- S E G A L A_ M A C A M_ P E N Y A K I T -

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NEA working with more government agencies to control Chikungunya virus
By Margaret Perry, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 27 January 2008 1955 hrs

SINGAPORE : The National Environment Agency (NEA) is working with more government agencies to prevent the Chikungunya virus from spreading.

NEA officers are clearing up Little India as fast as possible, says Environment and Water Resources Minister Dr Yaacob Ibrahim.

This will make it easier for PUB to flush the drains to prevent stagnant water - ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes.

Dr Yaacob says the Land Transport Authority and Urban Redevelopment Authority are also involved.

Nearly 1,800 people in the Clive Street area have volunteered for free Chikungunya virus tests.

But Dr Yaacob says compulsory health checks in affected areas are not necessary at the moment.

He says: "It is not an epidemic yet. It's not like SARS. Let's be candid. We will consider all options depending on development of the matter. We have not put everything aside, everything is on the table, we think things can be controlled at this point in time." - CNA/ch

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Ekstra! : 29 Januari 2008         

NAK TAHU

MENGENAL VIRUS

DEMAM panas yang seakan-akan membakar tubuh Encik Vidwasekar Gnanasigamani menambahkan kesakitan di kepala dan rasa bisa di sendi-sendinya yang menerpa dalam masa yang sama.

Namun, pelancong dari India itu sama sekali tidak menyangka beliau telah dijangkiti virus Chikungunya.

Sehingga 25 Januari, seramai 10 warga asing dan seorang warga Singapura telah dijangkiti Chikungunya. Mereka menetap atau bekerja di kawasan sekitar Clive Street di Little India.

Virus ini jarang membunuh, tetapi tiada ubat atau penawar untuknya. Biasanya seseorang yang dijangkitinya akan pulih secara semula jadi selang beberapa hari.

Mari kita kenali dengan lebih dekat virus ini.

# Apakah Chikungunya?:

Ia adalah virus yang menyebabkan demam panas dan disebarkan oleh nyamuk Aedes - serupa dengan virus yang menyebabkan demam denggi.

# Namanya panjang dan aneh:

Sebenarnya namanya diambil daripada bahasa Makonde, yang ditutur orang Tanzania, Afrika, yang bermaksud 'terbengkok ke atas' kerana antara simptom penyakit ini adalah postur tubuh yang membengkok.

# Adakah ia merbahaya?:

Walaupun ia jarang membunuh, buat masa ini lebih 200 pesakit yang menghidapinya telah terkorban di India dalam 2006.

Sekitar 1.25 juta penduduk India pula dipercayai telah dijangkiti virus ini. Namun tindakan pantas pemerintah Singapura selepas kes pertama diketahui dipercayai telah berjaya mengekang jumlah jangkitan di Singapura.

# Ubat penyakit ini:

Buat masa ini tiada vaksin yang boleh membunuh virus ini. Namun biasanya, si pesakit akan pulih secara semula jadi.

# Bagaimana mempertahankan diri daripada jangkitan?:

Air tidak sepatutnya dibiarkan bertakung di dalam longkang dan dulang pasu bunga untuk mengekang pembiakan nyamuk Aedes.

fatz

Ekstra! : 29 Januari 2008         
         
PAMERAN

DEKATI ALAM KUMAN

Apa: Living With Viruses

Di mana: Pusat Sains Singapura

Bila: Setiap hari, 10 pagi - 6 petang

Bayaran masuk: $6 (dewasa), $3 (kanak-kanak)

KENALI jenis-jenis virus dan bakteria yang pernah menjejas kehidupan di Singapura pada suatu masa dahulu dengan lebih dekat.

Pameran 'Living With Viruses' di Pusat Sains Singapura meneroka keseimbangan kehidupan antara manusia dan virus yang berkongsi tempat tinggal.

Antara virus yang akan ditonjolkan dalam pameran itu adalah 'virus human immunideficiency' (HIV), 'acquired immune deficiency syndrome' (Aids), influenza, 'severe acute respiratory syndrome' (Sars) dan penyakit tangan, kaki dan mulut (HFMD).

Adik-adik boleh meneroka alam virus menerusi galeri tiga dimensi, dokumentari video, dan panel maklumat.

fatz

Cancer patients can use Medisave for scans in outpatient clinics from April 1
By Hasnita A Majid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 29 January 2008 1113 hrs




SINGAPORE: From April, cancer patients can use their Medisave to pay for various diagnostic scans, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computerised Axial Tomography or CAT scan (CT scan) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans.

This is an extension of the use of Medisave for treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

MediShield will also be tweaked further later this year - to help subsidised patients with large bills cope with payments.

Scans such as an MRI or CT scan to detect cancer cells is a costly affair.

For example, an MRI can cost up to S$800.

Currently, patients can use their Medisave for these tests, but only when they are hospitalised.

Soon, there will be help.

From April, cancer patients can use their Medisave to pay for such tests, even if they are done in an outpatient clinic.

