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Health Tips
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Ingrown Toenails
2
Apa Anda Harus Mengetahui tentang AIDS
3 4
Migraine
5
Look Good. Feel Good
6
Electronic Medical Records
7
Be a Volunteer
7
Christmas Promotion
8
Healthy Recipe: Grilled Lemongrass Chicken 8 A newsletter for patients • Dec 2007/Jan 2008
What you should know about AIDS AIDS (Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome) is the final stage of an infectious disease caused by the virus HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). HIV can infect anyone, whether male or female, young or old, rich or poor. The number of Singaporeans infected with HIV continues to rise each year. As of June 2006, a total of 2,852 Singaporeans have been infected with HIV or AIDS. A person with HIV may be well with no symptoms but can still pass the virus to others. It may take up to 10 years before a person with HIV develops symptoms and progress to the final stage of the disease, AIDS. Symptoms of AIDS may include: • Fever • Cough • Sore throat • Diarrhoea • Swollen glands • Muscle aches • Fatigue
• Infected blood through blood transfusion, though this is rare in Singapore. HIV cannot be spread by: • Mosquitoes or other biting insects. • Ordinary social contact such as shaking hands. • Sharing of food, cups, plates, eating utensils. • Using the same toilet seats, shower rooms, swimming pools. • Coughing or sneezing. What can you do to protect yourself? There is no cure for HIV infection or AIDS. Hence it is important to protect yourself by: • Avoiding casual sex This is not limited only to sex with commercial sex workers. You may also be infected by any “normal” looking person on the street. Therefore, it is best to have a single sexual partner and remain faithful to that partner.
These are very non-specific symptoms and are similar to symptoms of the common cough or cold. Hence it is not possible to tell who has the HIV virus and who does not. How is HIV transmitted? HIV is spread by: • Sexual intercourse (This includes vaginal, anal or oral sex with an infected person.) • Infected pregnant mothers to their babies. • Sharing of needles (In persons who abuse drugs by injecting themselves. It also includes needles used for ear piercing, tattoo and acupuncture.) MICA (P) 264/01/2007
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Health Tips cont’d from page 1
• Using barrier protection - condoms Condoms may not give 100% protection, but when used correctly are effective in reducing the risk of contracting HIV. • Not sharing needles If you require ear piercing, tattoo or acupuncture, go to a reliable operator who uses sterile equipment. What should you do if you suspect that you are at risk of acquiring HIV infection? You can get a HIV blood test to see if you are infected. This blood test can be done as soon as two weeks from your exposure. However, this test will usually need to be repeated three months after your exposure as the virus may remain undetected until 3 months after infection. Currently the Rapid HIV test is available at certain
clinics with the results available within the same day. Where can you go for HIV testing? • All polyclinics and private clinics • Department of STI Control (DSC) 31 Kelantan Lane, #01-16, Singapore 200031 Tel: 62939648 • Action for AIDS (located in DSC) - offers anonymous HIV testing Why is early detection important? Early detection is important because it can: • Control the disease and prevent the progression to AIDS • Prevent the spread of HIV from a pregnant mother to her baby • Prevent the spread of HIV to others Article contributed by Dr Phua Mei Fang, Ang Mo Kio Polyclinic
Ingrown Toenails When one side or a corner of your toenail grows or curves into the flesh area (nail bed) of that toe, it results in an ingrown toenail. This can happen to any side of any toenail but it happens more frequently to the first big toenails. Signs and symptoms There may be pain, swelling, and redness over the side where the toenail grows into the nail bed. The inflammation may spread and cause the whole toe to swell. This may then lead to infection and blood or pus may be seen oozing out. In a diabetic person with poor blood circulation, an ingrown toenail can develop into an ulcer. And if left untreated, it may cause more serious complications such as necrosis, which is the death of body tissues. When substantial areas of tissue die due to a lack of blood supply, it will result in the condition called gangrene. Causes 1. Wearing of tight-fitting footwear in the toe area may result in the development of ingrown toenails. This adds undue pressure from the shoe material to the toenails, especially the big toenails. This may cause them to grow downwards into the nail bed. 2. Sports such as football may cause injury to the toenails, resulting in ingrown toenails. 3. Cutting toenails too short is another cause of ingrown toenails because this encourages the toenails to curve downwards into the nail bed. 4. People with unusually curved toenails, e.g. in older people with thickened or fungal infected toenails are also at risk of developing ingrown toenails. page 2
Treatment For an infected ingrown toenail, see a doctor to treat the underlying infection first. Sometimes, if the toenail is curved too deeply into the nail bed, a minor surgical operation (partial or total toenail removal) may be necessary to remove the offending part of the toenail. It is advisable to see a podiatrist after the inflammation has subsided for proper cutting of your toenails. The podiatrist can also pack a dressing under the nail plate to encourage the toenail to grow over the packing and straight out instead of downward into the flesh area. Prevention 1. Cut toenails straight across and not too short. Do not follow the curvature of your toes when cutting toenails. Use a nail file to round off the nail corners. 2. Wear shoes with a proper fit. Shoes should have enough room for you to wriggle all your toes without restriction. 3. Seek help promptly from a doctor or podiatrist when you experience pain in your toenails. 4. If you are unable to cut your toenails because they are thick and curved, it is advisable that you get a podiatrist to cut your toenails for you.
