for 15 seconds reduces bacterial counts by about 90%. But even people who are conscientious about washing their hands often make the mistake of not drying them properly. Wet hands are more likely to spread germs than dry ones. Harvard Health Letter

Soap manufacturers found a good way to convince consumer more in buying their products through antibacterials additives. But experts fear that antibiotic resistance, which is now one of the major health concerns, might result from use of these antibacterial soaps. Further, research shows that these additives don’t add much on hand hygiene. Thus, this serves as a useful reminder that antibacterial soaps aren’t the all-purpose germ fighters that many people think they are.

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I feel lucky that I chose to enroll in a school, which gives emphasis on the health of the less fortunate fellowmen, with its community-based curriculum. During the 2nd semester of our freshmen year, we were assigned to 2-3 families per student in the community. At the first meetings, some of the families were resistant as expected. Some families were even locking up when they saw us approaching. We had experienced being chased by drug addicts. One classmate has witnessed a stabbing incident. Yeah, that’s how terrifying our experiences in our community were. It really felt like “survival of the fittest”. Despite these untoward circumstances, we are surviving community medicine.

1. We go to the community in groups or in pairs. This is especially for girls for security purposes.

2. We smile at and greet everyone in the community. This was our topmost strategy to gain the acceptance of the residents.

3. We address them by “ate”, “kuya”, or “lola”. This makes them comfortably talk with us.

4. The first thing we ask when we visit is “Kumusta na ang buhay?” Although we almost overuse this question but at least they feel that we are always interested to know their everyday life.

5. We treat their kids and family as ours. We play and spend quality time with them. This avoids feelings of inferiority from them because they can see that we can mingle with them.

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American scientists are now going to start genetic work on peanuts and soon give us genetically-modified peanut butter.

Read more

The people behind these fantastic figures should be the first to go to have brain surgery here.

With just over 2 million tourists each year, tripling that number because of “medical tourism” is pure fantasy.

Their projection is just way way off.