Food with high nitrite content, as well as salty, preserved and smoked food, may be closely related to gastric cancer. Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium found in 50% of the population in Hong Kong, is also found to have close relationship with gastric cancer.
Fresh fruits and vegetables help prevent gastric cancer as they are rich in vitamin C, minerals andtrace elelments. On the other hand, deep-fried food should be avoided. Personal hygiene, such as washing hands frequently and avoiding contact with excreta and vomitus, is vital to keeping Helicobacter pylori infection away.
Symptoms of gastric cancer, including stomachache, black stool, and loss of appetite, weight and strength, may not be obvious in early stages. A tumour at the pylorus may cause vomiting while one at the cardia may cause difficulties in swallowing.
Surgery is the most important and potentially effective treatment for gastric cancer. Recently, pre-operative(neoadjuvant) chemotherapy has been used to reduce thesize of gastric tumour, so that the surgery can be performed. Minimal invasive surgery can help which is currently used at an early stage of the cancer and can substantially reduce the size of the wound and shorten recovery time.
Extract from the health feature by University of Hong Kong
Friday, June 02, 2006
Monday, May 29, 2006
Treatment of Chronic fatigue syndrome(CFS) with Acupuncture and Diet Theraphy
Fatigue is a feeling of tiredness, lack of energy and weakness, which is associated with a person's mental or physical state. Symptoms of mental fatigue include deterioration of awareness and memory, lack of concentration,making mistakes easily or depression; whereas physical fatigue shows predominant tiredness after physical activities.
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) was named by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States in 1988 to describe this condition. Its symptoms can last for 6 months or longer, and are similar to those of flu, insomnia, forgetfulness, lack of concentration and depression.
According to some studies, the number of CFS patients in the US had risen gradually from 1,775 to 6,321 in every 1,000 people. In Japan, more than 10,000 people die suddenly every yearbecause of exhaustion; in England, around 20% of male and 25% of female are constantly tired, and one in every four of them may be a CFS sufferer.
A research conducted in 2004 by the School of Chinese Medicine, HKU revealed that 57.7% of 1,013 people aged between 20 and 50 suffered different levels of fatigue, 6.4% were even classified as CFS sufferers. Engineers top the list of CFS sufferers. People with master degrees are prone to CFS. Hence, CFS is expected to be a major healthconcern in the 21st century.
Acupuncture can cure CFS as can some Chinese medicines such as Chinese herbs which can help prevent tiredness as well as enhance the effectiveness of acupuncture. However, professional medical advice should be sought from Chinese medicine practitioners before taking any such treatments.
Extract from the health feature by University of Hong Kong
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) was named by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States in 1988 to describe this condition. Its symptoms can last for 6 months or longer, and are similar to those of flu, insomnia, forgetfulness, lack of concentration and depression.
According to some studies, the number of CFS patients in the US had risen gradually from 1,775 to 6,321 in every 1,000 people. In Japan, more than 10,000 people die suddenly every yearbecause of exhaustion; in England, around 20% of male and 25% of female are constantly tired, and one in every four of them may be a CFS sufferer.
A research conducted in 2004 by the School of Chinese Medicine, HKU revealed that 57.7% of 1,013 people aged between 20 and 50 suffered different levels of fatigue, 6.4% were even classified as CFS sufferers. Engineers top the list of CFS sufferers. People with master degrees are prone to CFS. Hence, CFS is expected to be a major healthconcern in the 21st century.
Acupuncture can cure CFS as can some Chinese medicines such as Chinese herbs which can help prevent tiredness as well as enhance the effectiveness of acupuncture. However, professional medical advice should be sought from Chinese medicine practitioners before taking any such treatments.
Extract from the health feature by University of Hong Kong
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