Article contributed by Ms Pauline Ang, Podiatrist
Health Tips
Apa Anda Harus Mengetahui tentang AIDS AIDS (Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome) ialah peringkat terakhir jangkitan sejenis penyakit yang berpunca daripada virus HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). Ia boleh berlaku kepada sesiapa sahaja, mahupun anda seorang lelaki atau perempuan, muda atau tua, kaya ataupun miskin. Jumlah warga Singapura yang dijangkiti AIDS semakin meningkat setiap tahun. Setakat bulan Jun 2006, seramai 2,852 warga Singapura telah pun dijangkiti AIDS atau HIV. Seorang yang telah dijangkiti HIV mungkin nampak sihat tanpa sebarang simtom tetapi dia masih boleh memindahkan virus itu kepada orang lain. Ia mungkin mengambil masa sehingga 10 tahun sebelum seseorang yang telah dijangkiti HIV mendapat simtomnya dan seterusnya melarat ke peringkat terakhir penyakit tersebut, iaitu AIDS. Simtom untuk AIDS mungkin meliputi: • Demam • Batuk • Sakit tekak • Cirit-birit • Kelenjar yang bengkak • Sakit otot • Kelesuan Simtom-simtom ini tidak khusus dan adalah sama dengan simtom-simtom untuk batuk atau selsema biasa. Oleh yang demikian adalah rumit untuk mengetahui siapa yang mempunyai virus HIV dan siapa yang tidak. Bagaimanakah HIV dijangkiti? HIV merebak/menular melalui: • Hubungan seks / Persetubuhan Ini termasuk hubungan yang dilakukan melalui faraj, dubur ataupun oral (mulut) seseorang yang sudah dijangkiti. • Ibu hamil yang sudah dijangkiti kepada bayinya yang belum lahir • Perkongsian jarum Bagi mereka yang menyalahgunakan dadah dengan menyuntik diri sendiri. Ia juga termasuk jarumjarum yang telah digunakan untuk menindik telinga, bercacah (bertatu) serta rawatan akupuntur. • Darah yang telah dijangkiti melalui pemindahan darah Perkara ini jarang berlaku di Singapura. HIV tidak boleh merebak/menular melalui: • Nyamuk atau jenis serangga lain yang menggigit • Sentuhan biasa ketika bersosial seperti bersalaman tangan • Berkongsi makanan, cawan, pinggan, sudu, garfu atau perkakas-perkakas untuk makan • Mengguna tempat duduk tandas, bilik mandi, kolam renang yang sama • Batuk atau bersin
Bagaimana anda boleh melindungi diri anda? Jangkitan HIV atau AIDS tidak dapat diubati. Oleh itu, amatlah mustahak bagi anda melindungi diri anda dengan: • Mengelakkan seks rambang Ini bukan sahaja terhad kepada hubungan seks dengan pekerja–pekerja seks. Anda juga mungkin dijangkiti dengan sesiapa sahaja yang kelihatan “biasa”. Oleh itu, eloklah anda hanya mempunyai seorang pasangan sahaja dan teruslah setia kepadanya seorang. • Mengguna perlindungan - kondom Kondom tidak dapat memberi perlindungan 100%, tetapi bila digunakan dengan betul akan jadi berkesan untuk mengurangkan risiko mendapat HIV. • Tidak berkongsi jarum Jika anda perlu untuk menindik telinga, bercacah (bertatu) atau rawatan akupuntur, dapatkan perkhidmatan daripada pengendali yang menggunakan peralatan yang steril. Apa anda harus buat jika anda mengesyaki bahawa anda berisiko tinggi mendapat jangkitan HIV? Anda boleh lakukan ujian darah HIV untuk menentukan jika anda telah dijangkiti. Ujian darah ini boleh dibuat selepas dua minggu anda telah terdedah kepada virus tersebut. Namun ujian ini mungkin perlu diulangi selepas tiga bulan pendedahan anda kerana virus mungkin masih belum dapat dikesan sehingga 3 bulan selepas jangkitan. Buat masa kini, ujian HIV Pantas (Rapid HIV test) boleh didapati di sesetengah klinik dan keputusannya boleh didapatkan pada hari itu juga. Di mana anda boleh membuat ujian? Ujian darah HIV terdapat di: • Semua poliklinik dan klinik swasta • Jabatan Kawalan STI (DSC) 31 Kelantan Lane, #01-16, Singapura 200031 Tel: 62939648 • Action for AIDS (Bertindak untuk AIDS) - bertempat di Jabatan Kawalan STI (DSC) - menawarkan ujian HIV tanpa identiti anda Mengapa pengesanan awal itu penting? Pengesanan yang awal adalah penting kerana ia boleh: • Mengawal penyakit dan mengelakkan ia melarat menjadi AIDS • Mengelakkan jangkitan HIV daripada ibu hamil kepada anaknya yang belum lahir • Mengelakkan jangkitan HIV kepada orang lain.
