news – Hello Doctor

Anxious about news headlines? Here’s what to do.

June 27th, 2020 by The Hello Doctor Team

You want to stay informed, but every day the news highlights tragedy and disaster, causing you anxiety and stress. You’re not alone. Coined ‘headline stress disorder’ by therapists, sufferers report symptoms of intense worry and helplessness.

Although there isn’t much you can do about the news, here’s how you can deal with the negative emotions, according to experts.

Take a break from the news

At least for a while, especially if it prevents you from being productive on a daily basis. Yes, you have an obligation to be informed about what’s happening in the world, but how you consume information helps. For example, instead of watching news online which usually has no filter, read about it from news sources who only report the facts. It’s up to you to create your own boundaries.

Find ways to release stress

Being constantly bombarded by negativity can wreak havoc on your emotions and lead to stress. Take your mind off negative scenarios with stress-releasing activities like exercise, listening to music, and meditation. These all help to regulate your emotions and boost your mood.

Broaden your news sources

Vary your reading diet and actively seek out positive news on sites like www.sagoodnews.co.za.

Focus on what you can solve

Negative news such as acts of violence and natural disasters can make you feel powerless. However, every single one of us can do something to make the world better. Start in your community, family, or even yourself and focus on what is within your power to do or change. Research shows that getting involved by volunteering can boost wellbeing and give you a sense of purpose.

Tricky conversations

When bad things happen in the world, others will share your concern. So, whether you’re in class, meeting a friend or at work, chances are that it will crop up in conversation. So, how do you deal? One way is to simply say that you’re finding the subject hard to talk about. Another option is to try something more practical and talk about ways you and others can help. For example, if you’re worried about poverty, talk about ways you can help.

Seek help

If you’re feeling super stressed, seek support and assistance from an expert. Do not try to do
it alone. Talk to your doctor for advice.

References:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327516#Take-a-break-from-the-news https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327516#Search-for-positive-news-roundups https://www.health.com/condition/stress/burnout

Coronavirus – how to stay calm and clean

March 12th, 2020 by The Hello Doctor Team

Where and when did it all begin?

On the 31^st of December 2019, China alerted the World Health Organisation to several patients with flu-like symptoms in a city called Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s Hubei province. Initial assessments of these patients ruled out “known” flu-like viruses including bird flu, seasonal flu, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

Once these initial patients were assessed, they were placed into quarantine. The suspected source of the outbreak was identified as a busy seafood market in the city the following day. Days later Chinese authorities identified the virus, called Coronavirus, a family of viruses including the common cold, SARS and MERS. The new virus was named 2019-nCoV.

What is a coronavirus?

Coronaviruses were first discovered in the 1960s and their name comes from their crown or halo-like shape. Their danger lies in their ability to adapt. This means they can easily spread between and infect different species. While some coronaviruses can cause the common cold, others can develop into more serious illnesses that lead to difficulty breathing, pneumonia and death.

Where did it come from?

Scientists have confirmed that the Coronavirus, like around 70% of new human pathogens, was transmitted from an animal. Genetic analyses have come up short of pinpointing the culprit so far, but among the prime suspects is the pangolin, a long-snouted, ant-eating mammal virtually unknown in the West but widely prized in China as a delicacy and for its purported medicinal virtues. In February 2020, China placed a ban on trading and eating several different types of wildlife, including pangolin.

Spreading like wildfire

As a respiratory virus, Coronavirus is spread primarily through droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the infected person’s nose.

By mid-March, 2020, the virus had touched every continent, with more than 126,000 confirmed cases, and a total of 4,600 deaths. On 5^th March, the first South African case was confirmed in a resident of Kwa Zulu Natal who had recently travelled to Italy. (For live updates and virus tracking, visit https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6)

Who is at risk?

Those most at risk of contracting the Coronavirus include those who have existing heart or lung diseases, people with weakened immune systems (e.g. HIV, TB, diabetes or cancer), infants, and older adults.

What are the symptoms?

Patients who have contracted the virus have experienced fever, shortness of breath and coughing. The virus can also cause bronchitis and pneumonia, an infection that inflames the air sacs in the lungs and can cause them to fill with fluid.

The incubation period for a virus is the time between catching the virus and showing symptoms of the disease. For Coronavirus, health officials estimate an incubation period of between one and 14 days. Most people start showing symptoms about five days after becoming infected.

