ALLERGY TEST

Centrepoint Healthcare offers Allergy Test for you and loved ones.

Finding out what you are allergic to is an important first step to effective allergy treatment.

Today allergy tests are more convenient and accurate than ever before.

When combined with a detailed medical history, allergy testing can identify the specific things that trigger your allergic reactions.

Adults and children of any age can be tested for allergies.

For more information on Allergy Test, contact Centrepoint Healthcare 021 570 6208 / 14 or email to info@centrepointhealthcare.com

The Adult Well Male Examination

By:

Dr Madan M Vasandani

                As men, we are faced with challenges that I feel are sometimes beyond us and the number of responsibilities that is put on our shoulders  seem to be on the rise. Men are put in the work field at a younger age and their career life is becoming longer and longer. The span of this intense career life has definitely brought on its consequences. Many chronic disease like Diabetes Mellitus, High Cholesterol, Hypertension, Obesity and Heart Disease are appearing at a younger age. In the 60’s and 70’s a heart attack at the age of 35 is unheard of, but now its becoming a common site. Men, its time for you to take control of your health. Do not neglect your health because of your career. Remember, the secret to have a long successful life is by ensuring pristine health 

               Patients often ask me “Doc what vitamin should I take to ensure good health?” Men let me assure you, there are no magic pills to maintain your health. It depends on how you maintain your body. These vitamins are only beneficial if you are lacking them in your diet, which is a very rare possibility if you are eating 3 regular balanced meals. The first step to fixing your health is to find out exactly what your body is going through. Have you ever said “I do not feel healthy” or “Why am I feeling tired all the time”. Well, if you are a male 35 years and above and you fall into this group get an Adult Well Male Examination. You will be surprised what this test will reveal.

            An Adult Well Male Examination consist of a comprehensive History of your current complains, Past Medical History, Family history and also Social History. A Complete Physical Examination from Head to Toe which also includes a Body Mass Index and a Fat percentage  by a Physician is done as part of the examination. An Essential part of the Adult Well Male Examination is a blood test to rule out Cholesterol related diseases, Diabetes Mellitus, Liver and Kidney abnormalities and also the presence or absence of Sexually Transmitted Disease. An ECG and a chest x ray is also performed.

               

 Here are some statistics which might encourage you to get an examination done

1.  48 percent of males do not engage in Physical activity
2.  33 percent are obese
3. 32 percent have had five or more alcoholic drinks in one day at least once in the past year
4. 31 percent have hypertension
5. 22 percent smoke
6. 20 percent of men younger that 65 years do not have health insurance
7. 12 percent rate their overall health as fair or poor

 

The Adult Well Male Examination is a fantastic tool to find out a number of health conditions that you might be having. Our body is like a car, after a few thousand kilometers we need to bring the car to the garage to get a diagnostics done and also an oil change. Our body also needs a diagnostics after the age of 35. If you are male more than 35 years  of age, book an Adult Well Male Examiination as soon as you finish reading this article. It may save your life. Call Centrepoint Healthcare at 021 570 6208 to book an Adult Well Male Examination.

Dr. Madan Vasandani in the Jakarta Globe

Sahil Punjabi from The Jakarta Globe interviewed Dr. Madan M Vasandani about healthcare in Indonesia.

Please click this link for the article 

 http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/myjakarta/my-jakarta-madan-doctor/518162

FLU, Gejala, Pengobatan dan Pencegahannya

FLU, Gejala, Pengobatan dan Pencegahannya

Saat musim pancaroba kebanyakan dari kita telah terbiasa dengan penyakit flu. Dan beberapa dari kita mengganggap penyakit flu ini adalah penyakit musiman yang sulit dicegah datangnya. Namun tahukah Anda apa sebenarnya penyakit flu dan bagaimana pengobatan serta pencegahan penyakit flu ini?

Penyakit Flu

Penyakit flu adalah salah satu penyakit pernafasan yang disebabkan oleh virus (virus influenza).

Penyebaran virus penyakit flu biasanya melalui udara, berbagi alat makan dan minum, atau kontak langsung dengan penderita. Virus yang menempel di kulit dapat masuk ke dalam tubuh saat menyentuh atau menggaruk hidung dan mulut dan penyebarannya begitu mudah.

Mencuci tangan sangat penting guna membatasi penyebaran virus ini. Umumnya setelah terserang, gejala akan mulai terasa pada hari ke-1 hingga hari ke-4 pasca infeksi.

Gejala Penyakit Flu

Gejala - gejala apa sajakah yang timbul saat kita terserang virus flu?