The Health Minister gave the good news after donating blood at the Bloodbank@HSA on Tuesday. This is something he does yearly, close to the Lunar New Year period, to encourage people to do the same. It is also to help beef up blood supply which usually runs low during the festive period.

Mr Khaw said Medisave can only be used by certified cancer patients for their follow-up treatments.

He said, "My fear is abuse. Not by patients, because CT, MRI are all scanning devices and healthy people can be subjected to a lot of CT and MRI too, if they are wrongly advised by the doctor. There are protocols to it, so with cancer, I want to see how well it is implemented, making sure there is no abuse..."

The Health Ministry said that the latest move to further liberalise the use of Medisave is to help cancer patients defray the cost of cancer treatment, as such scans are now part of the standard care for patients.

The move is expected to benefit up to 40,000 cancer patients, with an estimated withdrawal of about S$25 million a year.

There is good news for other patients too - Mr Khaw said those with asthma can also draw on their Medisave to pay for treatment - in a month or two.

It is part of efforts to help patients with chronic diseases manage their conditions better and hence avoid being hospitalised in future.

Future plans include finding a way to help patients with lupus and psoriasis deal with their medical expenses.

Another change to be expected is further tweaking of MediShield, to benefit subsidised patients with large hospital bills of more than S$10,000.

Mr Khaw said by this year, their co-payment portion will be reduced to 20 percent, instead of the current 40 percent.

However, this may need an increase in premiums of up to S$10.

Mr Khaw said, "The last round when we did a reform, it took a lot of sounding out. The public told me please not more than S$10 a month, so I take that as the limit...this was 3 years ago...I don't see the mood has changed much between then and now."

Mr Khaw said he is also emphasising to the public the importance of proper healthcare financing during his ongoing dialogue sessions on means testing. - CNA/ms

fatz

Ekstra! : 30 Januari 2008        
         
HUBUNGI MKAC JIKA RAGU SOAL HOTA

DENGAN penyertaan Muslim Singapura sebagai penderma organ automatik mulai Ogos ini, ramai yang mungkin masih ragu-ragu kerana kurang faham akan undang-undang itu.

Ada yang mungkin berfikir untuk tidak disertakan dalam skim tersebut yang berkuatkuasa di bawah Akta Pemindahan Organ Manusia (Hota).

Jika mereka ragu-ragu dan inginkan penjelasan lanjut, mereka boleh langsung menghubungi Persatuan Bertindak Ginjal bagi Masyarakat Islam (MKAC).

Presiden MKAC, Encik Ameerali Abdeali, berkata: 'Pasti ada mereka yang tidak pasti atau bingung untuk membuat keputusan. Kami sedia memberikan nasihat. Kami memang sudah menerima beberapa panggilan.

'Kami akan bantu dan jelaskan kepada mereka. Untuk mereka yang enggan menyertai Hota, keputusan mereka akan dihormati dan tiada soalan akan ditanya kerana ia merupakan hak mereka untuk berbuat demikian,' kata Encik Ameerali.

Dengan penyertaan orang Islam dalam Hota, orang Islam Singapura berusia antara 21 tahun dengan 60 tahun secara automatik membenarkan ginjal, hati, jantung dan kornea diambil daripada tubuh mereka selepas mereka meninggal dunia untuk didermakan kepada pesakit kecuali mereka telah memilih untuk tidak mengizinkannya semasa hayat mereka.

Encik Ameerali berkata MKAC telah lama iaitu sejak tahun 2000 menyeru agar orang Islam disertakan secara automatik sebagai penderma organ di bawah Hota.

'Ia akan memanfaatkan kedua-dua orang Islam dan bukan Islam,' katanya.

Sejauh ini hanya 5.5 peratus atau 16,500 daripada 300,000 orang Islam Singapura yang telah mengikrarkan organ mereka.

Kementerian Kesihatan kini sedang menyiapkan pakej penerangan mengenai Hota dan kedudukan orang Islam dalam pendermaan organ.

Pakej itu juga mengandungi borang untuk orang Islam menarik diri daripada pendermaan organ.

MKAC boleh dihubungi melalui nombor telefon 6440-7390 atau e-emel < mkacs@singnet.com.sg > Pejabatnya terletak di 122, Telok Kurau Road.

fatz

Ekstra! : 30 Januari 2008        
         
RINGKAS

VAKSIN CEGAH BARAH PANGKAL RAHIM

SEJENIS vaksin baru untuk mencegah barah pangkal rahim telah dilancarkan di sini baru-baru ini.

Vaksin CervarixTM yang telah diluluskan oleh Penguasa Sains Kesihatan (HSA) Singapura itu adalah untuk melindungi mereka yang berusia antara sembilan tahun dengan 26 tahun daripada penyakit barah pangkal rahim yang boleh dicegah.

Vaksin itu memberikan perlindungan 100 peratus daripada virus yang membawa kepada barah pangkal rahim disebut 'human papillomavirus' (HPV) jenis 16 dan 18 yang bertanggungjawab bagi 70 peratus kes barah pangkal rahim di Asia Pasifik.

