Health@Heart
Vital health issues
Shaken Baby Syndrome
About 1000 children die each year from a condition called Shaken Baby Syndrome. As the name suggests, the baby is shaken, resulting in either broken neck bones, bleeding in or around the brain, causing severe injury and most of the time, death. Shaking the baby’s head back and forth is very dangerous. The impact on the brain could cause seizure disorder, mental retardation or blindness, if the baby survives. A common precipitating situation is when the baby won’t stop crying, causing the tired and overwhelmed ignorant mother or baby sitter to be so upset as to shake the baby to make the infant stop the crying. The baby is so delicate that the shaking has resulted in many a fatality.
Babies cry for a reason. They may be hungry, wet, colicky, in need of burping, or sick. Picking them up and carrying them for a while, or rocking them, putting them in a stroller, or even taking them for a ride, often help, after all those reasons have been properly addressed. But no matter what, remember never, never shake a baby, and always support and protect their delicate neck.
If you are taking care of an irritable baby, whose usual demands you have met, and the baby still cries, and you are terribly exhausted and frustrated, and your patience is down to zero, leave the baby in the crib for a few minutes, or ask for help from a relative or a friend.
A moment of anger causing an unintended injury to the baby may result in a lifetime of guilt, regrets and pain.
Mandating Use of Generic Drugs
Any legislative plan to force physicians to use only generic drugs is not only unconstitutional but downright dangerous for the patients, and the citizenry and country as a whole. There are generic drugs that are very good, but for the unproven ones, the question of quality, potency, safety are quite real. There are some proprietary specialized drugs that have generic substitute that are inferior, or “pirated,” from another country, crude with impurities, and less effective. What are at stake in this issue are human lives. The lawmakers should protect the health and welfare of the people and not consider laws that are unconstitutional, illegal, immoral, and ones that deny the citizens their rights, and expose them to harm in the process, all in the name of saving some money. Hopefully, our legislators will be wise enough not to even think of laws that would prevent physicians from doing their best for the patients, and adversely affect healthcare in our country. Encourage everyone to use good and proven generics, but let’s not deprive anyone their freedom of choice. And let’s leave the medical decisions to physicians.
Anti-flu nasal spray vaccine
Influenza, which afflicts about 40 million of American each year, is a viral infection in the nose, throat and lungs, sending 150,000 people to the hospital each year and its complications killing about 25,000 of them. The flu shot is well known and effective, but a lesser painful way to get the vaccine is by nasal spray. However, it is not for everyone. Those who should not get the spray are: children younger than 5 years of age, adults 50 and over, pregnant women, those with allergy to eggs or had allergic reaction to flu vaccine in the past, people with Guillain-Barre syndrome, people with weakened immune system, and patients with long term health problems. Before considering the nasal spray flu vaccine, confer with your physician.
Influenza can kill
As stated above, the flu can be fatal. The best is to avoid it, by getting the flu vaccine. It is not 100% guaranteed to prevent the flu, but when it occurs after getting the vaccine, the flu is usually a lot milder. It takes about 2 to 4 weeks for the vaccine to take effect. There are antiviral medications that can also prevent the flu. To prevent the getting or spreading of the flu, wash hands frequently, keep distance from people with the flu, cover mouth and nose when coughing, avoid secondhand smoke, quit if you are a smoker, drinking at least 8 glasses of filtered water daily, and, of course, live a healthy lifestyle, which will strengthen the immune system.
Condom not 100% safe
Condom is used to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and as a means of contraception. The public in general has the impression that condoms are fully protective. Studies of various brands of condoms in different countries revealed that about 2-3% of condoms have holes in them, right out of the factory. Rough handling by the user can also cause minute tears. This obviously means the user is not totally safe and has at least 2-3% risk of getting STD from an infected partner, and/or women with condom-wearing partner has a 2-3% risk of getting pregnant. As for STDs, when one gets HIV, it is not 2-3%, but 100% devastating.
Our Nation’s Health
The Philippines is afflicted with the cancer of pervasive graft and corruption among countless officials in the nation, and even earned the shameful distinction of being the most corrupt in Asia. A Dollar Moral Crusade Against Graft and Corruption in the Philippines has been launched overseas by the Filipino United Network (FUN) to encourage accountability, honesty, and transparency in governance. The news about this movement (see its inspiring challenge at its website: www.filipinoUNITEDnetwork.com) is in all Filipino-American newspapers in the United States and some in the Philippines. Its time for every decent Filipino, most especially the youth of the land, to stand up and be counted, and come to the aid of our country. After all, the health of our nation is at stake, and its survival, is in our hands. (Please visit www.FUN8888.com. Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com)
