A Science Columnist

BY: MA. MELANIE DALAINE D. CARNAJE

[melscrnje-blog]

Hithit-buga sa bibig ng isang kabataan

Source: Rappler.com

Masarap kung uto’y hihitin at kaginhawaan naman ang mararamdaman kung ito’y bubugahin. Malimit itong pinagpapapasahan sa kung kani-kaninong labi lang naman at patuloy na pinagtitiisan kahit na paupos na lang. Bihag nito ang mga taong naaakit sa pamatay nitong aroma. Ang nakakalungkot, ito rin ang pumapatay sa kanila  ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ang paninigarilyo.

Paninigarilyo, isang kasanayan kung saan sinusunog ang isang sangkap tulad ng tabako na nakapaloob sa balot ng sigarilyo sa pamamagitan ng paghithit-buga nito. Sa sobrang sarap nito, patuloy nilang nilalasap at nilalasahan ang usok na animo’y napakasustansiya sa katawan.

May iba tayong nakikita na naglalaway kapag nakikita lamang ng sigarilyo ngunit lingid sa kanilang kaalaman na ang ihinahanap-hanap nila na bisyo na iyon ang maaaring makasama sa kanilang kalusugan na maaari ring humantong sa kamatayan.

Ayon sa Department of Health (DOH) , naglalaman ang sigarilyo ng mahigit 4,000 na kemikal na pumipinsala sa kalusugan at kapaligiran na kung saan napatunayan na nagsasanghi ng kanser ang 69 na kemikal doon dahil naglalamat ito ng ‘cancer-causing agents’ tulad ng carcinogens.

Dagdag pa rito, naglalaman din ito ng nikotina na nagsasanhi n gating pagkahumaling dito na nagreresulta sa pagdidilaw ng ngipin at daliri.

Batay sa isinagawang pag-aaral, maliban sa maari tayong magkaroon ng iba’t ibang sakit tulad ng kanser sa baga, Chronic Obstructure Pulmonary Diseases (COPD), sakit sa puso, stroke, asthma, at diabetes, nakakapangit at nakakakulubot ng balat, nakakabaho ng hininga at nakakabaog din ang paninigarilyo.

Ayon sa Global Adult Tobacco survey, 17.3 milyon at mahigit pa ang mga Pilipinong naninigarilyo ngayon at isang tao kada 13 segundo o isang milyong katao taon taon ang namamatay dahil sa paninigarilyo.

Dagdag pa rito, inihayag ng DOH na sa Pilipinas, nagsisimulang nagisisigarilyo ang mga kabataan sa edad na pitong taong gulang at 80,000 hangang 100,000 ang mga kabataan edad 13 hangang 15 ang regular na naninigarilyo araw-araw sa kabila ng kamusmusan sa kanilang edad.

Kaya bilang aksyon sa tumataas na bahagdan ng mga naninigarilyong kabataan at katandaan, inamyendahan ng dating Pangulong Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ang Republic Act No. 9211 o mas kilala sa Tabacco Regulation Act of 2003 upang maiwaksi ang epektong ibinibigay ng paninigarilyo sa atin.

Hindi masama ang bawal. Nagiging masama lamang ito kung patuloy itong gagawing bisyo at hindi ito titigilan magpasawalang hangan. Kaya’t habang maaga pa sa isang bagong panimula ang pagtigil ng paninigarilyo upang di tuluyang maupos ang inyong buhay sanhi ng pagkakasindi mo rin dito. Masaya ang masarap ngunit mas masaya ang buhay na di nakakadanas ng sakit at hirap.

[melscrnje-blog]

Kirot na mahirap iwasan

Pananakit ng tyan sa bandang tagiliran na tila’y wala nang katapusan. Hirap na hirap umihi at paunti-unti lamang. Pagkain ng maalat na ‘di maiwasan. Gusto nang matapos at ibaon sa nakaran. Hinirang na pampito na nangungunang mga sakit ng mga Pilipino ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ang impeksyon sa ihi o UTI.

Ayon kay Dr. Juliano Panganiban, isang urologist sa Pilipinas, ang pagkakaroon ng impeksyon sa urinary system o daluyan ng ihi ang tinatawag na Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). Kabilang dito ang bladder o pantog kung saan naiipon ang ihi at urethra kung saan naman ito dumadaan palabas ng katawan.