Barah pangkal rahim adalah punca kelima paling biasa yang menyebabkan kematian di kalangan wanita di Singapura. Setiap tahun kira-kira 200 wanita menghidap barah pangkal rahim di Singapura dan kira-kira separuh menemui maut kerananya.

Wanita Cina merupakan golongan terbesar yang menghidap barah itu iaitu seramai 11.5 bagi setiap 100,000 wanita setiap tahun, diikuti dengan Melayu pada kadar 7.4 dan India pada kadar 6.1.

Vaksin tersebut dihasilkan oleh syarikat ubat-ubatan GlaxoSmithKline GSK).

Dalam majlis pelancaran vaksin itu, semua doktor rawatan am seramai lebih 2,400 orang dan klinik rawatan am sebanyak 1,400 di Singapura diseru supaya sama-sama memerangi barah itu dan mendidik orang ramai mengenai pencegahan barah pangkal rahim.

Suntikan vaksin ini diberikan dalam tiga dos. Selepas suntikan pertama, suntikan kedua menyusul selepas sebulan dan yang ketiga dan akhir selepas enam bulan.

fatz

Ekstra! : 30 Januari 2008         
         
SARAPAN LEBIH DEMI ELAK GEMUK

APABILA usia semakin bertambah ke paras 40-an dan seterusnya, berat badan cenderung untuk bertambah dengan lebih mudah. Untuk mengelakkannya, para pengkaji mendapati bahawa makan lebih pada waktu sarapan dan mengurangkan makan pada waktu tengah hari dan malam boleh membantu golongan ini mengurangkan berat badan.

'Menukar jumlah kalori yang lebih tinggi dalam sehari kepada waktu sarapan boleh memberi faedah yang baik pada jangka panjang untuk golongan lelaki dan wanita separuh umur,' kata Dr Nita Forouhi.

Dr Forouhi dari Institut Sains Metabolik di Hospital Addenbrooke di Cambridge, United Kingdom, dan rakan-rakannya telah mengkaji 6,764 wanita dan lelaki berusia antara 40 tahun dengan 75 tahun.

Mereka terlibat dalam kajian itu dari awal untuk tempoh purata 3.7 tahun. Hasilnya didapati mereka yang makan lebih (22 hingga 50 peratus) daripada jumlah kalori mereka pada waktu sarapan mengalami tambahan berat badan yang lebih rendah iaitu 0.79 kilogram dalam satu tempoh. Sebaliknya, mereka yang makan tidak lebih daripada 11 peratus daripada jumlah kalori mereka pada waktu sarapan mengalami tambahan berat badan lebih tinggi sebanyak 1.23 kilogram. -- Reuters.

fatz

1 more case of chikungunya fever hits another foreign national
By S. Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 01 February 2008 1908 hrs

SINGAPORE: One more case of chikungunya fever was reported on Friday, bringing the total number of cases in Singapore to 12.

10 patients had been admitted to hospital for isolation and all but one have since been discharged.

The latest case involves a foreign national with no recent travel history. He lives on Norris Street, which is about 200 metres away from Clive Street where the first few cases were detected.

Since 14 January, both the Ministry of Health and the Environmental Health Institute have screened 2,268 people.

The National Environment Agency is continuing its inspections in areas beyond the Clive Street area.

More than 4,400 inspections have been conducted and 73 breeding sites have been detected and destroyed. - CNA/vm

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SPEKTRA, Berita MInggu 3 Februari, 2008

JIKA ANDA HAMIL
Awas... kopi dan bahan kafein boleh meningkatkan risiko keguguran

   Jika anda hamil, jauhi kopi dan minuman mengandungi kafein.
Baru-baru ini satu kajian yang telah dikendalikan di Amerika Syarikat mengesahkan bahawa kafein, jika diambil secara berlebihan, boleh meningkatkan risiko keguguran ketika hamil.

   Berikutan hasil kajian ini, wanita hamil dinasihatkan supaya mengelakkan daripada mengambil kafein secara berlebihan.

   Kafein terdapat dalam minuman kopi, teh dan kola. Ia juga terdapat dalam minumanan rangsang tenaga dan ubat-ubatan seperti ubat penahan sakit, ubat batuk dan ubat penyakit migrain.

   Terdapat banyak ubat-ubatan yang tidak selamat diambil sewaktu hamil.
   Wanita yang berbadan dua harus senantiasa berhati-hati ketika mengambil ubat sewaktu hamil.

   Contohnya, ubat Panadol selamat diambil ketika hamil. Namun demikian, ubat Panadol Extra lebih wajar dielakkan kerana ia mengandungi kafein.
   Dapatkan nasihat doktor jika anda ragu-ragu dan kurang memahami mengenai ubat-ubatan yang diambil sewaktu hamil.

   Kopi mengandungi kadar kandungan kafein yang agak tinggi. Setiap cawan kopi mengandungi sekitar 100 miligram kafein.

