Are stomach ulcers caused by bacteria?
Yes, a very common cause of peptic ulcer (stomach ulcer) is a bacteria called H. Pylori. In the past, it was thought that peptic ulcers were caused by high acids in the stomach. The two scientists who originally reported their thesis that a bacteria (H. Pylori) was the cause of peptic ulcer were ridiculed by the medical community for their “preposterous assertion” that these ulcers were caused by an infection due to this bacteria. It has always been accepted that the etiology of peptic ulcers was chemical in nature (hyperacidity due to stress, spicy food, alcohol, etc). Since that new revolutionary report came out, independent investigators all over the world have confirmed beyond doubt that, indeed, peptic ulcers are caused by a bacteria, the H. Pylori bug. This obviously altered and dramatically improved the treatment of peptic ulcers, using antibiotics in proven cases of H. Pylori, instead of antacids. Vindicated and honored were Dr. Barry J. Marshall, 54, and Dr. J. Robin Warren, 68, who were awarded the 2005 Prize for Physiology/Medicine for their discovery of the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacterium and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.
Is drinking wine bad for diabetics?
Unless the patient has another medical condition where wine is contraindicated, wine in itself (a glass with dinner) is not bad for patients with diabetes. The only caution a diabetic has to remember is the extra high calories wine adds to the diabetic diet of these patients. The additional calories from the wine must be subtracted from the total calories the diabetic patient is prescribed to take per meal or per day. This should be discussed by the patient with the physician managing the diabetes.
Is Viagra useful for women as it is for men?
Preliminary reports from research studies show that Viagra (Sildenafil) is not as effective for the females as it is for the males. The action of the drug is to open up the blood vessels in the clitoris in females (in the penis in males), allowing it to fill up and engorge with blood, which fullness heightens the sexual stimulation in females and sustained erection in men, where it is more effective. More studies are still ongoing.
Is snoring bad for our health?
Snoring has been popularly known to cause social or marital problems, with the spouses and roommates as its victims and complainants. In the United States, snoring could be a ground for divorce. For the snorer, this annoying condition leads to impaired and restless sleep, fatigue the following day, due to lack of oxygen. More importantly, sleep apnea (prolonged breath holding) is due to blockage in the air passage. The apnea could be more than 100 episode a night and deprives the person of oxygen, increasing the risk for heart attack, stroke, and even cancer. While not all snorers have sleep apnea, it is prudent for snorers to seek for medical advice, because today we have CPAP as a most effective treatment for confirmed sleep apnea patients.
Do coffee/cigarette cause heart irregularity?
Coffee, medically considered a health drink, can occasionally cause cardiac arrythmia (heartbeat irregularity), tachycardia (fast heartbeat, higher than 100), atrial fibrillation (skipped beats), and palpitation (heart pounding) in some sensitive individuals. Adjusting the amount could help prevent this side effect o caffeine. Cigarettes and vaping products, on the other hand, are much worse and most unhealthy. These two could be deadly.
Is Liposuction safe?
Liposuction (the removal of fatty tissues from the body by pressure withdrawal —“hinihigup”) is effective in removing fatty tissues, just as cutting the out using a surgeon’s scalpel would. But it is not effective as far as the avowed (advertised) goal of the procedure is concerned. The fats that are sucked out grow back in no time. More concerning is the fact that patients have died from fat embolism, etc. during or immediately after the liposuction. There is no excuse for these deaths, since the procedure in itself is controversial and not scientifically proven to achieve the health objective it is supposed to accomplish. It makes sense to stay away from this costly and potentially deadly procedure. The best way to reduce the fats in our body is to eat fish, vegetables, fruits, and stay away from red meats, eggs, etc., and to exercise for at least half an hour at least 3 times a week, maintaining an acceptable weight.
What is OPCAB heart bypass?
The surgery is called Off Pump Coronary Artery Bypass (OPCAB), which is done on a beating heart, without the use of the heart-lung machine. Coronary Bypass surgery to prevent a heart attack, by bypassing blocked heart arteries, is not new. It has been with us since 1967. But the conventional technique is includes arresting (stopping) the heart, with the patient connected to the heart-lung machine that provides the oxygenation of blood which is re-circulated to the patient to keep him/her alive, while the cardiac surgeon works on the non-beating heart. We have used this revolutionary OPCAB in our practice in the United States and have introduced this technique at the heart center of the Cebu, Doctors University Hospital in Cebu, Philippines, in 1998. While OPCAB is more demanding on the heart surgeons, it is medically most advantageous and physically easier for the patients. Today, we have robotic heart surgery.
Is Ginseng a sex stimulant?
There are lots of products in the market today that claim to be “sex enhancer” or “sex aids,” or aphrodisiacs, but today only Viagra, Cialis, Levitra are proven to help men to maintain erection and have successful sex. But even these three are not an aphrodisiac and does not increase libido. There is no approved drug todate that could qualify as the “Libido Pill.” Ginseng, from roots found in the Orient and some in North America and Europe, has been known to man and has been used for centuries for its good effect on creating a sense of well-being in man. It is an antioxidant and also claimed to prevent blood clots and to be good for the circulation. It is also supposed to be good for the heart and the body as a whole, and with “no” bad effects, if taken as directed. However, unlike western medications, crude Ginseng does not carry the official seal of approval of the US Food and Drug Administration, although used by tens of millions of people around the world, including physicians and nurses.
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: [email protected]
