MEDICAL CHECK-UP AS OF MARCH 2014

FIXED BRIDGE

On 22nd of May, I had my fixed bridge which looks exactly like this. My dentist offered this at P3000 each tooth and I got three for P8000 only.

EYE CHECK-UP

I just had my eye check-up yesterday and according to the doctor, it shows that I have a vision of 200/125  (left/right). 

CLEARED FROM DENSITY ON THE X-RAY RE-TEST

ULTRASOUND RESULT ON WHOLE ABDOMEN

BLOOD TEST RESULT ON LIVER ENZYMES

BLOOD TEST AND ULTRASOUND

It's been a year that I feel discomfort on my abdomen particularly on the left side. It's not painful but I feel something is obstructing inside. I dunno if this is related to ulcer (I had an history way back in college) or just a plain abdominal stress. Sometimes I feel bloated or always hungry, the feeling when you're suffering from ulcer and I guess my bowel was already affected. Way back in 2011, I underwent barrium enema and the result was normal.

My creatinine is normal based on my December blood test. So I gotta check my liver enzymes (SGOT and SGPT) if they are normal because for the past years that I'm having blood test, only once that these SGOT and SPGT were tested. 

Also, I had a whole abdominal ultrasound for further evaluation.

WHAT WENT WRONG: NODULAR DENSITY ON X-RAY

I did this x-ray in February because I have a cough. I did not have a fever but just a plain cough; no chest pain or any other symptoms of respiratory diseases. I had my medication; Ambrox 3x a day. I cannot recall how many days I took the medicines but I guess less than a week. Then after that, the cough just gone by itself and no other issues or symptoms encountered.

The test was conducted in February and I never had the chance to get the result from Humana Medicard North EDSA not until today when I had my blood test and ultrasound. 

I'm a bit worried with this 'nodular density is seen in the right midlung superimposed with 6th posterior rib.'

USAPANG PUSO SA PUSO (PART XV)

FOODS THAT CAN KILL

Almonds: Just like cashew nuts, almonds too are considered to be extremely poisonous if not treated before consumption. In the crude form these nuts are exposed to heat in order to make them edible.

 Potatoes: One of the most commonly eaten vegetable across the world, a potato plant is actually poisonous. Everything except the bulbs, that we consume, is extremely harmful. If you consume the leaves of the potato plant in surfeit quantities it can prove to be fatal.

Mushrooms: Toadstools are poisonous mushrooms that must not be eaten. Mushrooms that are found in the wild are the harmful ones and can cause grave damage to the body. However, you must take note of the fact that not all mushrooms are poisonous.

Rhubarb: Rhubarb is a plant with edible and flavorsome stems which are used as a part of a number of desserts. However the leaves of this plant contain an acid which is very harmful in nature. Being observant about the quality and nature of food you consume is particularly imperative. Having complete knowledge and information about unusual foods is another important point to be taken care of.

Apple seeds: The fruit that actually keeps the doctor away has poisonous seeds that contain cyanide. However, the level of cyanide is low and does not cause extreme reactions. But health experts do not recommend eating apple seeds.

Cherries: The tiny little red fruit is enjoyed by most people and used in a number of ways. However, the seed of the cherry is poisonous in nature. It releases hydrogen cyanide in your body. You might feel uneasy, dizzy or even vomit. Extreme reactions include convulsions, kidney failure and heart related problems.

Cashew: Raw cashews contain urushiol, which is a poisonous chemical that can lead to death of a person. The ones that are available in the market are not in their raw form as they are steamed before being packed for consumption.

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JOGGING DECREASES MORTALITY

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Undertaking regular jogging increases the life expectancy of men by 6.2 years and women by 5.6 years, reveals the latest data from the Copenhagen City Heart study presented at the EuroPRevent2012 meeting. 

Reviewing the evidence of whether jogging is healthy or hazardous, Peter Schnohr told delegates that the study’s most recent analysis  (unpublished) shows that  between one and two-and-a-half hours of jogging  per week at a “slow or average” pace delivers  optimum benefits for longevity. The EuroPRevent2012 meeting, held 3 May to 5 May 2012, in Dublin, Ireland, was organised by the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (EACPR), a registered branch of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

“The results of our research allow us to definitively answer the question of whether jogging is good for your health,” said Schnohr, who is chief cardiologist of the Copenhagen City Heart Study, speaking in the “Assessing prognosis: a glimpse of the future” symposium on Saturday. “We can say with certainty that regular jogging increases longevity. The good news is that you don’t actually need to do that much to reap the benefits.”