Dagdag pa dito, ito ang isa sa pinakakaraniwang sakit lalo na sa kababaihan dahil mas maikli ang daluyan ng ihi ng babae kaya mabilis makapasok ang mga mikrobyo na maaaring magdulot ng impeksuon sa pantog at sa daluyan ng ihi o urethra. “Isa sa mga pangunahing sanhi ng pagkakaroon ng UTI ang pagpigil sa ihi. May taglay kasing mikrobyo ang ihi ng tao at kapag hindi ito agad nailabas ng katawan, mananatili ito sa ating pantog kung saan dumarami ang mikrobyo at nagdudulot ng impeksyon,” ani Gideon Lasco, M.D.

Kaugnay nito, maliban sa pagpipigil ng ihi, isa rin sa pagkahilig sa mga maaalat na pagkain tulad ng ‘junk foods’ at anumang inuming may alcohol tulad ng ‘softdrinks’ sa mga sanhi ng UTI dahil naglalaman ang junk foods ng Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) na maaaring magdulot nang masama sa ating katawan, samantalang naglalaman naman ang softdrinks ng asukal na maaring maging kontribusyon ng pagdami ng bakterya at mikrobyo.

Ayon kay Dr. Blanco Limpin, maliban nito, mapoprotektahan natin an gating sarili laban sa UTI sa pamamagitan ng pag-inom ng buko juice dahil mainam raw ito upang maibsan ang pangingirot ng tagiliran at isa rin itong diuretic na nakakatutulong para mapadali ang pag-inom ng maruming tubig upang mapabilis masupil ang impeksyon at ugaliing regular na maligo araw-araw.

Sa ating buhay, di natin maiiwasang magkaroon ng sakit na UTI dahil parte na ng buhay natin ang pagkain at pag-inom ng kung ano-ano kahit ito’y mariing ipinagbabawal. Maging maingat lamang sapagpili ng mga ito at tamang pag-aaalaga sa sarili ang susi upang ‘di na muli bumalik pa ang kirot na di maiwasan magpakailanman.

[melscrnje-blog]

Isang patak sa tigim na katawan

Matinding pagkauhaw na di maibsan-ibsan. Tuyong-tuyo na bibig at dila at mabilis na pulso na di papaawat sa kakatakbo. Mga bagay na maari nating mararanasan kapag magkaroon tayo nito ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ang pagkaubos ng tubig sa katawan o dehydration.

Ayon kay Dr. Ed Santos, isang eksperto sa medisina, isang kondisyon ang pakaligim (dehydration) kung saan nauubusan tayo ng tubig sa katawan. Nangyayari rin ito kapag may labis na pagkawala ng tubig sa atin na sanhi ng matinding pag-eehersisyo, matinding pagpapawis, paulit-ulit na pagkakaroon ng gastroinenstinal illnesses’ tulad ng pagsusuka kasabay ang pagkakaroon ng mataas na lagnat.

Ayon sa Department of Health (DOH), pagkauhaw, pagkahilo, panghihina, pagkapagod, madalang na pagihi at panunuyo ng balat ang ilan sa mga kabilang na sanhi ng kondisyon na ito na maaaring magresulta sa matinding pagkauhaw na dahil roon, magkakaroon ng mga tuyong-tuyo na bibig at dila. Bibilis din ang takbo n gating pulso, magkakaroon ng maitin at madilaw na ihi pati na rin paglubog ng mga mata.

Kaugnay nito, inihayag din ng DOH na maaaring mapalitan ang tubig sa katawan sa pamamagitan ng   Oral Dehydration Solution (ORS) gaya ng pedialyte at rehydralyte na mabibili sa mga drugstore na makukutulong din ang pag inom ng walo-pataas na baso ng tubig araw araw. Magpakonsulta rin sa mga doctor at mga eksperto upang malunasan at maagapan ang sakit na ito ng sa gayon hindi narin ito humantong sa kamatayan.

tif��0��!

[melscrnje-blog]

Tawa tawa, halamang hindi dapat paniwalaan

Panahon na upang iwaksi ang paniniwala at imulat ang ating mga mata na ang tawa-tawa na ating pinaniniwalaang nagpapagaling sa dengue ang maaari pang magpalala sa ating kasalukuyang kondisyon sanhi nang maaari itong magdulot sa atin ng pangmatagalang dehydration (pagkauhaw).

Inihayag ni Dr. Eric Tayag ng National Epidemiology Center of the Department of Health (DOH) na kailangan nating mag-ingat sa pag inom ng tawa-tawa dahil may potensyal itong magpalala sa kondisyon ng isang taong nagkadengue sa pamamagitan ng patuloy nilang pag-iihi ng maaaring humantong sa pagkauhaw.

Dagdag pa rito, binigyang diin ni Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, Department of Health (DOH) Manager for the Dengue Control and Prevention Program na isang “Fluid Replacement” ang pag-inom ng pinagkuluang tubig ng tawa-tawa na kung saan lalong makakatulong kung sasamahan ng masusing medikasyon.