What you can do to protect yourself

Most importantly: DON’T PANIC. Your best defence in preventing Coronavirus is a strong immune system. One of the biggest factors impacting immunity is stress, so the less time you spend worrying about contracting the virus and the more time you spend proactively staying healthy, the better your immunity becomes.

The media is abuzz with reporting new cases as they appear around the world. One aspect of Coronavirus seldom reported is the recovery rate. Of the 96,000 plus people who have contracted the virus, more than 55,000 have recovered.

To protect yourself and your family, follow these rules:

Wash your hands often, using the proper technique. If you only do 1 thing, make it this. Always use soap and rub your hands together for at least 20 seconds. Make sure you wash and rub the entire hand surface, including the back of your hands.
Keep your distance. Aim to keep at least 1 metre between yourself and someone who is coughing or sneezing.
Fist pump don’t shake. Fist bumps transfer only about 10% of the number of germs that handshakes do (out of interest, high 5’s transfer around 50%)
Avoid touching your face. The average person touches their face around 23 times per hour. Germs on your hands are easily transferred into your body via the mucus membranes of the eyes, nose and mouth. Keep your hands busy by holding a pencil, or a stress ball
Practise respiratory hygiene. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or elbow when coughing or sneezing
Seek medical care early. Stay at home if you feel unwell, even if your symptoms are mild. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, reach out to Hello Doctor immediately and speak to our doctors anytime (24/7) about your own personal concerns, what you should do and where you can be tested if need be.

Social media is flooded with stories and images about the virus, many of which are not true. In the case of Coronavirus, knowledge is power. Limit your worry and anxiety by limiting your, and your family’s exposure to media coverage that you perceive to be upsetting. Stay informed about developments using reliable and reputable sites and channels only.

Busting a few myths about Coronavirus

Coronavirus cannot be transmitted through goods manufactured in China or any other country reporting cases
Having a hot bath will not prevent you from catching Coronavirus. Your normal body temperature remains around 36.5°C to 37°C, regardless of the temperature of your bath or shower.
To date, there has been no evidence to suggest that the new coronavirus could be transmitted by mosquitoes.
Hand dryers are not effective in killing the virus
Spraying alcohol all over your body will not kill viruses that have already entered your body. There is also no evidence that regularly rinsing the nose with saline can offer protection from coronavirus
Existing vaccines against pneumonia do not provide protection against the new coronavirus. Since the virus is so new and different, it needs its own vaccine
While garlic is a healthy food that may have some antimicrobial properties, there is no evidence it can prevent infection from Coronavirus
Antibiotics are powerless against Coronavirus since they are effective only against bacteria.

Are we curing HIV with stem-cells?

March 7th, 2019 by The Hello Doctor Team

Ever since HIV was first identified in the 1980s, the medical community has been trying to identify a viable cure for it. This week, they got one step closer. In the UK, a patient’s HIV became “undetectable” following a stem cell transplant, only the second case of its kind.

What is a stem cell transplant?

A stem cell transplant has replaced the traditional “bone marrow transplant” used as an effective treatment for diseases of the blood and bone marrow, like leukaemia. Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside some of your bones, such as your hip and thigh bones. It contains special cells that develop into either red blood cells, that carry oxygen through your body, white blood cells that fight infections, and platelets that help with blood clotting

In the “old days”, actual bone marrow needed to be extracted and replaced with healthy marrow, but these days, doctors use “stem cells”. Stem cells form the foundation of your entire body and act as building blocks for the blood, immune system, tissue and organs. These cells are not only able to replicate and regenerate themselves, but they also can differentiate into any kind of specialised cell in the body. Stem cells are essentially “master cells”, taking the form of whatever cell is needed. In the case of a bone marrow transplant, stem cells from a healthy person are extracted via the blood and then transfused into the person needing the transplant. The new stem cells find their way into the bone marrow, where they grow and start to produce healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

The “Berlin patient”: the first person to be cured of HIV

In 2005, an HIV positive man was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow which causes an overproduction of white blood cells. His treatment required both chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. During their search for a donor, his medical team came up with the idea to look for a donor with a mutation called “CCR5 Delta 32”. CCR5 is a protein found on the surface of CD4 cells which acts as an entry point for HIV. Without this protein, there is no way for HIV to enter the cells.

The theory was that if the patient’s original bone marrow could be replaced with stem cells from a donor with this mutation, the new bone marrow and blood cells produced would be immune to HIV.

