Health updates

Stress-busting tips

Stress in the workplace is often a response to lack of control and fear — fear of not being able to handle certain situations or deliver a promise, fear of not being able to live up to a certain criteria and as a consequence, losing careers, jobs and business opportunities. But while stress is normal, too much of it can interfere with productivity, thus starting a vicious cycle that leads to deteriorating physical and emotional health.

Many find themselves at a loss on how to manage stress at the office, thinking that a major overhaul is needed to take away all the stressors encountered each day. However, because stress stems from lack of control, defeating it means focusing on what you can control — your thinking and your habits. Truth is, all of us have the same 24 hours in a day. It just differs in how we manage our time.

A simple solution to prevent stress at work is to be organized. De-clutter your desk and you de-clutter your mind! When you have a clear picture of where you want to go, what you want to accomplish, with a clear timeline, you will notice that you could be more productive without stressing out too much.

Studies show that when you get out from a meeting, you will only have a few minutes to remember what you have discussed. But when you write things down, you are sure you have something to look to as reference when you need to deliver results.

Uncover your horizontal space by removing unnecessary supplies or gadgets. This will save you time from looking for files which should have been kept in an orderly manner. Keep common files together in drawers, cabinets or boxes and do not forget to label each.

Wellness package within your reach

Health is wealth — and more. This September, Healthway Medical, a mall-based multi-specialty clinic chain, drives home this message as it offers its valued clients five different wellness packages for only P999 each, namely, Love, Beauty Smile, Active and Protect. Love consists of FBS, Creatinine, BUN, Cholesterol and Uric Acid tests, which are perfect for lifestyle-related diseases. This package used to be priced at P2,003. Fore bones and/or muscles, the Active package includes a calcium test, posture evaluation and 1 MPS or Physical Therapy session. The package’s original price was P1,865. Protect package, originally priced at P1,380, is ideal for people who want to guard against Hepatitis B, as it includes a Hepa B vaccine and a consult from a primary care physician.

Smile is offered to individuals who want to have a cleaner and healthy set of teeth. The package originally priced at P1,900, inclusive of a dental checkup and an oral prophylaxis with a moderate to severe teeth stains and plaque. Lastly, the Beauty package is perfect for individuals who want to pamper themselves as it offers spot underarm whitening and an ultra firming facial. The package’s original price was P2,200. For more information, log on to www.healthway.com.ph or call 751-HWAY (4929).

Eye care for diabetics

Individuals suffering from diabetes must consciously control their blood sugar levels and manage this disease daily either through careful diet, exercise, oral medication and/or insulin treatment. Another important activity must be added to this list, though, is a regular eye checkup. That is because diabetes, if left uncontrolled, also affects the eyes. Early cataract formation is a common eye complication resulting from diabetes.

Another complication — diabetic retinopathy —happens to be the leading cause of blindness among the working-age group. This complication damages the inner lining of the eye or the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye necessary for good vision. Diabetic retinopathy makes the retinal blood vessels or capillaries sprout abnormal new vessels and leak blood and fluid directly into the retina or the macula, causing blurred vision and eventually blindness as Retinal Detachment and Neovascular Glaucoma set in.

“The longer a person has diabetes, the higher the chances of getting this disease,” said Dr. Arnold Salud, retina specialist at The American Eye Center (AEC). “As the bleeding continues, the patient experiences blurred vision, sees numerous floaters, and eventually, vision goes into total darkness.”

Based on a 2009 study by the International Diabetes Federation, around 3.4 million Filipino adults out of over 51 million adult population have diabetes — all at risk of having diabetic retinopathy. Despite effective diabetes treatment, diabetic retinopathy tends to continue damaging the eyes’ capillaries over time; prescription lenses can hardly relieve the resulting blurred vision.

The good news is that 90 percent of new cases could be reduced through proper and vigilant treatment and monitoring of the eyes. Salud advises adults to have retinal checkups as soon as they are diagnosed with diabetes. Children with diabetes should have retinal checkups as soon as they reach puberty. For inquiries, call 636-0762 or 729-EYES (3937) or visit www.eyecenter.com.ph.

Psoriasis awareness campaign

Psoriasis is a common and chronic immune-related skin disease that afflicts millions all over the world. In the Philippines, public health data estimate that one to two percent of the population suffers from psoriasis, which is generally characterized by patches of raised red skin with thick silvery scales. Psoriasis is usually found on the arms, legs, nails or scalp, but it may occur on any other part of the skin, with the most commonly affected areas being the knees and elbows.

To educate the public on how best to manage and understand psoriasis, the Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS) and Leo Pharma, a leading global pharmaceutical company specializing in dermatology and critical care, have joined forces to raise general awareness and reach out to all psoriasis sufferers.

It is important to know that psoriasis is not an infection and therefore is not contagious. Touching the affected skin and then touching someone else will not transmit psoriasis. However, the red scaly skin can become infected, especially when there are splits in the skin.

While inheritable in some cases (about one-third of people with psoriasis are said to have at least one family member with the disease) psoriasis is mostly triggered by any number of causes, most notably stress and alcoholism, and environmental factors such as overexposure to sun. Psoriasis flare-ups can last for weeks or months, go away for a time and then return.

But perhaps more troubling than the physical distress is the emotional misery the disease besets on its sufferers, who tend to experience depression and low self-esteem. Moreover, little public understanding of the disease has led to misdiagnoses among sufferers, who also often go undiagnosed. A number of medications have also been shown to aggravate psoriasis.–Daily Tribune