   Kajian menunjukkan bahawa lebih daripada 200 miligram kafein boleh meningkatkan risiko keguguran sebanyak dua kali ganda.

   Wanita hamil yang mengambil lebih daripada 200 miligram kafein dalam sehari, boleh mengalami peningkatan risiko keguguran daripada 12.5 peratus kepada 25.5 peratus.

   Oleh yang demikian, wanita hamil dinasihatkan supaya tidak mengambil lebih dari dua cawan kopi setiap hari. Pengambilan kafein harus dikekang dan dihadkan sekurang-kurangnya sepanjang tiga atau empat bulan pertama semasa hamil.

   Kadar kandungan kafein yang terdapat dalam setiap cawan minuman teh ialah 50 miligram dan bagi minuman kola pula ialah hampir 40 miligram.

   Minuman kopi segera mengandungi kadar kafein yang lebih rendah berbanding dengan minuman kopi segar. Secawan minuman kopi segera mengandungi kadar kafein sebanyak 75 miligram.

   Kafein dianggap bahaya sewaktu hamil. Ia boleh meresap ke dalam uri dan menembusi saluran darah dalam tubuh bayi. Kesukaran untuk mencerna kafein dengan berkesan melalui proses metabolisme, boleh membahayakan bayi.

   Kafein boleh mengurangkan pengaliran darah yang lancar di dalam kawasan uri. Jika darah tersekat, ini boleh menyebabkan keguguran.

   Keguguran boleh berlaku atas pelbagai sebab dan punca. Kebanyakan dari punca keguguran tidak dapat dan tidak mudah dikenalpasti.

   Di antara punca keguguran termasuk kecacatan dalam kandungan, pengambilan ubat-ubatan yang bahaya dan tidak sesuai ketika hamil, masaalah kesihatan yang tidak terkawal dan kecederaan, terutama pada bahagian perut ketika hamil.

   Kami sudah biasa melihat notis yang melarang remaja di bawah usia 18 tahunmembeli rokok dan minuman keras. Mungkin pada masa akan datang, wanita hamil di bawah usia kandungan empat bulan, turut akan dilarang membeli minuman mengandungi kafein secara berlebihan


BERSAMA PAKAR
DR JAZLAN JOODOPH
Pakar Perbidanan & Sakit Puan
Hospital Wanita & Kanak-Kanak KK

fatz

8 building owners fined for not removing roof gutters
By Margaret Perry, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 05 February 2008 2316 hrs

      


SINGAPORE: No new cases of chikungunya fever have been reported since 1 February, but Singapore is still not free of the disease.

So far, all cases have been linked to Little India, so work to clean up the area continues.

National Environment Agency (NEA) officers have started fining homeowners who do not comply with measures to reduce mosquito-breeding sites.

More than 4,700 inspections have been carried out in Little India since the first reports of chikungunya disease in mid-January.

A total of 75 mosquito-breeding sites have been found so far. The most common problem areas are plastic pails, flower pots and roof gutters.

NEA has issued 340 orders to remove roof gutters. So far, 180 building owners have brought them down and eight owners have been fined S$2,000 for not complying.

Simon Tay, chairman of NEA, said: "Sometimes we just have to come in and fine people, no apologies for this. This is an important time for us to try to deal with this problem and to solve it."

Mr Tay said one problem is that many properties in Little India are rented out, so tenants are not able to comply with orders, and time is needed to track down the owners.

He added: "We have this resident migrant population in and out, and they will always have some issues. The habits from other countries might be different but we in Singapore are trying to educate them. We have been handing out pamphlets in other languages, really reaching out to them and we feel we will make progress."

NEA is also working with businesses and residents to tackle the problem.

K Nadarajan, restaurant owner, said: "We have taken a lot of steps in our internal housekeeping. We try to prevent mosquito breeding outside and we are hiring private pest control companies to come and fog our premises."

Many Little India businesses have been hit hard by the chikungunya disease.

Rajakumar Chandra, chairman of Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association, said: "The business here has definitely been affected

fatz2

Feb 7, 2008         
Heavy cell phone use tied to poorer sperm quality

NEW YORK - SPENDING hours on a cell phone each day may affect the quality of a man's sperm, preliminary research suggests.

In a study of 361 men seen at their infertility clinic, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic found an association between the patients' cell phone use and their sperm quality.

On average, the more hours the men spent on their cell phones each day, the lower their sperm count and the greater their percentage of abnormal sperm.

The findings, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, add to questions about the potential health effects of cell phones and other wireless devices.

Some studies, for example, have linked long-term cell phone use to a higher risk of brain tumors, though many other studies have found no such connection.

The concern is that, over time, the electromagnetic energy emitted from mobile phones could theoretically harm body tissue - by damaging DNA, for example.

However, the new findings do not prove that cell phones somehow damage sperm, according to the researchers.

'Our results show a strong association of cell phone use with decreased semen quality. However, they do not prove a cause-and- effect relationship,' lead researcher Dr Ashok Agarwal told Reuters Health.