Biasanya tubuh akan demam, bersin-bersin, hidung tersumbat dan keluar cairan, sakit kepala, nyeri otot, nyeri persendian, rasa tidak enak badan, lesu, dan kehilangan selera makan, terkadang disertai juga dengan batuk dan sakit tenggorokan.

Untuk anak-anak dan orang dewasa, penyakit flu adalah penyakit yang bisa sembuh sendiri dalam satu minggu. Namun untuk orang yang tidak sehat atau daya tahannya menurun, penyakit flu bisa berakibat fatal karena tanda-tanda penyakit flu bisa menjadi sangat parah dan mungkin terjadi komplikasi seperti pneumonia, sinusitis, dan radang dalam telinga. Kebanyakan komplikasinya adalah infeksi kuman karena daya tahan tubuh menjadi menurun untuk melawan kuman-kuman yang masuk.

Mengobati Penyakit Flu

Sebagai penyakit yang berasal dari virus, pengobatan penyakit flu dapat dilakukan dengan dua cara, yaitu:

Pertama, Simptomatis (hanya untuk mengatasi keluhan) dengan beristirahat dan mengonsumsi makanan sehat bergizi demi meningkatkan daya tahan tubuh yang melemah.

Pada fase ini penderita dianjurkan meminum obat flu sebagai pereda dini ketika gejala masih ringan. Obat flu setidaknya harus mengandung:
1. Anti nyeri dan anti panas (analagetik/anti piretik) untuk mengatasi gejala demam, sakit kepala, nyeri otot dan sendi.
2. Penurun bengkak (dekongestan) untuk gejala hidung tersumbat
3. Anti Alergi (anti histamin) untuk gejala bersin dan gatal pada
hidung/tenggorokan.

Kedua, Ke dokter untuk mendapat antibiotik. Antibiotik untuk mengatasi infeksi sekunder akibat bakteri; bila Influenza ditandai dengan perubahan warna lendir hidung dari jernih menjadi kuning atau kehijauan, suara menjadi serak dan nyeri menelan.

Mencegah Penyakit Flu

Walaupun 'hanya' flu, namun penyakit flu ini tetap saja dapat mengganggu rutinitas dan produktivitas kerja dan mengarah ke penyakit yang lebih serius seperti pneumonia. Bahkan setiap tahun ribuan orang meninggal di rumah sakit akibat komplikasi flu.

Oleh sebab itu berikut ini adalah beberapa hal  yang harus diperhatikan :

Cucilah tanganmu
Cuci tangan dengan sabun termasuk cara yang sangat efektif untuk mencegah penularan penyakit flu. Lebih baik lagi bila Anda mempersering melakukan cuci tangan, karena  dengan mencuci tangan kuman-kuman penyakit di tangan akan larut bersama air.

Jauhkan tangan Anda
Menyentuh hidung atau mata Anda bisa jadi membuat Anda sakit. Pasalnya, lewat tempat-tempat itulah biasanya kuman masuk.

Tidak perlu menggigit jari Anda
Hilangkan kebiasaan untuk menggigit jari. Sebab, kuku Anda adalah tempat berkumpulnya kuman.

Beristirahat
Cukup istirahat merupakan salah satu cara mudah untuk menangkal penyakit flu. Disarankan untuk istirahat antara 8-10 jam semalam.


Vaksin flu
Vaksin flu memang bukan obat untuk menyembuhkan flu, namun dapat mencegah dari terjangkitnya penyakit flu.

Konsumsi makanan sehat
Mulailah dari mengkonsumsi buah dan sayur-mayur yang bisa mendukung sistem kekebalan tubuh. Langkah ini jauh lebih baik daripada mengobati flu.

Berolahraga
Olahragalah hingga berkeringat. Sebab olahraga teratur dapat meningkatkan kekebalan tubuh.


 Jaga jarak dengan penderita
Ketika ada orang sekitar Anda yang sedang terkena gejala flu, seperti bersin, atau batuk, jagalah jarak untuk memperkecil resiko Anda tertular darinya.

Berhenti merokok
Selain sebagai penyebab utama penyakit kanker, serangan jantung, impotensi, serta gangguan kehamilan dan janin, merokok bisa meningkatkan resiko infeksi yang menyebabkan perubahan struktur pernafasan dan mengurangi kekebalan tubuh. Merokok bisa membunuh cilia, serat tubuh mirip rambut di dalam hidung yang berfungsi menghambat infeksi.

Tomcat Alert

Tomcat Alert
Dr Madan M Vasandani

Family Physician, Centrepoint Healthcare

I am sure all of you have heard of the Tomcats that are affecting a big percentage of the Surabayan population. To be honest with you I did not know much about Tomcats until recently.  A Tomcat is a family of the Rove Beetle, an insect that has an ant like shape but it has a more elongated body with orange and black striations. When threatened, it raises its abdomen, in the manner of a scorpion. Its secretions are acidic in nature and when it comes in contact with human skin it causes a very itchy rash that looks like that of a Herpes infection.

