‘I was sure I would die’
The odds were against her. The risk of death on the operating table was more than 50%. A few months before, life had been usual for this pretty, slim 28-year-old living at Dehiwela. She was working at a private company while also studying for her external degree, attending lectures over the weekend. It was for [...]
Snippets
The redder the better Look out for apples with dark red skin. The redder the apple, the more vital anthocvanins it contains – these anti-oxidants help keep your skin and arteries strong. Avoid bruised fruit, as the brown shade of the flesh indicates antioxidants have been destroyed in that area. Goodness of Guava Guava. It’s [...]
Allergies: Some food for thought
It’s a sad fact that for some of us, tempura shrimp can never be on the menu. Are you allergic to crustaceans or nuts or perhaps to dairy products? A debilitating food allergy can trigger a life threatening reaction in your body…or it could just leave you feeling flatulent. It varies from individual to individual, [...]
Dealing with Diverticular disease
A diverticulum is a pouch-like area that can form in the muscular wall of the colon, particularly at points where blood vessels enter. Diverticular disease is a term used to describe people with diverticulosis, which causes no symptoms, and diverticulitis, which usually causes pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Diverticular disease is a common problem that [...]
Reading the signs
She was born with acute deafness. But that did not stand in Shamila Kurukulasuriya’s way. The young mother of Sri Lankan origin leads a full life in Washington DC. Her handicap notwithstanding, Shamila resolutely continued with her studies graduating from the best of Universities for the hearing impaired in the USA. Today, this highly successful [...]
Blocked bile duct: ERCP to the rescue
Few of us associate pleasant things with bile, yet the fluid is an essential component of the process of digestion. It helps your body process fats and is stored in the gall bladder. In some people, however, the bile duct can become blocked and bile begins to build up in the liver resulting in the [...]
Recommended: Stress in small doses
Stress is bad news — it raises your risk of a host of ailments, including heart disease and cancer. But new evidence is now emerging to show that short bursts of stress could actually be good for your health, warding off infection, helping wounds to heal and even speeding up the recovery following surgery. There [...]
Top tips for teeth
As well as correct brushing and flossing and regular dental checks, the following dietary measures can help minimise tooth decay and erosion: Eat sugary foods less often, particularly those of a sticky or chewable nature. Remember that dried fruits can provide sugar and a sticky surface on teeth that encourage bacterial growth and acid production. [...]
Oh so itchy!
As if ants are crawling on you Probable cause: Menopause. Changes in hormone levels can produce an itchy skin condition called formication. Sufferers have the phantom sensation of insects crawling on their skin, though it’s not clear why. One theory is that fluctuating hormone levels may affect nerve endings in the skin. Treatment: Increasing your [...]