He and his colleagues based their findings on semen samples from 361 men who came to their infertility clinic over one year. All of the men were questioned about their cell phone habits.

In general, the researchers found, sperm count and sperm quality tended to decline as daily cell phone hours increased.

Men who said they used their phones for more than four hours each day had the lowest average sperm count and the fewest normal, viable sperm.

'We infer from our results that heavy cell phone use ... is associated with a lower semen quality,' Dr Agarwal said. But whether cell phones somehow directly affect men's fertility is not clear.

He added he and his colleagues have two studies underway aiming to shed light on the issue. In one, they are exposing semen samples to electromagnetic radiation from cell phones to see what, if any, effects occur.

The second is a follow-up to the current study that is assessing a larger group of men. Dr Agarwal said this study is more rigorously designed and will account for certain other factors like lifestyle habits and occupational exposures that might affect sperm quality. -- REUTERS

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New iris tracking system makes Lasik surgeries more safe, accurate
By Julia Ng, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 07 February 2008 2315 hrs


                                                                              Dr Lee Hung Ming


SINGAPORE : People who are severely short sighted and have high astigmatism will be happy to know that there is now a new technology to track the iris in their eye, which makes Lasik surgery even safer and more accurate.

It is the work of a Singapore doctor, who was the first in the world to test out the system last November.

A person's iris is more refined than their thumbprint.

This is why iris recognition is fast replacing thumbprints for identification purposes in the biometric security sector.

German company Bausch & Lomb adapted this technology a few months ago for use in Lasik surgery.

Previously, only the eyeball's vertical and horizontal movements could be tracked.

However, by using the new "Active Iris Tracking System", even rotational eyeball movements can be tracked.

Dr Lee Hung Ming, Senior Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Parkway Eye Centre, explained, "By following where the iris is going and following the rotational movements of the eye, the surgeon can be sure that we can place the laser pulses precisely and accurately on the cornea on the part where we want it to be placed.

"This translates to peace of mind and better safety for both the surgeon and the patient. What's more important is that it translates into better outcomes for the patients, especially those with high astigmatism and those who need the wavefront guided treatment."

In addition, this technology is especially suitable for those with high astigmatism and severe myopia, because the system maps the laser pulses accurately onto the cornea.

Dr Lee and Singapore were picked by Bausch & Lomb to be the first in the world to test out the system.

Dr Lee said, "We tested the technology, we identified the initial problems, and we gave very positive feedback to Bausch & Lomb, and to the researchers and technology, who in turn re-looked the technology, made some improvisations to the technology and after that they rolled it out to the world."

The system has now become the standard in Lasik surgeries in most leading eye centres.

While the Centre provides safer and more accurate outcomes, the cost however is not passed on to patients. So patients do not have to pay extra.

The system is now used routinely on all patients undergoing customised Lasik surgery at the Centre.

Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the Singapore National Eye Centre are also offering the new system, keeping Singapore at the forefront of medical innovation. - CNA/ms

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Ekstra! : 9 Februari 2008         

ADAM SIHAT

HERNIA SERANG LELAKI TANPA KIRA USIA

HERNIA ialah penyakit kaum lelaki yang boleh menyerang tanpa kira usia dan latarbelakang. Tahukah anda bahawa mengikut nisbah kesihatan dunia, hernia menyerang satu daripada setiap 10 lelaki?

Perkataan hernia diambil daripada bahasa Latin, herniae, yang bermaksud penonjolan keluar organ atau tisu atau tisu suatu rongga melalui bukaan otot yang lemah pada bahagian abdomen.

Masyarakat kita biasanya menggelarkan penyakit ini sebagai angin pasang, uluran dan burut.

Dinding abdomen yang lemah akan membentuk satu kantung dengan bukaan berbentuk seperti cincin.

Ia sering terjadi di kawasan perut. Biasanya pesakit tidak akan berasa sakit, tetapi kurang selesa bergantung pada tahap keseriusannya. Cuma seseorang akan terasa sakit apabila pesakit membuang air besar, batuk atau mengangkat bebanan yang memberikan tekanan pada rongga abdomen yang lemah.

Apa erti hernia?

Ada yang menganggap hanya golongan lelaki tua sahaja yang boleh menghidapi hernia. Namun sebenarnya ia boleh menyerang siapa saja termasuklah bayi tetapi ia bukanlah satu penyakit yang disebabkan faktor genetik. Golongan tua lebih terdedah akan penyakit ini kerana rongga abdomen mereka yang semakin lemah. Apabila usia makin meningkat, organ dan jaringan tubuh mengalami proses degenerasi.

Hernia terjadi apabila satu lubang akibat kelemahan otot terbentuk pada bahagian badan hingga mengakibatkan kandungan dalaman badan menonjol keluar.

Jika ia terjadi sejak kelahiran, ia dikenali sebagai 'hernia kongenital'. Manakala 'hernia acquired' yang melibatkan kerosakan otot badan disebabkan kecederaan, pembedahan atau tekanan dalam badan. Akibat komplikasi ini terjadi iaitu bahagian badan menonjol keluar, perut akan mengembung, sakit dan tidak boleh membuang air besar.