The debate over jogging first kicked off in the 1970s when middle aged men took an interest in the past-time. “After a few men died while out on a run, various newspapers suggested that jogging might be too strenuous for ordinary middle aged people,” recalled Schnohr.

The Copenhagen City Heart study, which started 1976, is a prospective cardiovascular population study of around 20,000 men and women aged between 20 to 93 years. The study, which made use of the Copenhagen Population Register, set out to increase knowledge about prevention of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Since then the study, which has resulted in publication of over 750 papers, has expanded to include other diseases such as heart failure, pulmonary diseases, allergy, epilepsy, dementia, sleep-apnea and genetics. The investigators have explored the associations for longevity with different forms of exercise and other factors.

For the jogging sub study, the mortality of 1,116 male joggers and 762 female joggers was compared to the non joggers in the main study population. All participants were asked to answer questions about the amount of time they spent jogging each week, and to rate their own perceptions of pace (defined as slow, average, and fast). “With participants having such a wide age span we felt that a subjective scale of intensity was the most appropriate approach,” explained Schnohr, who is based at Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen.

The first data was collected between 1976 to 1978, the second from 1981 to 1983, the third from 1991 to 1994, and the fourth from 2001 to 2003. For the analysis participants from all the different data collections were followed using a unique personal identification number in the Danish Central Person Register.  “These numbers have been key to the success of the study since they’ve allowed us to trace participants wherever they go,” said Schnohr.

Results show that in the follow-up period involving a maximum of 35 years, 10,158 deaths were registered among the non-joggers and 122 deaths among the joggers. Analysis showed that risk of death was reduced by 44% for male joggers (age-adjusted hazard ratio 0.56) and 44% for female joggers (age-adjusted hazard ratio 0.56). Furthermore the data showed jogging produced an age adjusted survival benefit of 6.2 years in men and 5.6 years in women.

Further analysis exploring the amounts of exercise undertaken by joggers in the study has revealed a U-shaped curve for the relationship between the time spent exercising and mortality. The investigators found that between one hour and two and a half hours a week, undertaken over two to three sessions, delivered the optimum benefits, especially when performed at a slow or average pace.

“The relationship appears much like alcohol intakes. Mortality is lower in people reporting moderate jogging, than in non-joggers or those undertaking extreme levels of exercise,” said Schnohr. The ideal pace can be achieved by striving to feel a little breathless. “You should aim to feel a little breathless, but not very breathless,” he advised.

Jogging, said Schnohr, delivers multiple health benefits. It improves oxygen uptake, increases insulin sensitivity, improves lipid profiles (raising HDL and lowering triglycerides), lowers blood pressure, reduces platelet aggregation, increases fibrinolytic activity, improves cardiac function, bone density, immune function, reduces inflammation markers, prevents obesity, and improves psychological function. “The improved psychological wellbeing may be down to fact that people have more social interactions when they’re out jogging,” said Schnohr.





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SEMEN 101

HEALTH BENEFITS OF MEDICINAL SPICES

1. Asparagus 

Use: Kidney problems, dissolves uric acid deposits, promotes urination.
Preparation: Boil in water and drink.

 
2. Basil Tea 
Use: Colds, flu, cramps, bladder 
Preparation:
◦Add fresh herb or seeds to boiled water to make tea for migraines and bed time restlessness. 
◦Douche for yeast infections. 
◦Gargle and mouthwash to eliminate candida. 
◦Pregnant women should avoid medicinal use of basil. 

3. Black Pepper 
Use: Take at first sign of any disease, pain relief from toothache, brings down a fever. 

4. Celery 
Use: Sedative, seed and stalk reduces hypertension, celery seed tea for the kidneys as a cleanser. 

5. Chamomile Flowers 
Use: Fever and restlessness in children 

6. Cinnamon 
Use: Diarrhea, dysentery, general indigestion, yeast infection, athlete’s foot, reduces cancer causing tendencies of many food additives, cold.
Preparation:
◦Cinnamon ground or taken with milk is a good balance after a heavy meal or dessert
◦Simmer sticks with cloves for 3 min, add 2 tsp. lemon juice, 2 tsp. honey, 2 tbs. whiskey as cold medication. 
◦Boil 8-10 sticks in 4 cups water, simmer 5 min, steep 45 min, then douche or apply to athlete’s foot. 

