IT'S that time of the year again, when the Chinese New Year beckons. In the run-up to the New Year, families are busy preparing for the festivities with spring-cleaning and shopping for the reunion dinner meal, snacks to serve visitors, decorations appropriate for the occasion, flowers and potted plants for the festival. I recall [...]
Mr P is known to have hepatitis B infection for years. He has been well and asymptomatic. His liver enzymes test as well as the appearance of his liver from ultrasound imaging were all normal, even though the quantity of the hepatitis B virus in his body was high. However, a recent test showed [...]
A patient recently related how he had previously undergone two rounds of rather uncomfortable prostate biopsies for suspicion of prostate cancer. Both biopsies were negative for cancer. He is facing the prospect of another biopsy because his prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, level remained high. He wanted to know if there are better alternatives to [...]
SAFEGUARD THE WINDOWS TO YOUR SOUL A patient of mine experienced eye pain and visual blurring and was found to be on the cusp of an acute glaucoma attack, with elevated eye pressure, signs of significant optic nerve damage, visual field loss and yet only a mild cataract. A laser peripheral iridotomy, a classic [...]
During the last national day rally, PM Mr Lee Hsien Loong raised the concerns of rising threat of Diabetes Mellitus in Singapore. 3 in 10 Singaporeans above the age of 60 have diabetes. The disease is closely linked to overweight, in which the risk of diabetes will rise with increasing body weight. In his [...]
Many men go through a period in their life where they will experience a loss in vitality, physical fatigue and a drop in libido. The cause may often be a simple case of work-related burnt out or sleep deprivation. Some will attribute it to their inevitable ingress into middle age slump. But if the [...]
It is inevitable in today's high technology diagnostic testing that ionizing radiation (X-rays or gamma radiation) is often required to help the doctors make a diagnosis. Broadly, exposure to ionizing radiation can be divided into 2 broad categories of tests. The first category involves the use of X-rays in which a segment of the [...]
While high blood pressure is commonly managed by many physicians and there are guidelines for management of high blood pressure in the general population, there are certain situations where the usual approach to blood pressure management needs further understanding and fine-tuning according to the prevailing clinical situation. This week, management of high blood pressure [...]
This year, the world bids farewell to the sporting phenomenon and the fastest man in the world over 100m and 200m, Usain Bolt. During 15 years of competitive racing, Bolt won 8 Olympic Gold medals and remained injury free. This article looks at how we too can avoid injury and continue to enjoy sports [...]
Refrain from excessive consumption of traditional goodies to get a healthy start at Chinese New Year. Every year, the most obvious effect of Chinese New Year (CNY) festivities on patients is from the feasting. The impact affects mainly diabetic, hypertensive and hypercholesterolemia patients. When it comes to diabetes, the load caused by the traditional [...]