Wednesday, September 19, 2007

 

Eye disease in elderly may bring on depression

Anxiety, depression noticed in those suffering from age-related macular degeneration, the most common cause of blindness in the elderly. Jessica Jaganathan reports
More than one in 10 Singaporeans with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) may be suffering from anxiety or depression.

A study by Alexandra Hospital found this to be the case in 14per cent of randomly selected AMD patients.

AMD is a severe eye disease characterised by the progressive degeneration of the macular, the most sensitive central back portion of the retina.

It occurs when cells in that part of the eye, which allows for sharp vision, die off.

It is also the most common cause of blindness among people aged 60 years and older in developed countries.

The survey of 220 AMD patients was conducted between August last year and May this year to determine the quality of life that resulted from the disease.

It also found that 14 per cent of AMD patients had problems with mobility, which increased the risk of falls, especially in older patients.

The average age of those surveyed was 66.8 and the majority were Chinese.

There are no current figures on how many Singaporeans have AMD but a community study in 1997 showed that one in four people aged 60 and above here suffered from the condition.

Best approach

Associate Professor Au Eong Kah Guan, head and senior consultant at the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Alexandra Hospital, said early detection was the best way to treat the disease, for which currently there is no cure.

Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits and refraining from smoking help to slow down the progression of the disease.

'Without vision, quality of life will be severely affected,' said Prof Au Eong.

He added that with the life expectancy of Singaporeans and the proportion of elderly in the population increasing, the prevalence of AMD is expected to increase as well.

The results of the findings were released ahead of the AMD Awareness week, which began last Saturday and was organised by the eye community in Singapore.

The week kicked off at Jurong Medical Centre, where eye screenings for age-related diseases were conducted at a fee of $5.

Public forums will be held throughout the week, including one tomorrow at the National University Hospital and on Friday at Woodlands and Jurong regional libraries.

NUH will also be launching an AMD support group tomorrow for patients diagnosed with macular degeneration and caregivers to discuss ways of coping and managing the disease.

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How to treat white spots on body?

Treating White spots on body.
Q My 18-year-old daughter has white spots on her shoulders and back and they are rather unsightly. Is there a medical term for her condition? What is the cause of these white spots? Is there any way to get rid of these spots and prevent them from developing in future?

A Tinea versicolor or pityriasis versicolor, commonly referred to as white spots, is a superficial fungal infection of the skin. It is caused by an overgrowth of the fungus Pityrosporum ovale, a type of yeast found commonly on human skin. Hence, it is not contagious.

Common symptoms include the growth of small, scaly patches of discoloured skin that are either a lighter colour (white or pink) or reddish brown. This results in small areas that are lighter than surrounding skin and do not darken under the sun. The infection, which is most common in warm, humid temperatures, usually affects the back, chest, neck or upper arms and causes mild itching.

White spots can be treated with oral or topical medications. Topical anti-fungals include tolnaftate, terbinafine or typical azoles like clotrimazole, miconazole and ketoconazole. After cleaning the affected area, a thin layer can be applied twice daily, usually for 14 days. Continuing to apply medication for another week after infection appears to have cleared may reduce the chance of recurrence. Oral prescription medications like ketoconazole, fluconazole and itraconazole are also effective for tinea versicolor.

Discolouration of skin may persist, even after successful treatment. This persistent discoloration often leads people to think that the fungus is still present long after it has been eradicated. Though it may require several months for the skin to recover, it does not lead to permanent discoloration.

White spots may recur. To prevent white spots, avoid applying oil or oily products to your skin, or wearing tight, non-ventilating clothing. Heat, excessive sweating and oily skin are thought to trigger overgrowth of fungus. If necessary, preventive treatment with medication may also be prescribed by your doctor.

TAN WEIQI, PHARMACIST, PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF SINGAPORE

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Wednesday, September 12, 2007

 

Warm Milk

warm_milk

A glass of warm milk before bedtime?

THE CLAIM: A glass of warm milk will help you get to sleep at night.

THE FACTS: Few foods have a reputation for curing insomnia quite like warm milk.

According to age-old wisdom, milk is chock-full of tryptophan, the sleep-inducing amino acid that is also well-known for its presence in another food thought to have sedative effects, turkey.

But whether milk can induce sleep is debatable, and studies suggest that if it does, the effect has little to do with tryptophan.

To have any soporific effect, tryptophan has to cross the blood-brain barrier. And in the presence of other amino acids, it ends up fighting - largely unsuccessfully - to move across.

One study by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology demonstrated this in 2003. The study, which was published in The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, showed that eating protein-rich foods - like milk - decreased the ability of tryptophan to enter the brain.

The trick, the study showed, is to eat foods high in carbohydrates,which stimulate the release of insulin. Insulin, in turn, makes it easier for tryptophan to enter the brain.

But surveys have found that many people swear by milk as a sleep aid, and that may have something to do with psychology.

Scientists say the routine of drinking a glass of milk before bed can be as soothing as a favourite old blanket.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A glass of warm milk may make you drowsy, but not because of tryptophan.

- NEW YORK TIMES

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Thursday, September 06, 2007

 

Remove Acne Scar ?

Does vitamin E help clear or remove scars?

The Claim: Vitamin E Helps Remove Scars

THE FACTS: Home remedies for scar removal run the gamut from lemon juice to aloe vera gel. But one that stands above the rest – in popularity at least – is vitamin E. Depending on whom you ask, a little vitamin E dabbed on the skin can remove stretch marks, clear up scars and even heal wounds. Discovered in 1922, it can be found widely now in moisturisers and creams. But according to most studies, its scar-busting properties are overstated. One of the largest studies to investigate the claim was published in 1986 in The Journal Of Burn Care And Rehabilitation.Scientists followed a group of 159 people, who had suffered burns over the course of a year, randomly selecting some to regularly apply vitamin E to their scars and others to use a different topical cream. Those in the vitamin E group showed no noticeable improvement in the size, thickness or appearance of their scars by the end of the study.

In a 1999 study, scientists at the University of Miami followed a group of patients who had recently had minor surgery. Each patient was given two ointments labelled A and B – one with vitamin E, the other without – and told to apply each to a separate half of their scars twice daily for four weeks. After that, the scars were evaluated by the patients, the scientists and an independent observer.

The vitamin E not only had no beneficial effect on the appearance of the scars, it made matters worse. Almost a third of the patients had an allergic reaction known as contact dermatitis, leading the authors to give vitamin E the thumbs down.


THE BOTTOM LINE: According to studies, vitamin E does not remove scars

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