7. Cloves 
Use: Toothache, nausea, vomiting, sore gums, topical pain relief of arthritis, antiseptic mouthwash, alcohol craving suppressor. 
Preparation:
◦Chew for toothache, nausea or vomiting. 
◦Use oil for pain relief, sore gums and toothache. 
◦Add clove oil to neutral oils for topical pain relief of arthritis. 
◦Small amounts of clove in a tea for nausea. 
◦3 cloves in two cups of boiled water, steeped for 20 minutes, as an antiseptic and mouthwash. 
◦Former alcoholics can suck on one or two cloves when the craving strikes to curb the desire. 

8. Freshly Brewed Coffee 
Use: Alleviate headaches, clean bowels, break mucus congestion. 
Preparation:
◦Caffeine in coffee is used to alleviate headaches (particularly those caused by caffeine withdrawal) 
◦Coffee enemas with olive oil are used to cleanse the bowels and are one of the safest and most thoroughly cleansing enemas available. 
◦Hot black coffee sipped through a straw helps break up mucus congestion in the lungs. 
◦Caution and common sense must be used to avoid dependency. 

9. Garlic 
Use: Chronic and acute bacterial colds and flus, bronchitis, asthma, whooping cough, high and low blood pressure, removing parasites and infections, sexually transmitted diseases, hypoglycemia, diabetes, destroys intestinal parasites, reduces cholesterol, repels insects, reduces sting effects of insects and red ants 

10. Ginger 
Use: Cold / flu, suppressing cough, cramps, nausea, stiffness, detoxify meat, blood thinner, ease bruises & sprains, stimulate delayed period, break up congestion and fever. 
Preparations:
◦Ginger prepared in tea form is useful for cramps, nausea, thinning blood, as a substitute for coumadin, break up congestion and fever. 
◦Use externally for stiffness

◦Add in cooking to detoxify meat, especially chicken. 
◦Boil 2/3 cup of freshly chopped root in 1 gallon water, wrapped in cheesecloth (or old nylon stocking) until the water is yellow. Then soak towel and lay on bruises and sprains while still hot, to ease them. 
◦Ginger is one of the few herbs that easily passes the blood/brain membrane and is used in conjunction with other herbs that are meant to have an effect on the mind. 
◦Pregnant women should avoid medicinal concentrations of ginger. 

11. Lemon 
Use: Cold / cough. 

12. Mint (Peppermint) 
Use: Migraines, nervousness, stomach disorders, heartburn, abdominal cramps, stomach ache, herpes. 
Preparation:
◦Herpes sufferers can take 2 cups of tea a day to ease the symptoms when the virus is active. 
◦Mints are used to buffer the action of other herbs that have uncomfortable effects on the stomach and intestines. 
◦Can be used in any combination for flavor. 

13. Mustard 
Use: Sprained backs, deep rattling coughs. 
Preparation:
◦1 ½cups of dry yellow mustard in a bathtub of water for sprained backs. 
◦Make a paste with water and apply to knee and elbow sprains till blisters appear! 
◦1 tsp. each mustard and ginger powder mixed with 2 ½tbs. of olive oil for deep rattling coughs. Rub over chest and back and put on an old T-shirt (or cover with cloth diaper). 

14. Nutmeg and Mace 
Use: Gas, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, kidney problems. 
Preparation:
◦Make a paste of powder with cold water and then add to boiled water. 1 tbs. 1/4 tbs of powdered nutmeg is enough to produce a floating euphoria for hours. Can cause erections for men during that time. 
◦Side effects are bone and muscle aches, burning eyes, sinus drainage, and limited diarrhea. 

