TYPES OF TREATMENT THAT WOULD NOT INVALIDATE MUSLIM'S FAST.

According to Council of the Islamic Fiqh Academy, those fasting are allowed to

1) Putting medicine in the eye, nose and ears.

2) Undergo dental treatment(tooth extraction, patch holes and scaling) without swallowing.

3) Gargle or spray medicine into the the mouth without swallowing.

4) Receive an intravenous injection or subcutaneous and intramuscular injection.

5) Insert tubes and radio-opaque for angiogram.

6) Insert scopes for surgery such as laparoscope.

7) Placing medicine(GTN) under the tongue for chest pain or angina without swallowing it.

8) Insert certain apparatus into the womb e.g. contraceptive, suppository, douche and scope.

9) Insert devices into urinary bladder e.g. ureteroscope and radio-opaque.

10)Oxygen and general anaesthetic administration.

"Some patients are reluctant to seek certain medical treatments during the fasting month because they are afraid that it would invalidate their fast," Ahmad Zahid, who is Deputy Information Minister said.

DARE YOU SWALLOW A DOSE OF THE 1.5cm WORMS?

If you suffer from asthma, dare you swallow a dose of the 1.5cm worms?

In future, most probably parasitic worms can be used as a medicine to fight against asthma.

Prof David Pritchard at the University of Nottingham,England and his team are still investigating the outcome. So far results are encouraging especially on the testing for safety. The team is now embarking on a larger trial in patients with asthma to work out whether the hookworms actually diminish symptoms.

Anyway, let us wait for the scientists to finish their trial. I hope that scientists can get something effective against asthma and other auto immune diseases. Good Luck!

COMPULSORY PRE-PACKAGING OF DISPENSED MEDICINES BY JANUARY 2008

By pre-packaging medicines, doctors and pharmacists will only be able to buy drugs in expensive small dispensing units and will not be able to enjoy economical price in bulk.

Years ago, cough mixtures were banned in bulk gallon form in Malaysia and could only be sold in pre-packaged 2 oz bottles to prevent codeine abuse by drug addicts. This cause the cost of cough mixtures to increase significantly by as much as 50%.

By pre-packaging medicines, the cost of all type of preparation i.e. mixtures,pills,cream ointment that treat fever, colds, allergies and simple illness will be increased. This will lead to the prices of medicines increase again, the patients have to absorb the rising costs of medicines ultimately.

Therefore, don't surprise that the price of health care will be increased( may be double) significantly in Malaysia by January 2008.

MEDICAL TESTS A MUST FOR BUS,LORRY DRIVERS

This requirement comes in the wake of the recent spate of road accidents involving heavy vehicles, one of the latest being the Bukit Gantang express bus crash near Taiping which killed 22 people. At the panel clinics,the drivers will have to undergo urine test and physical checks, including for blood pressure, eyesight, hearing, cardiovascular and respiratory systems and their mental state.

They will also be checked for a wide range of diseases such as tuberculosis, epilepsy, cancer, asthma, diabetes and migraine.

Doctors will also look for signs of drug addiction and alcoholism.

All these are aimed at ensuring that drivers are healthy and will not pose a danger to other motorists.

Here i would like to give some advices, but before that there are a few questions:

Are they getting constant sleep schedule?

Are they getting enough sleep?

Do they sleep without wake up repeatedly

How rested do they feel upon awakening?

Are they alert and active during the waking hours?

All these are very important because if they are suffering from a sleep deficit, they may not have enough energy to keep up with the activities. Lack of sleep also reduces concentration,alertness and lengthens reaction time. All these problems will not be settled by issue the summonses against drivers.

Personally i think the best supplements for bus and lorry drivers are:

1. Hydrosoluble Coenzyme Q10.

2. Multivitamin with ginseng.

3. High potency B complex with C, E and zinc.

4. Ginseng extract.

All these supplements are very helpful to relief tiredness, to improve their alertness and concentration during driving especially night's duty. These are much more better than coffee, tea and stimulant's drugs.

No matter how wholesome your diet and regular your exercise routine, it is impossible to be truly healthy and at your best without sufficient, regular good-quality sleep.

Please consult your pharmacist for further advice and info!

Good Luck!

FAST FACTS ON TREATMENT IN NASAL CONGESTION AND ALLERGIC RHINITIS

:A decongestant/antihistamine combination (such as Clarinase 24hr) provides patients with fast relief from congestion in the initial phase.

:Newer formula like clarinase 24 hr,taken once daily provides 24 hours symptom relief.

:Intranasal steroids should be the first line treatment, when congestion is the major component in Allergic Rhinitis.

:Intranasal mometasone furoate provides your patients with fast onset of action in relieving congestion.

:In the long term, intranasal mometasone furoate is able to restore nasal mucosa to normal histology, returning patients sense of smell.

:Intranasal mometasone furoate does not cause nasal atrophy even after one year of therapy.

:Paediatric patients on mometasone furoate experience normal growth.

:The best supplement products are cryptomonadales (green algae), Pristine fish oil, Bee Propolis, and zinc .

AGE SPOTS @ PHOTOAGING SKIN

Age spots are extremely common after the age of 40. These brownish spots usually appear first on the arms and hands, then the face. Sometimes, they appear on the shoulder and chest. These spots more than anything else, give away a person's age.

What causes age spots?
Though age spots are sometimes called liver spots, they have nothing to do with your liver. Age spots are caused by years of exposure to sunlight. If you do not believe, look at the skin on your inner thigh-they are free from age spots! If you have had enough sun to develop age spots, you may have a higher risk of developing skin cancer.

How Lutein and Zeaxanthin works?

It protects your skin from sun damage in 2 ways:

:Acts as internal sunblock-absorbs harmful UV light.

:Acts as antioxidant-protect skin from free radical damage.

Tips for healthy skin

:Take Xangold daily,together with antioxidants e.g. betacarotene, vit C,vit E,selenium and zinc

:Eat a variety of fruits of all colors, and dark red and green leafy vegetables

:Reduce exposure to sunlight and wear sun block when in the sun.

For more info, please ask your pharmacist.