After 2 stem cell transplants done in 2006 and 2008, doctors could find no evidence of HIV in the patients’ blood.

What are the results?

The recent case followed a similar pattern. The patient was diagnosed with HIV in 2003 and advanced Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the white blood cells, in 2012. This patient received chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant from a donor resistant to HIV and has been in remission from both cancer and HIV for the last 18 months. Even after stopping anti-retroviral treatment, HIV has become undetectable in their blood.

Can we cure HIV with this procedure?

This finding is encouraging, but it is not yet the cure or treatment that millions of people are looking for. This approach is aggressive, expensive and not without complications. It’s also difficult to implement on a large scale basis.

However, results like these help direct future research towards different ways of approaching HIV, specifically how the body can naturally resist infection. This in turn, as a “proof of concept”, reaffirms the belief that HIV is curable.

References

Weed is legal now. Here’s What you need to know

September 19th, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

Today, the court legalized private use and possession of weed (cannabis / ‘dagga’) for South Africans.

What exactly is legal?

You can now grow cannabis in “a private place”.
You can smoke weed in the privacy of your home.

What is still illegal?

You cannot sell weed to anyone, in any form.
You cannot smoke weed in public.

So, we can smoke as much weed as we want to, as long as we’re at home?

Not quite. This is only the first ruling in the process. In the next 2 years, Parliament needs to sort out the following details:
* They didn’t specify how much you’re allowed to smoke or possess, so it will be up to the Police to decide how much is “too much”. If the police think that you’re selling it on the black market, they are allowed to enforce the law.
* If you’ve previously been arrested for personal cannabis use, you could still have that on your criminal record. (Until the government decides to drop those charges. This has not been decided).

Even though it’s legal now, is weed good for you?

Just because something is legal, doesn’t make it healthy. Although marijuana has several health benefits, there are also some risks. It’s also too early to know just how much risk, and more research is needed.

Here’s what we know so far:

Benefits of Medical Marijuana:

Chronic Pain
Alcoholism and drug addiction
Depression
PTSD
Social anxiety
Epilepsy

Risks of Marijuana:

Possible mental health problems, like suicidal thoughts, and schizophrenia.
Lung disease, such as obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.
Addiction. Although you don’t get chemically addicted to weed, many people struggle to break the habit once they’ve started.

For those of you who don’t smoke weed, we could discourage you from starting. If you’re looking for something to calm you down or cheer you up, there are various healthy alternatives!

References:

How to stay healthy during the water crisis

March 7th, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

Water restrictions are in full effect in Cape Town thanks to the ongoing drought.

Here’s a survival guide for you:

In the bathroom

A two-minute shower is all you need to get a clean a wash. Turn off the shower when soaping and turn it back on to rinse. Keep a bucket in your shower to collect the water.
When you’re finished bathing, keep the water to flush the toilet. When it’s time to flush, fill the tank with water and use the handle on the toilet to flush. This uses less water than dumping water into the bowl.
Instead of using drinking water to wash your hands, opt for a waterless hand sanitiser. Look for one that kills at least 99% of bacteria and viruses.
Only flush when you need to, and close the toilet bowl if urine has not been flushed. Use disinfectants, face masks and gloves where necessary.
Keep the toilet bowl as clean as possible with bleaching and detergent products to minimise odours.
Don’t flush wipes and sanitary pads! This can cause blockage.
Don’t use your toilet as a dustbin‚ and switch to one-ply toilet paper to prevent blockages when choosing to “let it mellow”.

In the kitchen

Fill up a two-litre water bottle for the day and sip from here. Try to eat as many foods as possible that don’t need to be cooked in water.
For your fruit and vegetables, keep a bowl of water for rinsing, and by the end of the day you can use the leftover to water your plants or flushing the toilet.
Instead of boiling your veggies in water, steam them in the microwave.
Stock up paper plates to avoid unnecessarily washing dishes.
Stock up about five to 10 litres of drinking water. Remember to keep some for your pets too.
Store essential water in a cool and dry place, away from light and dust. Make sure all water bottles are clearly labelled “drinking water”. They should be tightly sealed to avoid contamination.
Let your food defrost in the fridge overnight instead of running tap water to defrost.

Laundry

Only wash your clothes when necessary. A washing machine uses a lot of water for just one load. Hand-wash your clothes, and save the water to flush the toilet.
To prevent your towels from smelling, hang them outside to dry. The sun also acts as a germ killer.
Sturdier clothes (like jeans and jackets) don’t need to be washed every time you wear them.