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Health Tips
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Health Tips
A typical migraine attack causes moderate to severe pain that often interferes with a person’s ability to perform routine activities. In some cases, the pain is so severe that one has to lie down in a dark, quiet place to wait for the headache to subside. Typical migraine symptoms: • Pain on one side of the head. Although both sides of the head can be affected in some cases. • The pain is typically throbbing in nature (like your heart is pounding inside your head). • The pain may last from a few hours to a few days. • The pain is usually recurrent (the person often has had similar headaches in the past). • May cause nausea and/or vomiting. • Increased sensitivity to bright lights and sounds. Migraine typically develops in the period from childhood to early adulthood. It may also be hereditary. Sufferers may have family member(s) who also suffer from migraine. Types of migraine The most common kind of migraine is called migraine without aura, the features of which have been described above. A smaller proportion of migraine sufferers have migraine with aura. This is the classical migraine and the symptoms include: • Seeing sparkling flashes of light. • Seeing dazzling zigzag lines in the field of vision. • Seeing slowly-spreading blind spots in the vision. • Feeling tingling, pins and needles sensations in one arm or leg. • In rare cases, the experience of weakness or language and speech problems. These aura symptoms may arise 15-30 minutes before the migraine headache starts. The causes of migraine The exact cause of migraine is still unclear, although a chemical compound in the brain called serotonin is believed to be involved. Diagnosis of migraine Migraine is essentially a diagnosis made clinically after a thorough history and physical examination by a doctor. There is no blood test that can diagnose migraine. Occasionally, imaging such as CT scan or MRI may be done to rule out other causes of headache if the diagnosis is still uncertain.
What triggers migraine? There are various conditions that may trigger migraine. • Stress, both mental and physical. • Environmental stimuli e.g. bright lights, sun glare, unusual smells (which may include even pleasant smells such as perfume). • Sleep cycle disturbances, including both lack of as well as excessive sleep. • Food such as alcohol, aged cheeses, chocolate, fermented, pickled or marinated foods, aspartame, overuse of caffeine, monosodium glutamate and certain seasonings. • Skipping meals or fasting. • Hormonal influences such as during menstrual period, pregnancy or while taking hormonal tablets (contraceptive pills and hormone replacement therapy). How to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks? 1. Avoid the triggers described above if any of them applies to your situation. 2. If your migraine is frequent, your doctor may recommend preventive therapy. This usually involves taking an oral medication daily to reduce the possibility of a migraine attack. Commonly used examples of preventive medications include beta-blockers, tricyclic anti-depressants and antiepileptic drugs. 3. Regular aerobic exercises, such as swimming, walking, cycling can reduce tension and prevent migraines. When to see a doctor? If you suffer from headaches that have never been diagnosed, it is advisable to seek medical consultation to establish the cause of your headaches. If you have been diagnosed with migraine previously, the following situations would also necessitate a medical review: • Any change in headache nature, frequency or severity that is out of your norm. • There is a recent head injury, especially if the headache is progressively worsening. Alternative therapy for migraine There is some evidence from research that acupuncture may help with both acute attacks and prevention while high dose vitamin B may help with prevention.
Article contributed by Dr Steven Chong, Family Physician and Deputy Head, Hougang Polyclinic
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Health Tips
Look good. Feel good. As anyone will tell you, losing weight is not easy. But with some effort and discipline, you can become slimmer and fitter. Am I overweight? You can find out if you are overweight or obese by checking your body mass index (BMI) using this simple formula: BMI =
weight (kg) height x height (m2) BMI for Asian Adults (kg/m2)
CVS Disease Risk
27.5
High
Underweight
Obese
1. Eat less Reduce the amount of food that you eat, especially fatty foods. Examine your eating habits and change that too. For example, do you snack when you are watching TV or when you feel stressed? 2. Get moving If you have not exercised for a long time, start with simple walking exercises. You can also do other sports such as swimming, cycling or playing games. To be safe, check with your doctor to make sure that you are fit before you start on an exercise regime.