15. Onion Bulb 
Use: Cold, cough, life prolonger, dressing for burns, bee and wasp stings & asthma.
Preparation:
◦Interviews with hundreds of people who lived to 100 plus all indicated a heavy intake of onions in the diet. 
◦Onion is an excellent dressing for burns. 
◦Crush sliced onions with a little bit of salt and apply to burns. 
◦Apply sliced onion to bee and wasp stings. 
◦For asthma, puree an onion, cover it with brandy and let sit overnight, strain it, filter it through a coffee filter, and refrigerate. Take 2 tbs. 20 minutes before expected onset or before going to bed. 

16. Parsley 
Use: Purifier, halitosis, tumor inhibitor, kidney stones and other kidney related problems, painful urination, sexual stimulant. 
Preparation:
◦Chew for halitosis. 
◦A few sprigs provide 2/3 the vitamin C of an orange, lots of vitamin A, and the important amino acid histidine, which is a tumor inhibitor. 
◦Parsley tea is good for kidney problems, painful urination, and kidney stones. 
◦One cup of parsley to 1 quart of water makes a strong tea. Two cups of parsley to 1 quart of water, steep an hour and drink warm, as an aphrodisiac. In Spain they have found that feeding parsley to sheep will bring them into heat at any time of year! 

17. Rosemary Tea 
Use: Headaches, body aches, breath purifier, aid in digestion of fat, free radicals reducer, stress, headaches, muscular stiffness and pain 
Preparation:
◦Flower tea for the breath. 
◦Boil water with rosemary in it to make it safe to drink. 
◦Diuretic and liver aid, increases bile flow. Two handfuls of flowering tips into 2 cups of good brandy, soak 10 days, strain and seal. Mouthful twice daily. 
◦Oil of rosemary is a natural anti-oxidant, and stress reliever 
◦Sniff for headaches. 
◦Chop a double handful of twigs and put in a pint of olive oil for one week, and use as a muscle liniment. 

18. Spearmint 
Use: Colds, flu, mild fever, antispasmodic, prevents vomiting, relieves stomach, intestinal gas, diaphoretic, reduces pain. 

19. Tea 
Use: Relieve migraines, dental plaque remover 
Preparation:
◦Caffeine relieves migraines. 
◦Tea drinkers suffer less hardening of the arteries than coffee drinkers. 
◦Black tea kills dental plaque. 

20. Vinegar 
Use: Blood cleanser, arthritis cure & reduce inflammation 
Preparation:
◦Naturally brewed apple cider vinegar is one of the finest blood cleansers and arthritis cures known. 
◦Take 1 tbs. per day of equal parts vinegar and honey in water to taste to cleanse the blood and reduce inflammation from arthritis. 
◦Be sure to use naturally brewed vinegar, as the white cheap stuff in the grocery store is actually acetic acid, a petroleum by-product, and pretty well useless except as a window cleaner! 

21. Walnut Hulls, Black 
Use: Athletes foot, fungal infections, parasites, abscesses, boils 

22. Watercress herb 
Use: Cold / flu

THE TRUTH ABOUT RICO YAN'S DEATH

SOURCE

Expert explains cause of Rico Yan's death

by Miguel Dumaual, ABS-CBNnews.com

Posted at 03/29/2012 4:07 AM | Updated as of 03/29/2012 4:59 PM

New findings show overeating not related to 'bangungot'

Genes cause bangungot in 30% of cases, says Dr. Giselle Gervacio

MANILA, Philippines – Ten years since his sudden passing in 2002, the late actor Rico Yan is no less loved by his family and loyal fans. Now, with recent scientific findings that clarify the cause of his death, supporters and loved ones alike can have a better understanding of the unexpected death that perplexed the nation.

It was 10 years ago when matinee idol Rico Yan suddenly died at the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan, where he was on vacation with friends for the Holy Week. The reported cause of his death was cardiac arrest due to acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis, which was then attributed to Yan having slept on a full stomach after a party.

Until recently, it was common belief that hemorrhagic pancreatitis was the scientific term for “bangungot.” But recent findings show that while Yan may have died from “bangungot,” the medical translation of the word has taken on an entirely different meaning.

According to Dr. Giselle Gervacio, cardiologist and electrophysiologist at the St. Luke’s Medical Center, “bangungot” is not connected to the pancreatic system; rather, it is foremost a case of sudden irregularities in heart rate.

