Yittz's Clinic!!

[GiftOfForesight]

1) Cold sore do go away by themselves. So you don't really need an anti-viral medications. As yours is causing you quite a problem, there's certain things that you can do: a) go to your chemist to get a soothing cream for mouth ulcers e.g. a bonjela or others; and they should help, b) if things doesn't go away, you might want to think of whether it is due to other causes e.g. thrush, herpangina (coxsackie), or varicella etc. And go and see your GP.

2) With the sore throat, most sore throats need not be treated with antibiotics, but if there's a high fever, tender cervical lymph nodes, or exudates, you might benefit from antibiotics. And if you're having any problem with eating or drinking, See your doctor, your sore throat might be serious and possibly an abscess (quinsy) may developed.

What you can do for sore throat apart from drinking water (which doesn't really help) is to pop in some painkillers such as Panadol, aspirin or ibuprofen to relive your pain.

3) I don't think that your diet would be a major cause in your cold sore. Though in some ppl, stress can exacerbate an existing cold sore.

Get well,
Han SOlo

Thanks for the reply. I generally don't take any medication for cold sores/sore throats, but this time I did get some cold sore applying cream that helps relieve the pain. That didn't really work, but I tried salt water (which wasn't in the Kaiser handbook) and that worked very well and quickly. I'm well now, thanks for the answers and interesting information!

[charbydis]

Also Dr. Han, I fould out that when I am in studying weeks, I tend to lose my appetite and eat about 1-2 meals per day but when I am on holiday's, I can eat up to 3 meals per day including snacks. Why do i feel like this?

And about cold sores, I find that when i eat less, the faster they go away? Is there any reason for this? Thanx.

And also, Dr. Han! (No offense, but) Can I add something pls about contact lens?

Both are safe, hard contact, if not cared for properly, may predispose you to conjuntivitis. So it depends on your preference and which is more convenient to you.

Dagger Lee:

Just make sure that you consult an eye specaialist (optometrist/orthoptist) first before you set out to buy the contact lens. Some people just aren't suited to contact lens, such as very high refractive errors, working in air-con environments therefore dry eyes, very sensitive eyes, faint from being touched on the eye, etc...

And esnure that the contact lens being worn is the exact same style, material and prescription as the one made/prescribed for you. If fitted incorrectly, your cornea's going to be starved of oxygen as direct contact with air is deprived which can lead to your corneal layers dying and losing its transparency permanently - meaning very bluured vision with glare plus astigmatism.

Or wearing the wrong curvature may cut your cornea and give chance for bacterias to concrete and grow.

BTW, if you are really lazing in cleaning, you might get ameoba inside your corning, and begin to swim in your eye. (But sometimes, you can it surgically removed! )

[Han Solo]

Also Dr. Han, I fould out that when I am in studying weeks, I tend to lose my appetite and eat about 1-2 meals per day but when I am on holiday's, I can eat up to 3 meals per day including snacks. Why do i feel like this?

And about cold sores, I find that when i eat less, the faster they go away? Is there any reason for this? Thanx.

1) Don't know, stress??

2) No reason why it should do it though. Probably you feel less pain when not eating, and therefore you feel better.

[Dagger Lee]

I think I got water into one of my ears. It's been a week and it still has that sound that you have when water gets in. What should I do?

[Han Solo]

I think I got water into one of my ears. It's been a week and it still has that sound that you have when water gets in. What should I do?

Nothing, it will go away, assuming there's no infections (feeling ear-ache, fever etc).

You can also try ear cotton swabs.

[Dr. Proctologist]

I just took a dump and lost 10 pounds. What happened?

[Mike Liu]

I just took a dump and lost 10 pounds. What happened?

Who the heck is this clown impersonating me? That you Hing?

[spcnet]

Who the heck is this clown impersonating me? That you Hing?

LOL, I'm glad it's not really you.

[eeyore]

P/s: If you ever get back to Melbourne, i'll treat you to a boat ride on the Yarra.

Love too! he,he,he,he.... Raincheck.

Question:
Is it true that there is no cure for allergic? Like insect bite for some people it's no problem but other can turn to infection on their skin and inflamation with yellow liquid in it (abses?). There is no medicine for it right? all you can do is keep it clean and put antiseptic ointment on it. Please advise. Thanks.

[charbydis]

Does desensitization injections (for allergies to dust, pollen, shellfish, etc..) work? Does it work or not work for most people? Thanx.