What are the benefits of losing weight? If you are overweight or obese, you are more likely to have medical problems like diabetes, heart attack and stroke. And if you already have chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, losing weight can help you keep them under control. What’s more, you will look better and feel better!
How do I lose weight? You will need to make some life-style changes.
3. Set realistic goals Don’t expect to lose 10kg in one month! That is neither realistic nor healthy. Instead, target to lose one to two kg a month. 4. Make it fun Involve your family and friends. It will be more fun!
Where can I get help? Our Weight Management Programme (WOW!) helps you lose weight safely and effectively. Call 6355 3000 to find out more!
Article contributed by Dr Siew Wei Fong, Health Promotion & Preventive Care
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Our Services
Electronic Medical Records Making healthcare better, faster and safer
Be a Volunteer If you’ve visited our polyclinics recently, you might have noticed several warm and friendly faces guiding elderly patients around or helping out at workshops. No, they’re not our new clinic staff. In fact, they’re our patients… and they’re also our newly recruited volunteers! NHG Polyclinics has introduced an exciting volunteer programme, and we’re looking for people from all walks of life to join our growing team. You’ll meet new friends, learn new skills and, best of all, make a huge difference to our staff and patients. So, why not join us as a volunteer today? All it takes is a big smile, warm heart and passion for helping others - and you’ll be on your way to brightening someone’s day!
NHG Polyclinics has completed the roll-out of Phase I of its Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system in October 2007. We are proud to announce that many of our processes are now ‘paper-less’. EMR facilitates the recording of diagnoses, ordering of prescriptions, lab tests and X-rays, and retrieving of lab test results electronically. Using EMR, our medical staff can also record clinical notes for nursing, better manage patients' chronic conditions and retrieve relevant medical information of patients who have visited restructured hospitals. As NHG Polyclinics progress with the times and keep up with the needs and demands of our increasingly affluent patients, it is vital that we leverage on IT to improve our processes and help us focus on our patients better. With EMR in place, patients benefit by receiving better, faster, safer and more cost effective healthcare.
How can you help? Whatever your skills and interests, we’ve a wide range of volunteer opportunities for you to choose from, including: • Guiding and ushering patients • Helping patients take their height and weight • Providing administrative support • Organising workshops and forums • Taking part in community outreach programmes If you’re 15 and above, are in good general health and enjoy interacting with people, we’d love to hear from you! Please fill up this form and hand it to any of our polyclinic staff. We will be in touch with you shortly. Name: (Dr/Mr/Ms/Mrs/Mdm) __________________________________________ Address:__________________________________ __________________________________________ Contact number:____________________________ E-mail address:_____________________________ Areas of interest Guiding and ushering Helping patients take their height and weight Administration Workshops and forums Community outreach programmes Others _________________________________ We also welcome schools and organisations that are interested to take on a volunteer project. Please contact us at
[email protected] or 6355 3000. page 7
Specials
Christmas Promotion
UP:
$24.90
Thermal Handy Bag while stocks last!
990
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Valid only: • When you spend $25 & above in a single receipt (excluding medicinal items) • OR with any purchase of Neutri Care Health Supplements • OR purchase at an exclusive price of $15.90 (with no prior purchases)
Healthy Recipe
Grilled lemongrass chicken Ingredients 4 pieces boneless chicken breast (90g each) 4 medium garlic cloves, minced 6 stalks lemongrass, finely grounded 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp honey
Chairperson
Method 1. Rinse chicken breast and pat dry with paper towel. Marinate with all the other ingredients in a shallow bowl. 2. Grill chicken breast until golden brown (10 minutes each side). Remove fat and skin before serving.
Ms Jancy Mathews, Health Promotion & Preventive Care, HQ
Brown rice can be served instead for added fibre. CHO exchange: 0 (per serve) One bowl of white rice = 3 CHO exchanges
Dr Tung Yew Cheong, Woodlands Polyclinic Editor Ms Eleanor Toh, Corporate Communications, HQ Members Ms Pauline Ang, Singapore Footcare Centre Ms See Yen Theng, NHG Pharmacy The information produced is for reference and educational purposes only. As each person’s medical condition is unique, you should not rely on the information contained in this newsletter as substitute for personal medical attention, diagnosis or hands-on treatment. If you are concerned about your health, please consult a healthcare professional. Reproduction of the articles in whole or part without permission is prohibited. For advertising rates and enquiries, please call Ms Audrey Lee at 64966696 or email
[email protected]
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