Lantas, jika anda mempunyai tanda-tanda kesakitan seperti yang disebutkan tadi, segeralah mendapatkan rawatan doktor. Kelewatan perubatan boleh mengakibatkan hernia menjadi lebih besar dan menyakitkan.

fatz

Rare cancer hits two S'porean women
By Judith Tan

A RARE cancer that affected 20 known patients worldwide struck two Singaporean women over the past week.

Ms Angela Lee, 37, a sub-editor with the Singapore Press Holdings' Special Projects Unit, came down with it in March last year, after a lump - the size of a tennis ball - was found on her back.

She died on Valentine's Day last Thursday.

According to her brother, Mr Eugene Lee, 40, a lawyer, the cancer was aggressive.

'It was diagnosed as skin cancer in March last year and she underwent six weeks of radiotherapy,' he said.

Ms Lee, who was single, suffered a relapse in November.

'A scan showed the cancer had spread. It had eaten away one of her vertebrae and spread into her chest cavity. It was downhill from there,' Mr Lee said.

The Straits Times understands that another patient is currently being treated at the National Cancer Centre for the same cancer.

It had started in her uterus and she was transferred from KK Women's and Children's Hospital to the National Cancer Centre.

The patient underwent surgery and is undergoing targeted therapy that attacks the specific cancer cells.

According to medical literature, it is more common among women - with a sex ratio of 4:1.

Dr Alvin Wong, a consultant with the department of haematology-oncology at the National University Hospital (NUH), said most often, PEComa is benign or non-cancerous. The malignant version is rare, with only 20 medically recorded.

A Google search drew up 45 cases worldwide - making the two Singapore cases the 46th and 47th.

Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.

fatz2

Ekstra! : 20 Februari 2008         
         
FORUM TENTANG PENYAKIT BUTA

SATU forum mengenai penyakit buta akibat usia lanjut akan diadakan pada Sabtu, 23 Februari.

Penyakit ini yang disebut 'age-related macular degeneration' adalah punca paling lazim yang menyebabkan buta di kalangan orang berusia 60 tahun ke atas di negara maju.

Forum dalam bahasa Inggeris itu akan diadakan dari 10 hingga 11 pagi di auditorium Hospital Alexandra (AH).

Penceramahnya ialah Dr Ajeet M. Wagle, Pendaftar di Jabatan Optalmologi dan Sains Penglihatan AH. Untuk mendapatkan keterangan lanjut hubungi Cik Alice How di 6379-3741 atau e-mel < alice_how@alexhosp.com.sg >

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Ekstra! : 20 Februari 2008         
         
RINGKAS

MEROKOK: SEBILION DIJANGKA MATI

WABAK merokok nampaknya tidak akan reda pada masa akan datang dengan sekitar sebilion orang dijangka menemui maut menjelang akhir abad ini gara-gara menghisap rokok.

Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) memberi amaran demikian dalam satu laporan terbarunya, sambil menggesa pemerintah negara-negara meningkatkan larangan merokok.

Dalam laporannya mengenai penggunaan tembakau di 179 buah negara, WHO berkata bahawa di seluruh dunia lebih AS$200 bilion ($284 bilion) dipungut oleh pemerintah dalam bentuk cukai tembakau setiap tahun, tetapi mereka menghabiskan kurang daripada seperlima daripada 1 peratus hasil-mahsul itu untuk mengawal penggunaan tembakau. -- AP.

fatz2

Ekstra! : 20 Februari 2008        
  
URUT

URUT SENDIRI JIKA TIADA MASA PERGI TUKANG URUT

URUT memang didapati membantu meningkatkan kesihatan kerana ia dapat mengurangkan ketegangan otot-otot di samping menambah pengaliran darah ke otot-otot kita.

Beberapa kajian juga telah menunjukkan bahawa jika kita kerap diurut, ia dapat membantu meningkatkan sistem pelalian kita dengan merangsang penghasilan sel-sel darah putih.

Urut juga membantu kita relaks dan membaiki tenaga mental kita, lantas membuat kita lebih berdaya hasil tinggi di tempat kerja.

Tetapi siapalah ada masa dan mampu untuk pergi mendapatkan khidmat tukang urut atau ahli terapi untuk mengurut diri selalu.

Ada berita baik yang hendak disampaikan. Anda boleh melakukannya dengan mengurut badan anda dengan tangan anda sendiri setiap hari dan pada bila-bila masa.

Cik Anna Walsemann, instruktor yoga dan pemulihan cara Timur di New Age Health Spa di Neversink, New York, Amerika Syarikat, memberikan panduan-panduan berikut:

# Setiap pagi dan petang atau malam, tepuk perlahan badan anda bermula daripada kaki dan lengan, daripada atas ke bawah. Kemudian, alih ke bahagian badan dari bawah ke atas.