[Han Solo]

To eeyore,

What you mentioned are just common insect bites. Keep it clean and don't scratch. In some ppl, localised abscess may uncommonly occur and a simple drainage and some oral antibiotics will help.


To charbydis,

Densensitization works. Obviously, it will work better if the allergen affecting you are known and able to be tested. If you are allergic to multiple allergens, then getting you desensitized to one or two allergens wouldn't help as you would still be allergic to others.

[Dagger Lee]

Doc, would you have any idea if depressed people get sick or anything? I have a friend who's probably depressed and I'm worried about her.

[Han Solo]

There's a number of treatment for depression.

But the most important thing is to make sure that the depressed patient does not have any feeling of ending their life, or commiting suicide.

Tx:-
1) Pharmacological treatments:-
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) e.g. Prozac
TCAs e.g. imipramine
RIMA e.g. moclobemide
SNRI, + heaps of others.

They all work well. The important thing is that they take their medications.

2) NOn-pharmcological
Talk to your friend. Let him/her grief, voice out, and be there and supportive. (U would never know how important this is). Help your friend, bring them out etc.

Others: Counselling, Psychologist, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy.

Also, get him/her to see a doctor or psychologist.

Han Solo
p/s: If you want, describe her symptoms to me via PM, and i will make a reply that is not as generic as this.

[charbydis]

Dr Han:

I don't ned it, but what is Shock Therapy used for? Thanx.

[Han Solo]

I take it that you meant that Shock therapy = Electro-convulsive therapy or ECT for short.

ECT is a very useful tool used to treat drug-resistant or very very severe depression or bipolar disease that is life-threatening or very impairing the quality of life.

As the name implies, electrical power were channelled to the brain via electrodes to induce a convulsion (fit), the patients themselves are unconscious and sedated and there's not much motor fits.

This procedure is humane, and rather successful.

One major side-effect is some loss of memory and confusion in the first few days after the treatment.

[Yon]

Speaking to the mental,

I am wondering if it is easier to avoid conversation with mentally disabled person (IE, Crazy) or talk them to understand...

[flyingfox2002]

*In Brit. accent*

Ahem, dear Dr. Hans sir, what do you know about Stephen Johnson Disease? My cousin's daughter nearly died last week from this disease. The docs don't even know what caused the onset of the disease, they can only guess.

[Han Solo]

Speaking to the mental,

I am wondering if it is easier to avoid conversation with mentally disabled person (IE, Crazy) or talk them to understand...

I find it that it is always hard to converse to intellectually disabled person, we either tend to focus so much on their deficits that their humanity are lost or we became frustrated of the difficulty to converse to them that we ignored them. Very hard, and a pity that this happens because the health of persons with intellectual disability are often worse than the average person and these ppl needs doctor's attention more.

[Han Solo]

*In Brit. accent*

Ahem, dear Dr. Hans sir, what do you know about Stephen Johnson Disease? My cousin's daughter nearly died last week from this disease. The docs don't even know what caused the onset of the disease, they can only guess.

I'd seen Steven-Johnson syndrome before.

My local paeds hospital, which is abit different from mainstream teachings, as they believe that Erythema multiforme is different from Steven-Johnson.

Anyway, accordin to traditional mainstream teaching,
Steven-Johnson is a skin reaction with target leasions and vesicular + ulcers at eyes, genitals, and mouth with high fever.

Causes includes: ~50% are Idiopathic, Other causes: drug reaction, viral infection.

The eyes need to be protected to prevent drying and ulceration of the cornea.
Pts also tends to get steroid and other immunosuppresant therapist for short period of time.

[flyingfox2002]

I'd seen Steven-Johnson syndrome before.

My local paeds hospital, which is abit different from mainstream teachings, as they believe that Erythema multiforme is different from Steven-Johnson.

Anyway, accordin to traditional mainstream teaching,
Steven-Johnson is a skin reaction with target leasions and vesicular + ulcers at eyes, genitals, and mouth with high fever.

Causes includes: ~50% are Idiopathic, Other causes: drug reaction, viral infection.

The eyes need to be protected to prevent drying and ulceration of the cornea.
Pts also tends to get steroid and other immunosuppresant therapist for short period of time.

What is the incidence of this disease in the general population? (or is that the correct medical term for rate of occurence) What does idiopathic mean?

Long live the Queen.