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Showing posts from December, 2007

The Inner Message of Christmas

This is the significant inner message of Christmas. Realize fully that so long as the thirst for money and the arrogance of power infects our nature as man, so long the Christ-spirit of peace, blessedness and true happiness cannot enter into our lives. As we celebrate Christmas, let us remember that “unless we be born again, we cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven,” and that unless the simplicity and the purity of heart of the little children come to indwell in our hearts and unregenerate our nature, the advent of the Divine Grace as peace, prosperity, well-being and concord will never come our way. As individuals, even so as citizens of the world, the fundamentals of true faith, true charity, genuine humility and a spiritual rebirth alone can usher in true bliss and brotherhood upon this world of ours. It is when such a transformation occur in our lives and it is when we renounce policies of hatred and greed that the our world will truly enjoy the blessings of t

The Gift of Life

On the very first day, God created the cow. He said to the cow, "Today I have created you! As a cow, you must go to the field with the farmer all day long. You will work all day under the sun! I will give you a life span of 50 years." The cow objected, "What? This kind of a tough life you want me to live for 50 years? Let me have 20 years, and the 30 years I'll give back to you." So God agreed. On the second day, God created the dog. God said to the dog, "You are supposed to do is to sit all day by the door of your house. Any people that come in, you will have to bark at them! I'll give a life span of 20 years." The dog objected, "What? All day long to sit by the door? No way! I give you back my other 10 years of life!" So God agreed. On the third day, God created the monkey. He said to the monkey, "Monkeys have to entertain people. You've

Christmas Bulge

It’s Christmas time! Even if our situation here in the Philippines is full of uncertainties, there’s no denying that the holiday atmosphere is at hand. I was told that Divisoria is overflowing with people buying gifts, food etc. As Filipinos, we are really passionate in celebrating this season. Healthwise, we should not make the holidays a time for us to abuse our bodies. I know that the temptations are often too difficult to resist but let us not forget that another year is about to come and we should be spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically fit to face it. Here are some tips to avoid over-indulging this season. Eat before you go to a party - If you skip meals, you are more likely to overeat later. Eat a substantial snack before going to a party to avoid stuffing yourself with everything in sight. Slow down when you eat - It takes about 20 minutes from the time you eat until your brain gets the signal that you are full. So eat slowly, put down your fo

Hoarseness in Laryngitis

My sister called up yesterday complaining of hoarseness. It apparently started with a sore throat and a nonproductive cough with low-grade febrile episode 7 days ago. She took some antibiotics and cough medications but no relief was noted. Clearly, she is suffering from laryngitis. Laryngitis is an irritation and swelling of the voice box and the area around it. It causes the voice to change, or you may lose your voice entirely for a short while. With or without treatment, it is expected to resolve in 7 to 14 days. It is usually caused by a virus or by bacteria. People who smoke, have allergies, or strain their voices by yelling, talking, or singing may also come down with the problem. The classic symptoms are a hoarse, low voice, and a scratchy throat. Other people may also lose their voice, develop a sore throat, come down with a fever, feel a lump in their throat, or feel very tired. As an ENT specialist, I usually advise voice rest if these symptoms have been present fo

Montelukast and Allergic Rhinitis

I was out last week because I attended the 12th Asian Research Symposium in Rhinology and 51st Annual Philippine Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Sofitel Plaza Hotel. Passing the diplomate board examination last 2005 and actively practicing for the last two years, I was inducted as fellow of the society. Throughout the 4-day event , among the many topics discussed , the one that caught my interest is the role of the anti-leukotrienes in the management of allergic rhinitis. I have been hearing about this before but I haven't really applied it in my clinical practice. The principles behind this were well explained during the ARSR and I was convinced to try it myself, since I have also an AR, and with my patients with similar problems. Cysteinyl-leukotrienes (CysLTs) are endogenous mediators of inflammation and play an important role in allergic airway disease by stimulating bronchoconstriction, mucus production, mucosal edema and inflammation, airway infiltrat