Jika urut ini dilakukan pada pagi hari, ia akan menyegarkan dan mempersiap badan kita untuk bekerja pada masa seterusnya. Jika dilakukan sebelum waktu tidur pada malam hari, ia akan menenangkan minda dan melegakan stres.

Namun, jika anda sedang makan ubat pencair darah seperti Coumadin (warfarin), elak lakukan ini kerana dikhuatiri menyebabkan luka.

# Usap perut anda setiap kali selepas makan. Letakkan satu atau kedua-dua tapak tangan di perut dan usap ikut putaran jam. Ini boleh membantu penghadaman makanan.

# Urut tubuh anda sebelum dan selepas senaman. Ini meningkatkan pengaliran darah dan membantu membuang air besar dan kesembuhan yang lebih cepat jika anda jatuh sakit.

Dengan menggunakan tangan anda, urut ke arah bawah bahagian kaki dan lengan sebelum bersenam dan ke arah jantung selepas bersenam.

# Urut tangan anda setiap hari setiap kali anda menggunakan losyen. Mulakan di bawah telapak tangan dan gosok kedua-dua belah tangan dalam bentuk bulatan.

# Jika kaki terasa tegang, ambil bola tenis dan gosokkan kaki ke bola itu. Anda boleh juga baring di atas bola itu untuk menggosok bahagian-bahagian badan yang sukar dicapai seperti antara tulang bahu belakang. -- Readers' Digest.

fatz

Ekstra! : 21 Februari 2008         
         
KESIHATAN ANAK

KERAP SEMBELIT

Oleh
Dr Zainal Muttakin Abdul Rahman

SOALAN

SAYA mempunyai anak perempuan berumur 3脗陆 tahun dan kerap mengalami masalah sembelit. Ada kalanya dia selalu buang air besar tetapi terlalu sedikit. Najisnya pula hitam dan keras.

Walaupun pemakanannya seimbang (termasuk air putih dan buah-buahan) masalah ini tetap berlaku. Bolehkah saya memberinya ubat 'Lactus' untuk melawaskannya? Atau adakah cara lain yang boleh saya lakukan untuk mengatasi masalah ini?

JAWAPAN

Anda perlu selidiki bahan makanan yang diambil seharian. Selain daripada memberi makanan yang kaya dengan serat (sayur-sayuran dan buah-buahan) dan mengambil cecair yang mencukupi, anda juga perlu mengurangkan atau mengelakkan makanan yang boleh menyebabkannya sembelit seperti susu, keju, tairu dan coklat.

Zat besi, jika diambil, juga boleh menyebabkan sembelit dan najis berwarna hitam. Mengambil makanan yang kaya dengan serat harus dengan sederhana kerana mengambil terlalu banyak sayur-sayuran dan buah-buahan juga boleh mengakibatkan sembelit.

'Lactus' mengandungi sejenis gula lactulose yang mampu melembutkan najis besar dan sekali gus membantu melawaskan perjalanan usus.

Namun, penggunaannya tidak digalakkan secara berpanjangan kerana ia adalah rawatan untuk masalah sembelit jangka pendek sahaja.

Pada usia tiga tahun, anda boleh melatihnya membuang air besar setiap hari pada waktu yang sama untuk menanamkan tabiat yang sihat.

Kalau masalah anak anda berterusan, wajar membawanya untuk pemeriksaan doktor lebih-lebih lagi jika anak itu mengalami masalah kegemukan.

Nota: Penulis adalah pakar pediatrik di Paediatric Centre @ Rivervale Plaza (Sengkang). Untuk sebarang pertanyaan kesihatan bayi dan kanak-kanak, kirimkan e-mel ke hasleen@gmail.com

fatz2

At least 10 hospitalised after taking "sexual enhancement" pill
Posted: 22 February 2008 1817 hrs



SINGAPORE: Ten people have been hospitalised after consuming an illegal product called "Power 1 Walnut" since the first case was reported three weeks ago.

They developed serious adverse symptoms of low blood sugar, which include dizziness, cold sweat, anxiety and loss of consciousness. Nine people have since recovered. All those hospitalised were males between the age of 30 and 70.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said it has stepped up its enforcement efforts and three raids were conducted in the past week at Desker, Rowell and Petain Roads.

Four people were caught for possessing illegal products for sale and a total of S$200,000 worth of "sexual enhancement" products was seized. Among them were over 2,000 Power 1 Walnut pills.

Sold between one and two dollars each, they claim to enhance a person's sexual ability. But the HSA said it contains potent drugs that have led to one case of stroke.

The drugs

fatz2

Feb 23, 2008         
Diet tied to breast and ovarian cancer risks

NEW YORK - A NEW study suggests that women who eat diets rich in meat and dairy may have a decreased risk of breast cancer, while those who bulk up on fiber, fruits and vegetables show a lower risk of ovarian cancer.

The findings, published in the International Journal of Cancer, add to questions surrounding the role of diet in women's risk of the cancers.

