Tooth and ENT Doctor

I finally delivered my 'inspirational talk' yesterday in front of the honor students of my high school alma mater. It was nerve-wrecking as it was my first time to address a young crowd, but the experience was great and really memorable. Seeing my former teachers was also refreshing and it brought back a lot of memories. This is the speech I prepared but I delivered it differently. I wanted to catch the short attention span of the students so I modified some parts and even talked in the native 'lingo' so as to attract their interest. I would say I was successful in doing that because I elicited some applause midway during the speech. I really do hope I was successful in inspiring them to do greater things and be somebody someday. Thank you Mr Nueva for that introduction. I would also like to thank our principal, Ms. Minerva Feria, my former physics teacher, Dr. Virginia P. Ganir, our former principal and my 4th year English and Literature professor, my other forme...

I remember when I had my chickenpox 12 years ago. I was waiting for the result of my NMAT and I was 'exiled' to our place in Taytay so as not to spread the disease. Those were the worst days of my life. As adult, seeing how your fair and smooth complexion become tarnished with horrible 'skin lesions'is really traumatic. I was so depressed and covered my face with a mask, only to realize that the more I hid them, the more vesicles came out. How I wished I had the disease early in my life so that I would have outgrown the scars. I was unfortunate. It is April again and I'm sure the number of chickenpox cases will rise. I hope you won't have it but just in case you will, here are some facts about it. Chickenpox is also common illness during summertime. An itchy rash of spots that look like blisters can appear all over the body and may be accompanied by flu-like symptoms. Symptoms usually go away without treatment, but because the infection is very contagious,...

It's summertime and contagious viral diseases such as sore eyes and chicken pox are common again! This is because these diseases spread easily because of socialization patterns in this time of the year. Let me give you facts about these diseases for your guidance. Conjunctivitis, commonly known as pink eye (not 'red' as it looks), is an inflammation of the conjunctiva - the thin, clear layer that lines the inner eyelid and covers the white part of the eye. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, allergens or toxins. Viruses are the most common cause. Signs and Symptoms Viral conjunctivitis is the most common form. Symptoms include reddened eyes, a scratchy, gritty sensation, and a clear, watery discharge from the eye. Many people have symptoms of a cold at the same time, as the same virus that causes a cold can cause viral conjunctivitis. Viral conjunctivitis usually gets better by itself, although symptoms of viral conjunctivitis typically last 3-4 days. Not...

I just realized that preparing for a speech aimed to inspire graduating students is not easy. I don't know where to start and which way to go. I do not want to sound preachy and boring. Come to think of it, I can't remember anything that our 'guest speaker' talked about before. I hope I would not be that 'forgettable' just like him. As I was going through the topics, I came across this one on selecting careers and I thought it would really be interesting for them to know. In this time and age, it is imperative to be wise in choosing careers because it will dictate much of our future. Changing careers later will be a waste of time and investment, so, it's better to choose one now that we won't regret or change later. So, if you, or you know of someone, who is deciding on which path to choose, consider these five most in-demand career areas. These areas, according to the labor statistics, are going to experience high growth and demand for workers ov...

Late last year, I received a friendster message from a high school friend informing me that one of our former professors was tracking me down for some reasons. Since it's been ages when I last set foot on my secondary school alma mater, I didn't have any contact with them, so I just had my mobile number sent to our teacher. Few weeks after that, I received a call from my geometry teacher and after exchanging pleasantries, I was told that he was looking for me because they want me to be the guest speaker in our school's Recognition day this end of March. Without second thoughts, I humbly accepted the invitation. The other day, the formal letter was handed to me by one of the students. I don't know if it's just coincidence or a fate but I realized that on the day I will be giving my 'inspirational talk', it will be exactly the 20th year after my own high school recognition/graduation! Who would have thought that? As I try to prepare for my speech, I can...

A man went to see his doctor because he was suffering from recurrent cold. His doctor prescribed some pills, but they didn't help. On his next visit the doctor gave him a shot, but that didn't do any good.On his third visit the doctor told the man to go home and take a hot bath. As soon as he was finished bathing he was to throw open all the windows and stands in the draft. "But doc," protested the patient, "if I do that, I'll get pneumonia." "I know," said his physician. "I can cure pneumonia." This best illustrates the point that allergic rhinitis, and all the other types of allergies, really can't be totally treated. Since the trait is innate, it runs in your blood, and as long as you are exposed to an 'allergen', a reaction is inevitable. I am seeing more and more patients with this condition so I decided to post a topic regarding it. I hope that those who experience it but haven't seen the doctor yet wil...

Early this morning, I was at the ICU talking to the relatives of one of my patients with Paranasal sinus cancer. I was explaining to them in all simplicity and actuality the consequence of their request to bring home the patient against medical advise. It is a normal reaction from an attending physician to refuse such request and I did my best trying to change their minds about it, to no avail. I have had similar situations before and as I was talking to the patient's relatives, I realized that my stand for situations like this has mellowed down in time. Maybe due to experience, or probably because I've become more mature and have been exposed to more of the realities of life, I can now better relate to where the relative's feeling of apprehensions and anxiety are coming from. I no longer see it as "giving up" but more of "letting go". As a christian, we believe that only God has the power to take back our lives, and that we should do every...

Still in the spirit of the "Fire Prevention Month", another common condition that I encounter in my practice is "HeartBurn". Literally, you might think that this disease is brought about by something that 'burns' the heart. Close, but not quite. Read on and know how to avoid 'burning your heart" Despite the name, heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. Heartburn is a digestive problem that occurs when stomach acid comes into contact with the lining of the esophagus, causing irritation. Most people suffer from heartburn occasionally, usually after a meal. Some people who suffer from heartburn report to others that they are suffering from a case of indigestion. Though they both have similar triggers, and treatment may be the same in many instances, indigestion isn't the same thing as heartburn. For example, indigestion is the condition, and heartburn occasionally is a symptom of indigestion. Indigestion is a vague feeling of discomfort...

A 17 year old male was brought for consult recently because of,apparently, "bad breath". His mother claimed that she sometimes can't stand the smell of his son's breath everytime they are closely conversing. The son however denied this allegation and claimed he brushes his teeth regularly and even uses mouthrinses. On examination, I found no dental caries or any mouth sores. The faucial tonsils were also not enlarged. But, the smell from the lad's mouth was really foul that I had to stop breathing while doing the oral examination. I am sure that you have encountered some people who have the same "breath of fire". It is a sensitive issue but we must be bold to tell the person of this problem because they might have developed tolerance of the smell already and wouldn't realize that they have this embarrassing condition. As the nation celebrates the "Fire Prevention Month" , let me share inputs on the condition called HALITOSIS, a con...