pingofhealth

Prof Dr Erika Isolauri is the chief physician in the paediatric department of Finland's Turku University Hospital. She was in Kuala Lumpur to give a scientific lecture on " Probiotics for Maternal and Child Health " to healthcare professionals. There are increasing trends of infants being born via Caesarean section and decreasing trends of exclusive breastfeeding (at least in the first 6 months of their lives) worldwide.  Certain hormonal, metabolic and immunological influences that occur with labour help to modulate and mature a baby's immune system. This process does not occur when mothers choose Caesarean sections. As foetuses acquire their initial immunity from their mothers, this means babies born via Caesarean have a heightened immune system that is quite sensitive to allergens. They could develop allergies after being born. Babies are most likely to be colonised by good bacteria when their mother is healthy, has a good diet and delivers her baby naturally. Bu...

More than 65% of advanced cancer patients believed the chemotherapy they were receiving might cure them. In actual fact, the treatment was only given to buy some time or make the patients comfortable. This was reported in the  New England Journal of Medicine . This is probably due to, Patients not being told their disease is incurable. Patients not being told in a way that lets them understand. Patients choosing not to believe the message. Patients being too optimistic. If this is the case, there is a serious miscommunication problem that needs to be addressed. Patients should realise that chemotherapy is sometimes merely a palliative treatment i.e. relieving the pain without dealing with the underlying cause. In realising this, patients would put in an urgency to search for alternative solutions, instead of merely relying on chemotherapy. It is extremely important that alternative remedies are sought before it is too late . (Source: Holding on to false hope in chemotherapy, ...

Have you ever experienced going on a strict diet for months and exercising consistently, and yet you still can't lose weight? It can be very demoralising and damaging to your self-esteem, right? There are many reasons weight loss strategies fail to be effective, and they are nothing to do eating too much or not exercising enough. This article shares with you 8 reasons that stop you from getting rid of the kilos. 1. Feeling stress all the time Why : Stress causes your body to react by producing the hormone cortisol . This hormone increases your tendency of storing fat especially around your abdomen. 2. Cushing's syndrome Why : This is a condition where the adrenal glands (located on top of your kidneys) produce too much cortisol. Similar to when your body is under chronic stress, this syndrome will cause a buildup of fat in abdomen, face and upper back. 3. Hypothyroidism Why : If your sluggish thyroid gland cannot produce enough thyroid hormones to burn stored fat, it will lead ...

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection affecting the urinary system (comprising our kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra). It's most often caused by the bacteria Escherichia coli (E.Coli). Bacteria usually get into our body through the urethra, the tube that carries urine from our bladder out. These germs travel up into our bladder and cause cystitis . It is very common and causes slight discomfort and inconvenience. If the germs spread to our kidneys, it would cause pyelonephritis . It can cause: Back pains Abdominal pains High fever Cloudy or bloody urine Nausea and vomiting. Females tend to get UTIs more frequently than males because: The urethra of a female is shorter , making it easier for bacteria to move up into the bladder. The close proximity of the urethral opening to the vagina and rectum. If the female is sexually active , as the bacteria in the vaginal area may be pushed into the urethra. If the female wipes from back to front after urination and bowel m...

Do you know that low back pain is the second largest cause of work absence, after common cold? The majority of low back pain disappear by themselves after awhile, but be cautious as it could be something as serious as cancer or aortic aneurysm . The intervertebral disc is a common source of pain. Genetic studies have found that  deficiency of collagen and vitamin D result in degeneration of these discs. A quality collagen plays an important role to calm down the inflammation that is causing your back pain. Click on this link to discover How to Choose a Good Collagen . Causes of Low Back Pain 1) Sciatica (pinched nerve). Usually caused by a herniated or slipped disc, which then compresses on a nerve root. Depending on the nerves that are compressed, pain can be experienced at different locations, known as dermatomal distribution. 2) A pain may be due to poor posture , prolonged sitting at a computer or other job-related tasks. Pressure in the disc increases with sittin...