High alcohol intake has been consistently linked to breast cancer risk, but when it comes to other facets of the diet, studies have yielded conflicting results, according to the researchers on the current work, led by Dr Valeria Edefonti of the University of Milan.

Some studies, for example, have found that women who eat a lot of red and processed meat are more likely to develop breast cancer than other women; but other studies have found no such link. Saturated fat, found mainly in animal products, has been tied to higher breast cancer risk in some studies, but not in others.

While many of these studies have looked at single nutrients or food groups, another way to address the question is to look at dietary patterns - the combination of nutrients and foods that a person tends to favour.

For their study, Dr Edefonti and her colleagues assessed dietary patterns among 3,600 women with either breast or ovarian cancer, and 3,413 healthy women of the same age.

Using detailed dietary questionnaires, the researchers identified four common dietary patterns in the study group: an 'animal product' pattern, which was heavy in meat and saturated fat, but also zinc, calcium and certain other nutrients; a 'vitamins and fiber' pattern, which besides fiber was rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene and other nutrients found in fruits and vegetables; an 'unsaturated fat' pattern that contained high amounts of vegetable and fish oils, as well as vitamin E; and a 'starch-rich' pattern high in simple carbohydrates, vegetable protein and sodium.

Overall, the study found, women who followed a pattern rich in vitamins and fiber had a 23 per cent lower risk of ovarian cancer than women who consumed the lowest amounts of those foods and nutrients.

On the other hand, the animal-product pattern was linked to a similar reduction in breast cancer risk.

Women who followed the unsaturated-fat pattern had a slightly reduced risk of breast cancer, while the starch-rich diet was tied to elevated risks of both cancers.

It's not yet clear what to make of the findings, in part because they show associations between dietary patterns and cancer risk - and not that the foods directly affect cancer development.

In terms of general health, experts usually recommend limiting red meat and saturated fat, while eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and sources of 'good' unsaturated fat - like fish, nuts and olive oil. -- REUTERS

fatz2

Feb 23, 2008         
ADVERSE REACTION TO ILLEGAL SEX DRUG
4 more men hit; victims now total 10
Elderly man still in hospital; another 29 suspected to have taken drug too
By Lee Hui Chieh


UNSAFE: Power 1 Walnut lowers users' blood sugar to danger levels. -- ST PHOTO: SHAHRIYA YAHAYA

FOUR more men have landed in hospital with low blood sugar levels after taking the illegal sexual enhancement drug Power 1 Walnut.

The tally of confirmed victims is now 10, including an elderly man who was the most severely stricken among the lot. He suffered a stroke and is still in hospital after more than a week, though his condition is now stable.

The rest, including three men who were found unconscious, have since recovered.

The men, aged between 30 and 70, had developed tremors, dizziness, drowsiness, weakness and confusion within a day of taking just one or two pills.

None of them was diabetic, but because Power 1 Walnut contained more than five times the dosage of the drug given to diabetics, it sent their blood sugar levels plunging to dangerous levels.

Left untreated, a low blood sugar level can lead to unconsciousness, fits and even death.

Ironically, the drug whose 'sexual booster' effects these men were seeking - sildenafil, which is sold as Viagra - was present in very low levels in Power 1 Walnut.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said it believes that another 29 non-diabetic men who had been hospitalised with low blood sugar in the past month probably took Power 1 Walnut as well.

No conclusive link could be made between their symptoms and the drug because the men did not admit to taking it.

Dr Chan Cheng Leng, assistant director of HSA's pharmacovigilance team, said: 'Patients can be quite reticent if they are taking sexual enhancement drugs, and if the drugs were not bought from legal sources.'

The 29 men are, however, likely to be victims as well because they had the same symptoms as the 10 at around the same time, and they were not diabetic either, said HSA's chief executive officer, Dr John Lim.

This is the most serious case of adverse reaction to an illegal sex drug here, in terms of the number of people affected and the severity of their reactions, he said.

Dr Lim said it was fortunate that the alert was raised quickly on Jan 29 by a doctor who had treated the first two patients, and that this was followed up by prompt reports and blood and urine samples from other health professionals.

No reports have come in the last three days.

Yesterday, the senior deputy director of HSA's Centre for Drug Administration, Mr Yee Shen Kuan, urged the public not to buy anything from street peddlers, make-shift stalls and Internet websites 'because you don't know where it was made, and what has been added'.

One of the patients, a man in his 40s, told The Straits Times that he had learnt his lesson about buying drugs from such dubious sources.

The man said he bought a pack of four capsules for $10 on the recommendation of a friend who said it enhanced sex.

But just half a tablet was enough to cause him to break out in sweat and go dizzy and breathless.

He said: 'I had to lie down and close my eyes because the whole room was spinning. I thought I was going to die.'

In his three-day stay in hospital, he racked up over $2,000 in medical bills.

He said: 'Actually I didn't need the drug. I was just curious to see how well it could enhance sex. I made a mistake. I've really learnt my lesson.'

huichieh@sph.com.sg