Gayunpaman may mga tao pa ring buong tiwala na naniniwalang nakakapagpagaling talaga ang tawa-tawa bilang panangga sa dengue.

“Effective talaga ang tawa-tawa noong nagkadengue ako 10 lang ang bilang ng platelets ko at matapos kong inumin ang tawa-tawa, mabilis na tumaas ang platelet counts ko kaya pag may lagnat mga anak ko, pinapaiinumom ko agad sila ng tawa-tawa para di ko na sila madala sa hospital” ani ni Casiel Cabilogan, isang maybahay.

Batay sa isinagawang ulat, sinabi ni Health Secretary Enrique Ona na kahit na nagpapataas ng platelets counts ang tawa-tawa dahil sa mga taglay nitong komposisyong kemikal at properties, binigyang linaw pa rin nya na wala pa ring opisyal na rekomendasyon ang DOH na maaaring gamitin ito o ipagbawal nila ito.

Dahil sa mga impormasyon na ito, pag-papasuri  sa doktor ang mas mainam na gawin at huwag na umasa nang buo pa sa mga halamang herbal na wala pa talagang pag-aaral na nagpapatunay na epektibo ang mga ito.

Dagdag pa rito, dapat lamang na mag-ingat tayo nang sa gayon, maiwasan natin ang mga sakit na ito namang laganap sa ating bansa lalo na’t umuulan pa dahil ika nga, “Prevention is better than Cure”.

��!

[melscrnje-blog]

Life-saver tips on how to prevent bird flu

Little did we know that the ones we’ve craved for is likewise the ones that will crave our bodies into death.

According to the laboratory results from test samples that were sent to Australia, the bird flu that has hit parts of the Philippines has been confirmed to be Avian influenza which has H5N6 strain which can be passed on from infected birds to humans.

"It's very rare that we see bird-to-human transmission for H5N6," DOH Secretary Paulyn Ubial said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there have only been 16 cases of human infection since H5N6 first began in 2014 and of these cases, only six have died.

However, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) warned that the virus' case fatality rate seems to be on the rise.

"It is hard for humans to catch H5N6, but if they do get it, there is a higher likelihood some could die from the virus," Ubial told.

So here are the life-saver tips on bird flu from DOH:

1. Avoid exposure to infected fowls. Ubial said the public must refrain from being exposed to any bird suspected to be sick. "Kung pwede, ‘wag silang magpa-expose sa live birds and fowl. ‘Yun’ yung pinakasource ng avian influenza," said Ubial. (As much as possible, they should not be exposed to live birds and fowl. They are the main source of avian influenza.)

2. Always wash your hands. Ubial said proper handwashing is crucial to avoid any type of infection, including bird flu. "Any contact with fowl or, shall we say, fecal material, wash your hands before eating and after using toilet. Make handwashing a regular activity," she said.

3. Cook chicken properly. Tayag assured the public they may still consume chicken and other poultry products, but he said they must be cooked properly. "No pink parts, clear fluid," said Tayag.

4. Personnel involved in depopulation must wear the right gear. Tayag advised those involved in the culling and depopulation of the chickens to always wear their personal protective equipment. "Monitor for signs of illness such as fever, sore throat, or cough. If sick, cover nose and mouth with mask, then go visit a clinic or hospital," said Tayag.

5. Disinfect the personal protective equipment. Ubial gave the ingredients for the mixture people may use to disinfect their personal protective equipment. "Disinfection is easy. It's one milliliter of bleach, 99 millileter of water dilutation, and they can use that as disinfectant," she said. Farm workers must not bring their equipment outside the farm as well.

6. Report unusual poultry deaths. Tayag said doing so would allow the Department of Agriculture (DA) to begin containment procedures for the birds and prevent the possible spread of the disease.

Lastly, DOH spokesperson Eric Tayag assures the public they may still eat chicken, but they must cook it properly first.

All of us can be calmed by now because it has been said on a report that bird flu is now cleared in our country; however, we really need to prevent the flu because take note of the universal quote “Prevention is better than Cure”.

REFERENCES:

https://www.rappler.com/nation/179275-doh-tips-safe-bird-flu

http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2017/08/24/Pampanga-bird-flu-strain-transmissible-to-humans.html

http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2017/08/25/doh-bird-flu-preparations-ahn6.html

�����ֲ��

[melscrnje-blog]

Color-coded foods into a colorful and healthier world

Red, yellow, and green ̶̶ ̶ ̶ these may not the primary colors but they are the ones that will primarily prioritize your life into more nutritious and healthier way.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has given a department order and guidelines that will strengthen their campaign toward more nutritious food and beverage choices in all public schools both elementary and high school as well as DepEd offices nationwide.