Good to know

Don’t store non-drinking or grey water (water from bathing, showering, laundry and hand basins) for longer than two days.
Don’t use spring, borehole or river water for drinking; it’s not purified.
Don’t use sea water or grey water for drinking. It may contain toxic and harmful substances.
Collect any and all rainwater that you can. This will be useful for flushing and gardening. Invest in dry shampoo so you can go at least a few days without washing your hair.

References:

Listeria outbreak: Get rid of these meats immediately!

March 5th, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

Have you recently bought Viennas, Polony, Frankfurters or ANY processed meat? Get rid of it immediately, or return it to the shop where you purchased it. 180 people have already died from Listeriosis contaminated meats produced by Enterprise foods and Rainbow chicken.

The facts:

Any processed meat from Enterprise Foods and Rainbow Chicken could be contaminated with Listeriosis.
If you bought any processed meats from shops like Checkers, Woolworths or Pick n Pay, make sure you return the meat to the shop, or dispose of it ASAP.
948 people have been infected, and 180 people have died from Listeriosis infection.
Pregnant women, elderly, babies and immune compromised are most at risk.
If you are suffering from diarrhoea or vomiting after eating processed meat, get it checked out as it could be Listeria.

How do you avoid getting infected?

Get rid of any meat products from Enterprise or Rainbow chicken. There is no way to know which meats are contaminated: even if it smells and looks normal.

Make sure you place the meat in a separate bag.
Wash your hands and the fridge with warm, soapy water after handling the meat.
According to authorities, you could return the meat to the store where it was purchased for a refund.

If you bought ANY of these products from Woolworths, you can return them to the store for a full refund:

Waferthin Chargrilled Ham 125G
Waferthin Roasted Chicken 125G
Waferthin Smoked Ham 125G
Wafterthin Cooked Ham 125G
Waferthin Smoked Chicken 125G
500G Smoked Viennas
1KG Smoked Viennas
500G Red Viennas
1KG Red Viennas
375g Cocktail Viennas
125G Smoked Cheesy Viennas
400G Bulk Salami Stikcs
150G Salami Sticks
85G Plain Salami Sticks
85G Spicy Salami Sticks
60G Plain Salami Bites
150G Spicy Salami Sticks
85G Coriander Salami
60G Spicy Salami Bites
250G Smoked and Roasted Gammon
Sliced Lean Ham 125G
Sliced Cooked Ham 250G
Sliced Cooked Ham 125G
250G Ham Selection
250G Assorted Cold Meat
200G Sliced Salami
100G Salami
100G German Salami
100G Sliced Peppered Salami
Local Chorizo
100G Spicy Salami
125G Country Ham

What is Listeriosis?

Listeriosis is caused by Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that causes food poisoning. The infection is especially dangerous for pregnant women, babies, the elderly and immune compromised.

What are the symptoms?

If you’ve been infected by Listeria, you could have the following symptoms:

fever
muscle aches
nausea
diarrhea

If the infection spreads to the brain and nervous system, you may have some, or all of the following symptoms:

headache
stiff neck
confusion
loss of balance
convulsions

How is it treated?

Generally, healthy people can fight the infection on their own, and symptoms usually pass within a few weeks. You are at higher risk if you are pregnant or immune compromised.

For adequate treatment, doctors will prescribe antibiotics, along with fluids and medication for pain and fever.

If in doubt, get checked by your doctor.

Tips to stay safe in future:

Always wash your hands before and after you prepared food, and especially after touching raw meat, fish or poultry.
Always wash your hands after you’ve been to the toilet.
Always check sell-by and expiry dates. Only buy the freshest foods.
Don’t eat foods that are passed their expiry date.
Trust your nose! Don’t eat foods that have a suspicious smell.
Don’t eat anything from a can that is bulging or dented.
Wash fruit and veggies before eating or cooking.
Use different cutting boards for vegetables and meat.
If any utensils touch raw meat, fish or chicken, don’t reuse it: first wash with soap and hot water.
Use hot, soapy water when cleaning any cooking utensils.
Under-cooked meat, poultry, and shellfish can be very dangerous. Always make sure it’s cooked properly.
Never place food on tables ahead of time. Always take food out of the fridge just before serving.

References:

3 Questions you MUST ask when reading any health news

January 12th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

“Chocolate can make you lose weight”, “Vaccines cause autism”, “Cholesterol tablets cause dementia”, “Strengthen your bones with calcium tablets”.