“Puso talaga ang pinanggagalingan ng totoong bangungot, in particular, nagkakaroon ng napakabilis na heart beat biglaan,” Gervacio told dzMM’s “Magandang Gabi Dok” on Wednesday.

“’Yun ‘yung nagdudulot ng cardiac arrest, kasi sobrang bilis ng heart beat, minsan 300 beats per minute, at 60 to 100 ang normal na heart beat per minute, so ang 300 sobrang bilis, hindi na kinakaya ng puso, wala ka nang blood flow noon sa organs.”

Sudden Unexplained Death Syndrome

As with the case of Yan, a person who experiences this sudden spike in heart beat during his sleep may not be able to wake up. This abrupt happenstance is medically termed SUDS or “Sudden Unexplained Death Syndrome,” said Gervacio.

Before the occurrence of SUDS, the patient usually exhibits struggle during his sleep, which Gervacio explained to be the origin of the word “bangungot.”

“’Yung word itself, ‘bangon’ at ‘ungol’ ‘yung root word niya. Ganun kasi mismo ‘yung itsura niya – parang makikita na tila bumabangon ‘yung tao habang tulog at umuungol, so para siyang nagkukumbulsyon,” she said.

At dawn on March 29 at Dos Palmas in Palawan, Yan was reported to have exhibited a similar behavior before he was found dead at 9 a.m. According to his friend and companion actor Dominic Ochoa, Yan was heard groaning at around 6 a.m., but this was dismissed as his usual snoring.

In cases when an individual is observed to show such signs of “bangungot” and cannot be awakened, Gervacio advised thumping on the person's chest or bringing him immediately to the hospital.

Thumping the patient’s chest, with some luck, can bring back the normal rhythm of the heart rate, Gervacio said. In worse cases, a defibrillator may be needed to “shock” the patient’s heart rate back to normal.

Not hemorrhagic pancreatitis

Having a better understanding of “bangungot” can help in saving potential victims from a case of SUDS,Gervacio said, emphasizing foremost that “bangungot” should not be confused with hemorrhagic pancreatitis.

She explained that early studies of “bangungot” may have associated it with the pancreatic system because of the autopsies accounted on bangungot victims.

“Kung titingnan nating ‘yung history ng pagkadiskubre ng bangungot, na-notice nila marami sa mga binabangungot ay nakainom kaya rin siguro na-associate sa pancreatitis,” she said.

“’Yung mga unang otopsiya na nagawa, nakita nila parang merong pagbabago sa lapay, o sa pancreas, kaya nung una akala nila, dito sa atin sa Pilipinas ay pancreatitis ‘yung cause, but that has already been disproven.

“’Yung pagbabago sa lapay na nakita sa otopsiya ay dahil patay na ‘yung patient, hindi ‘yun ‘yung pumatay sa pasyente. So puso na ngayon ang tinitingnan na dahilan ng bangungot.”

Causes of ‘bangungot’

Gervacio also clarified that sleeping on a full stomach, which had also been pointed as a cause of Yan’s death, does not cause “bangungot.”

“Hindi connected. Isa ‘yan talaga sa mga inaakala ng mga tao, na parang trigger ‘yung sobrang busog sa pagka-bangungot, pero gaya ng sabi ko, mukhang hindi naman siya related sa bituka o sa lapay,” Gervacio said.

On the actual cause of “bangungot,” Gervacio said an established link is the genes of victims, but other possibilities are yet to be explored.

“In 30 per cent [of the cases], sa genes – pinanganak ka nandun na ‘yung sanhi. ‘Yung other 70 per cent, tinatawag naming ‘sporadic.’ Wala sa genes, bigla nalang lumilitaw. Hanggang sa ngayon, hindi pa rin talaga napapaliwanag kung bakit lilitaw ito sa isang tao at hindi sa iba,” Gervacio said.

Followers of Philippine entertainment’s Mr. Dimples continue to celebrate his life and works as an actor.

Yan would have turned 37 years old last March 14. He was under an exclusive contract with ABS-CBN and was a member of the network's Star Magic, which launched his showbiz career through leading roles in TV shows including “Mula sa Puso” and “Gimik.”

Yan also starred in various films under ABS-CBN’s film outfit Star Cinema, including “Dahil Mahal na Mahal Kita,” “Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay,” and “Got 2 Believe.”

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