The strategies and guidelines signed last March 14 by Education Secretary Leonor Briones will "promote healthy diets, positive eating behaviors and provide healthy eating environment".

In order the guidelines to be more effective, according to Manila Bulletin, people who are managing school canteens were reminded by the Department of Health (DOH) to make sure that they are selling the right “color” of food, based on the guideline released by the DepEd.

Based on the latest 8th National Nutrition Survey which showed that for children 5-10 years old, 29.1% were underweight, 29.9% were stunted, 8.6% were wasted, and 9.1% were overweight.

Healthy diet, as defined in the order, refers to a balance in food intake which achieves energy balance and a healthy weight, limits energy intake from total fats and shifts fat consumption away from saturated fats to unsaturated fats and toward the elimination of trans-fatty acids, increases consumption of fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts, limits the intake of free sugars, limits salt (sodium) consumption from all sources.

In addition, based on the news released by Rappler, the order classified canteen-cooked food, common Filipino snacks, and those without Nutrition Facts into 3 categories:

GREEN – Food and drinks that should always be available in the canteen. The DepEd described the following examples as "the best choices for a healthy school canteen" such as oatmeal, cassava (kamoteng kahoy), and Boiled saging na saba.

YELLOW – Food and drinks that should be served carefully. The DepEd said these examples may be served once or twice a week only (Tuesdays and Thursdays), in small servings, and should be less prominent in the canteen menu, because they may contribute to excess calories if eaten in large amounts. Example of these are banana cue, camote cue, turon, and maruya.

RED – Food and drinks not recommended in the canteen menu, since they contain high amounts of saturated fat or sugar or salt like soft drinks, sweetened waters, powdered juice drinks and any processed fruit/vegetable juice with added sugar of more than 20 grams or 4 teaspoons per serving.

It is so good that DepEd released these kind of guidelines that will really help not only underweights and malnourished but also the overweight and obese ones.

However, in our university which there are senior high school students like me, I really cannot feel the guidelines ordered maybe because there are college students in there and also because we are almost considered as ‘college students’ that has can distinguish what are the do’s and don’ts especially in eating different foods and beverages.

I hope these would be strengthen more and it can be implemented not only in school but in nationwide to promote overall healthiness and a good lifestyle for a good life.

REFERENCES:

http://news.mb.com.ph/2017/06/08/doh-to-school-canteens-take-note-of-the-green-yellow-red-food/

https://www.rappler.com/nation/164940-deped-healthier-food-drinks-schools

http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-powerhouse-vegetables

**�$$$�$$$�D~��

[melscrnje-blog]

Japanese Encephalitis invades Philippines

Fever, chills, headache, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting that in your body domineers; neck stiffness, seizures, paralysis and comatose that may lead to death if it will go severe --- these are the following symptoms that you will experience once you’ll encounter the disease called Japanese encephalitis.

The Department of Health (DOH) exhort the Filipinos to secure themselves from mosquito bites due to the endemic cases of mosquito borne diseases chiefly the Japanese encephalitis in the Philippines.

 According to Health Secretary Paullyn Ubial, nine deaths have been documented so far due to the acquirement of the said virus --- one each from Ilocos and CALABARZON; and seven from central Luzon.

 In addition to that, it has been confirmed that the cases nationwide are at 133 as of August 26 which is 44% lower than the same period last year.

 On the other hand, based on the report made by World Health Organization (WHO), three billion people are at risk from Japanese encephalitis with an average fatality rate 3 out of 10 patients who exhibit severe symptoms and 68,000 severe cases of Japanese encephalitis worldwide annually which is mostly in Asia.

The information above shows that Japanese Encephalitis is recently prevalent in our country. Because of that, we really need to protect ourselves from bites of Culex tritaeniorhynchus, a mosquito endemic to tropical and sub-tropical countries like Philippines because it is indeed a carrier of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV).

For us to be away in that virus or simply to prevent this disastrous virus, it is really needed to AVOID MOSQUITO BITES. Also, getting rid of stagnant and standing water, maintaining environmental sanitation, and eliminating some potential breeding places of mosquitoes are a good piece of advice so people can evade mosquito-borne diseases not only Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) but also dengue and chikungunya.

Reference: https://www.rappler.com/nation/181371-doh-warning-mosquito-bites-japanese-encephalitis, http://www.manilatimes.net/japanese-encephalitis-rise-ph/314588/, wwwnc.cdc.gov

���