Do you know which of these headlines are true? Any of them, none of them, or maybe all of them? There is a massive amount of nonsense on the internet. Sometimes it’s easy to see when something is completely false but truth is often stranger than fiction, and a lie, well told, can fool even the wise. When it comes to health, these myths cost lives.

So, before you ‘like’, ‘re-post’ or act on any health news you come across on the web, test it against these 3 questions. (Or, just get hold of one of our Doctors, and ask us. Easy!)

1. Can the source be trusted?

Would you let your mechanic remove your child’s appendix? Obviously not: he wasn’t trained for it. In the same way, you wouldn’t trust your surgeon to fix your car: he was trained to operate on people, not engines.

Strangely, though, many of us would trust the opinions of unqualified strangers on the internet, when it comes to our health. A few pointers, then:

Just because the person or website has many followers, doesn’t mean they can be trusted.
Always check the credentials and qualifications of the people making the claim. Trust the heart surgeon with heart conditions, and the dermatologist with skin conditions. Do not trust fashion magazines with health-advice.

2. Does it sound too good to be true?

Then it probably is. Even though medicine moves forward, and we constantly discover new things, some of the good old advice will not change: eat your veggies, cut down excess, do exercise – this won’t change.

Yes, we all want to believe that we can do as we please, without consequence. But we all know it’s not true. So, when a headline says: “Eat chocolate and lose weight!” you need to be suspicious; You need to double and triple-check the facts, to make sure the facts line up. And don’t believe it simply because you read it in 3 or 4 magazines: they get it wrong too.

There was an interesting case, where the journalist, Johannes Bohannon, fooled millions of people in believing that chocolate can help you lose weight.

He did it to highlight just how untrustworthy the internet can be: and that it’s easy for something to “look okay”, if you don’t ask the difficult questions. Just because it says “Studies show” or “science says”, doesn’t make it true. Which brings us to our next point:

3. What does the original research say?

Very often, news and magazine articles distort or misinterpret the findings of research, so that it sells better. For example: it sounds a lot more provocative to say: “The Pill causes strokes”, than “Combined Oral Contraceptive can increase risk for blood clots.” If you only read the headline, you could miss very important information.

So, how do you know that the study is scientific and accurate? This can be a complicated process, but look out for the following:

Bigger number = better accuracy. If the study was done on less than 30 people, be cautious in trusting the results.
Was there a control group? If you don’t have a control group to measure your results against, you can say almost anything about your findings.
Was it a double blind study? In these situations, the researchers don’t know who is tested until after the testing. This increases the accuracy of the results.

What to do if the health news looks fishy?

Quite simply, send the link to one of our Doctors, or just drop us a message. It’s our job to know the difference between science and nonsense. Don’t risk your health – and even your life – with fake news. Rather, go to sources you can trust.

Medical Breakthroughs in 2015

December 31st, 2015 by The Hello Doctor Team

You might not see it every day, but we live in a country that is continuously making medical history – way back from the first heart transplant to the very recent penis transplant! South Africa is truly home to some of the world’s most brilliant people. But we’re not the only ones – here are some of the best medical breakthroughs that happened across the globe this year! Continue reading “Medical Breakthroughs in 2015”

A brand new penis, but does it work? – Absolutely

June 12th, 2015 by The Hello Doctor Team

A couple of months ago we brought you the story of the first penile transplant and asked the question, “But does it work?” And the answer is: absolutely. Continue reading “A brand new penis, but does it work? – Absolutely”

Farewell Jenna Lowe, you will be missed

June 9th, 2015 by The Hello Doctor Team

It always brings us great sadness to mention the passing of a courageous and outstanding person. After months of recovering from a double lung transplant, Jenna Lowe, 20, passed away yesterday. Continue reading “Farewell Jenna Lowe, you will be missed”

Peanut allergies may soon be a concern of the past

February 3rd, 2014 by The Hello Doctor Team

Although new cases of peanut allergies are on the rise, that might be a concern of the past, as scientists believe they might have found a solution.
Even though it’s not a cure, scientists have developed a new system that will help build-up tolerance to peanut allergies. This revolutionary test is a form of immunotherapy, and involves patients between the ages of 9 and 16 who are exposed to small doses of peanuts, over a long period of time.

Continue reading “Peanut allergies may soon be a concern of the past”