The Korea Herald

Gastritis

Mar 15, 2012

Mr. K is 40 years of age, and recently experienced a digestive disturbance and felt pain at the epigastrium, or upper central region of the abdomen, after overeating. He also sometimes presented with such symptoms as vomiting or heart burn. He therefore visited a local clinic. Through an interview with Mr. K, the physician recognized the symptoms and performed an abdominal examination. This was followed by a gastric X-ray, where it was found that Mr. K had no serious problems such as an ulcer or
Making meat in your diet history

Mar 15, 2012

More Koreans turn vegetarian though skepticism remains about its health effectsThirty-two-year-old office worker Kim Jin-ee recently decided to become a vegan. She removed all meat, milk, fish and eggs from her fridge to start. It was not her first time trying out a vegetable-oriented diet. She tried a couple of years ago, but failed. “People around haven’t been too generous with vegetarians. The company dinners were all about meat or sashimi, and everywhere you go you would have more than one o
Scientists produce retina structure from blood-derived cells

Mar 14, 2012

U.S. scientists have succeeded in making early retina structures by using stem cells from blood, marking a breakthrough toward treating eye diseases, Science Daily reported Tuesday.The new findings can help study degenerative retinal disorder such as retinitis pigmentosa, a prominent cause of blindness in children and young adults, according to a statement by the University of Wisconsin- Madison research team.Last year, the group led by Doctor David Gamm was able to create the most primitive str
Introduction to Pilates

Mar 14, 2012

CHICAGO ― With some fitness regimens, that first trip to the gym can nearly kill you.Pilates, with its emphasis on core training and an abundance of moves, works the other way.“The first time is almost the easiest,” says Alycea Ungaro, owner of Real Pilates in New York (realpilatesnyc.com and author of “Pilates: Body in Motion” (DK Publishing). “It gets harder after that. Once you know what to do, the bar gets higher, the demand gets harder. You see things you’re doing wrong and you fix them. Yo
Red meat boosts risk of dying young: study

Mar 13, 2012

Eating a portion of processed red meat daily can boost a person's risk of dying young by up to 20 percent, said a long-running US study of more than 120,000 people released on Monday.While the research by Harvard University experts offers more evidence that eating red meat increases the risk of hear
A remedy for so much ― walking

Mar 8, 2012

I remember that Dr. Kim Kwang-won of the Diabetes Center of Samsung Seoul Hospital, where I currently work, said at a health lecture, “I could count on my finger tips the best treatment method for diabetes after studying diabetes for life. That’s exercise.”At the time, I slapped my knee in glee to get advice from an outstanding master of diabetes.This spring, I plan to recommend to nearly all I meet at my outpatient clinic that they walk 30 minutes a day. This is because I finally realized that
Doctors question effect of Google glasses on eyes

Mar 8, 2012

Have you ever imagined people walking along the street, digitally scanning and analyzing the information of their surroundings on the spot? This may become a reality as Google is expected to start selling eyeglasses that project information, entertainment and advertisements onto the lenses. According to the New York Times, the glasses are not designed to be worn constantly ― although Google engineers expect some users will wear them a lot ― but will be more like smartphones, used when needed, wi
How music therapy can reduce stress, ease pain

Mar 8, 2012

Expert suggests use of complementary alternative medicine in highly individualized wayDALLAS ― Judith Ritchie unlocked her office at the Sammons Cancer Center and carefully gathered the instruments that she determined would best serve her patients in the oncology unit.An American Indian flute. A plucked psaltery or lap harp.Ritchie, a certified music practitioner on the staff of Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, fills doctors’ prescriptions to bring pain relief to patients with cancer.
Cancer risk found in Coke, Pepsi: Group

Mar 6, 2012

U.S. regulators, reviewing an advocacy group’s complaint that a chemical used in colas causes tumors in animals, said there’s no immediate risk to consumers from the substance. Cans of Coca Cola soft drinks sit on display at a Poundland discount store in Croydon, U.K., on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 20
Infanrix listed as mandatory vaccine

Mar 1, 2012

GlaxoSmithKline’s Infanrix IPV, a diphtheria, tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine, has been added to the state’s compulsory vaccines for infant list, the vaccine maker said Wednesday. Therefore, infants will be able to get inoculations at the ages 2, 4 and 6 months and 4 years for 5,000 won a session at nearby public health care centers or designated clinics and hospitals. The vaccine requires four separate inoculations. This is half the previous number of injections, the vaccine mak
Prices of 6,500 drugs to fall 14%

Mar 1, 2012

The prices of 6,506 drugs given on the National Health Insurance scheme will fall by 14 percent on average from April 1, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Tuesday. The number of the drugs accounts for a little less than half of 13,814 drugs covered by the state insurance program, the ministry said. Those exempt from the price cut have been patented, specialized for rare and hard-to-treat diseases, or are already cheap enough. The measures are expected to save about 700 billion won from the
Five hospitals picked for infants

Mar 1, 2012

The Ministry of Health and Welfare has added five hospitals to the list of those that must be equipped with intensive care units for newborns. The selected hospitals are Bundang Seoul National University Hospital in Gyeonggi Province, Inha University Hospital in Incheon, Dankook University Hospital in Daejeon, Chosun University Hospital in Gwangju and Ulsan University Hospital in Ulsan. With the latest designation there are now 18 general hospitals that have or will have special units for infant
Women have rare egg-producing stem cells, Harvard scientists claim

Mar 1, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) ― For 60 years, doctors have believed women were born with all the eggs they’ll ever have. Now Harvard scientists are challenging that dogma, saying they’ve discovered the ovaries of young women harbor very rare stem cells capable of producing new eggs.If Sunday’s report is confirmed, harnessing those stem cells might one day lead to better treatments for women left infertile because of disease - or simply because they’re getting older.“Our current views of ovarian aging are inco
Beware of spring depression

Mar 1, 2012

It is high time to beware of seasonal depression. It occurs most frequently before or after the winter, when the early spring breeze begins to blows away the winter cold. As the spring gets closer, however, we are at increased risk of committing suicide as symptoms of depression are most intense. In recent years several Korean celebrities have committed suicide while suffering from depression. Most of these deaths occurred in the spring. Suicide is the greatest potential evil that can result fro
Keep your eyes healthy during spring

Mar 1, 2012

Eyes become sensitive just after winter; yellow dust may cause various symptomsSpring is right around the corner, but whole many look forward to warmer weather, some dread the season because of pollen, dust and other allergies. Our eyes are especially sensitive in spring. The dryness and extreme temperature differences between morning and nighttime during winter weakens the immune system, leaving yellow dust and pollen able to cause intolerable itchiness, sneezing, tears and more. Dr. Kim Jin-gu