The Tomcat secretes a fluid called Paedrin which can cause blisters 24 – 48 hours after contact. The blisters can be infectious through towels, clothes or other things that comes in contact with Paedrin. So far the effects of the fluid have only been reported in Surabaya. Due to the ever increasing commute between cities in Indonesia, the chances of seeing Tomcats in Jakarta are very high. Reports say that these insects do not fly. 

If you come in contact with a Tomcat, stay calm and don’t panic. DO NOT try to kill it or hit it.  This will cause the the toxin to come into contact with your skin which can lead to the typical herpes like rash. Also do not scratch it as this can spread the toxin to a wider area resulting in a more widespread rash. Instead, blow it away or take a plastic bag and allow these insects to enter on its own and dispose the plastic bag in a proper place. Wash immediately it with soap and water. Soap  is alkaline in nature while the toxin is acidic. By washing it with soap you are actually neutralizing the toxin. 

The authorities are saying that the best way to kill the insect is by using insecticides. The consequences of this is that insecticides damages the environment which will further lead to the extradition of the tomcats from its natural habitat. The best insecticide for killing the tomcats without damaging the environment is those that is non-chemical base. Here is how you can make non-chemical insecticides in the comfort of your own house

Ingredients:

1. Neem leaves (daun mimba)

2. Galangal (lengkuas)

3. Lemon grass (daun serai)

Take equal portions of these ingredients and  mash it. Boil it in water (100 grms per litre of water) and heat it to 60 degrees. Leave it for 2 days.

You can spray this solution into the natural habitats of the Tomcats which is the moist and wet areas of your house.

            

    I hope this information regarding Tomcats is useful. Ensure that you keep your house and surrounding as dry and as clean as possible. These insects do not like to be in dry areas. Stay safe. If you have been exposed to a Tomcat or you have other Medical Condition, do not hesitate to make an appointment with our Centrepoint Healthcare physicians at 570-6208

A few interesting facts in the field of medicine

A few interesting facts in the field of medicine

                There is a wealth of information in the net in the field of medicine, here are some excerpts from various articles I found interesting. I hope you find this information useful

1. Early Antiretroviral treatment cuts HIV transmission – People infected with HIV are 96 percent less likely to transmit the disease to their healthy partners if they start antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) early, according to a study hailed as a scientific breakthrough of 2011.
2. Statins use linked to lower death rate in flu patients – The use of Statins – cholesterol lowering drugs - may reduce the risk of death in patients hospitalized for influenza. In a large US study, the administration of statins to flu patients before or after hospitalization reduced mortality rates by 41 percent3.    
3.    Acupuncture improves chemo-induced pain – Cancer patients who develop peripheral neuropathy as a result of chemotherapy may be able to turn to acupuncture to relieve their pain, according to data from a small pilot study
4.     Flu vaccination reduces COPD deaths in elderly – Mandatory preventive vaccination against seasonal influenza can reduce the mortality rate of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – a disease of the lung due to excessive smoking – among those aged 65 years and older during influenza outbreaks, according to a Japanese study
5. Combined oral contraceptive pill helps ease painful periods – taking birth control pills may offer extra benefit for women who suffer from menstrual pain. In a study, which involved 2,102 women aged 19 at baseline, those who received a combined oral contraceptive pill had significantly lower severity of menstrual pain
6. Have a beer once a day – A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that men who drank ONE beer a day for one month lowered their cholesterol levels, increased their blood levels of heart-healthy antioxidants, and reduced their level of fibrinogen, a protein that contributes to blood clots. Choose either beer or wine – not both 
7. There are 3 new health benefits of eating chocolate  
   
   a.       Chocolate makes you smarter – Flavanols in dark chocolate increase cerebral blood flow, which in turn may trigger the creation of new blood vessels and brain cells
   b.      Chocolate weakens heart attacks – A new study showed that regular chocolate eaters who had heart disease were less likely to die following a heart attack compared with people who didn’t treat themselves to the dark and dreamy stuff
   c.       Chocolate has a cavity-fighting compound- Theobromine in chocolate is as good as fluoride at hardening tooth enamel
   
   
   
8. One study found that men with the following conditions had a greater likelihood of having Low Testosterone – Obesity, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol and Asthma. If you are a male above age 50 and you have one of these conditions make sure you get your Testosterone checked

The adage “There is to side to a coin” works for medicine. There are always benefits to everything that you do or eat. Do not be a pessimist because there is always a brighter side to life. Enjoy life, Don’t 

abuse it