Q: My children have coughs and colds many times a year. Our whole household is sick. What can you advise us? Your question comes at the right time because right now I am having a cold, too. And it is annoying. If you get to see your doctor, first, he will make sure that it […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 27, no. 7 (August 5-18, 2014): 13. Dear Dr. Ong, Five years ago, I found out that I have hepatitis B. Up to now, I am still positive for hepatitis B. My wife is blaming me because she believes I got it from sleeping with other women. In […]
Tired of using chemicals and drugs? The good news is that the ordinary baking soda is an effective and multipurpose aid for your health and beauty. The United State Pharmacopoeia had been aware of its health benefits for more than a hundred years. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, an alkaline substance that has the ability […]
Certain types of skin infection can be difficult to cure. Recently, I discovered a simple treatment using povidone-iodine, thanks to doctors Ramon Estrada and Ric Naval of Manila Doctors Hospital. Povidone-iodine is an antiseptic. It kills bacteria and other microbes. It can also treat various skin diseases, such as: boil (pigsa), a reddish warm nodule […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 25, no. 3 (July 10-23, 2012): 16, 15. “U y, galing Baguio yan” or “Galing Zambales yan.” Vendors at the wet market will gladly impart such information, believing it means something to customers seeking quality. Yet, these phrases may mean nothing to many shoppers. Even as produce moves […]
Anti-cancer advocate Dr. David Servan-Schreiber leads 20 expert doctors to warn against possible dangers of prolonged cell phone use. The group says preliminary evidence from the Interphone study and others show a possible link between cell phone use and brain tumor occurrence. The Interphone study (from year 2000 to 2006) is the largest to look […]
Hepatitis is a general term for inflammation of the liver, which can be caused by several viruses. At present, there are hepatitis A, B, C, D, E and G. There is no hepatitis F. Because the virus attacks the liver, all the symptoms are also related to the liver. As the largest internal organ in […]
In the Philippines, there are three worms that cause the most health problems: roundworms (Ascaris lumbricoides), whipworms (Trichuris trichiura) and hookworms (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale). These three have been a burden to humanity for centuries. They are called soil-transmitted helminthiasis and are found in the soil. Helminths. Helminths are really parasitic worms (like aliens) […]
I’m sure you’ve heard of the use of hot or cold compress to soothe common aches and pains. But the tricky part is knowing when to use hot or cold, and what medical conditions can be helped by this valuable treatment. Below is a concise summary on what to do. Hot compress preparationsYou can make […]
Everyone feels dizzy sometimes. It covers the range from mild unsteadiness to severe vertigo, when you feel the environment is spinning. There are different causes of dizziness. Most are harmless, but others can be serious. Less serious causes include: Eye problems. If you have blurred vision, astigmatism or other eye problems, you can get dizzy […]