4 Easy Prevention Tips For You To Tackle Kidney Stones
Are you experiencing a sharp, stabbing pain in your lower back that comes and goes in waves? Or perhaps, encountering burning sensations while passing urine? These may be indications you are suffering from kidney stones.
Often misconceived as back pain, kidney stone pain first occurs in your flank before progressing to your lower abdomen or groin. This severe affliction can fluctuate in intensity, signalling the movement of kidney stones as they pass through your urinary tract. Depending on their size, they can be lodged in your ureter or bladder, blocking the flow of urine and causing excruciating pain.
Although there is no foolproof way to ward off kidney stones, there are preventive measures that you can take to help reduce your potential risk. With specific diet and lifestyle changes, you can learn to combat this condition better.
1. Stay Hydrated
Drinking plenty of water is vital in diluting the substances in urine that can cause kidney stones. Not only do fluids flush out toxins, but they also help to move stones through your urinary tract. Your water intake depends on several factors, such as weather and activity level – the more fluids you lose through sweat, the more water you will need to consume.
One good way to keep track of your hydration is by monitoring your urine output. As a rule of thumb, you should always aim to drink enough water to pass at least two litres of urine in a day. You must also pay attention to the colour of your urine – unless it is clear or a pale yellow, it is a sign you need to drink more.
2. Consume Calcium-Rich Foods
Among the different types of kidney stones, calcium oxalate stones are the most common. Due to its name, many patients are under the impression that calcium is the main culprit behind such stones; however, that is just a myth. In fact, consuming calcium-rich foods or supplements can help ward off kidney stones.
This is because dietary calcium binds with oxalate in your intestines and effectively reduces the concentration of oxalate absorbed into the bloodstream. It is then excreted from the body without forming any stones in the urine. Conversely, a diet low in calcium will increase the risk of developing kidney stones.
3. Limit Intake of Animal Protein
Overeating animal protein can boost your uric acid levels and urinary excretion of oxalate. It can also reduce your citrate levels – a chemical in urine that helps you to prevent stones from forming. This means that you should limit your intake of red meat, poultry, and seafood.
If you have a family history of kidney stones and are prone to this condition, you should limit your daily protein intake to a quantity of no more than a pack of playing cards. You can also consider including plant-based alternatives in your diet instead. For example, opt for greens like legumes, beans, or peas that are also great sources of protein.
4. Exercise Regularly
Exercise plays an essential role in maintaining the overall fitness of your body. You can keep your cholesterol, blood pressure, and obesity in check with a regular exercise regime. Since these are risk factors that contribute to the growth of kidney stones, exercising will significantly aid to prevent them from forming.
In addition, staying active can also maintain the levels of salt, calcium, and minerals in your body and prevent excess oxalates or minerals from crystalising. Keeping fit will also divert any extra calcium to your bones, effectively forming calcium oxalate to lower the risk of kidney stones.
To facilitate the movement of any small kidney stones, you can also engage in yoga exercises or cardio workouts so that they can pass out through your urine naturally. With that being said, it is always recommended to consult a healthcare expert beforehand for advice on optimal exercises that suit your current condition.
Conclusion
Kidney stones are grave ailments that can cause complications and severe pain. It is paramount that you take charge of your health and follow these steps to help prevent kidney stones before they happen. If you are experiencing any potential symptoms, do discuss them with an online doctor in Singapore and seek immediate treatment.
A one-stop telehealth platform in Singapore, the MyCLNQ app offers a host of digital healthcare services from the comforts of your home. From consulting a virtual doctor, having your medicine delivered right to your doorstep or booking a private ambulance, all your medical needs are easily catered to with just a few simple clicks.
Manage Your Blood Sugar Levels: Ways To Reverse Prediabetes
Prediabetes is when your blood sugar level is higher than it should be but not enough to be medically diagnosed as diabetes. It is a precursor to many health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, and can result in long-term damage affecting your eyes, kidneys and blood vessels.
Unfortunately, prediabetes can go undetected for years without any signs or symptoms until serious health problems show up. Factors that put you at a higher risk of prediabetes include being overweight, being physically active less than 3 times a week and having a close relative with type 2 diabetes.
The good news is, it is a highly preventable and reversible condition – here are some lifestyle changes you can adopt to prevent or better manage your blood sugar levels and prevent prediabetes from taking over.
Clean Up Your Diet
You are what you eat. This is particularly true when it comes to metabolic type disorders like diabetes. Choosing a diet with healthier choices rather than one filled with sugary and fried foods is an effective way to combat prediabetes and restore your blood sugar levels.
Foods to incorporate into your diet would include fibrous fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. It would also help to avoid simple carbohydrates and trade them for complex carbohydrates like vegetables, beans and whole grains instead.
Exercise To Lose Weight
One of the risk factors of prediabetes is obesity. Even losing 5% of your body fat can improve your blood sugar levels tremendously, which is why having a regular exercise routine is key to reversing prediabetes.
Exercise does not mean signing up for an expensive gym membership and a personal trainer but can include light physical exercises like going for a night walk or practicing yoga. Ideally, you should try to hit 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity at least 5 out of 7 days a week.
Quit Smoking
Even though smoking is known for causing respiratory diseases, did you know that smoking also contributes to insulin resistance? Insulin resistance is one of the precursors to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Hence, if you are looking to prevent prediabetes, it is a good time to kick your smoking habit.
Even though most of us know the harmful effects of smoking, it is often easier said than done to completely shake off the addiction. Consider trying nicotine patches or ask your health practitioners about the “I Quit” programme by Singapore’s Health Promotion Board to help you along your journey.
Drink More Water
This last tip is the simplest but most important one. Drinking water helps flush out the toxins we consume in our bodies and regulate our blood sugar levels. It is also a healthy substitute for other sweet beverages or caffeinated drinks. If you find yourself drinking too much bubble tea, as most Singaporeans do, try a bubble tea ban and limit yourself to enjoying it as an occasional treat.
Conclusion
Prediabetes is your body’s way of warning you of a bigger problem. However, if we can make some tweaks to our lifestyle, it is possible to prevent prediabetes. So, do not get discouraged – if you need more support, search for the nearest virtual doctor in Singapore using the MyCLNQ app to get immediate access to a range of telemedicine services today.
Private Ambulances: Know Their Purpose and Benefits For You
In the modern world, ambulances are now capable of providing transportation for medical emergencies and non-emergency cases to patients located far from medical facilities. They’re usually manned by professional medical personnel, such as paramedics and medical technicians. With this crew’s presence, medical aid can be immediately administered and continuously provided while patients are en route to the nearest hospital or emergency room.
As mentioned, ambulances can respond to both emergency and non-emergency cases. This division of concern also brought with it the classification of ambulances－public and private.
Learn more about the two types of ambulances in Singapore, their differences, as well as what constitutes a non-emergency case down below.
Public ambulances
These ambulances operate under the state, and in Singapore, it’s specifically handled by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), an emergency service of the Ministry of Home Affairs. They provide emergency medical services and transport free of charge for life-threatening emergencies. To reach them, one can call their hotline number 995.
Private ambulances
Given that about 10% of 995 calls are considered non-emergencies, the SCDF has decided to stop ferrying non-emergency cases and advises the populace to call the 1777 hotline number for such cases. In contrast to their public counterpart, private ambulances are owned by private corporations and employ a reservation business model. This private nature allows for extra flexibility regarding features and cost and, more often than not, convenient.
Emergency and non-emergency cases
To put it simply, if immediate medical aid for the illness or injury can mean life or death, then it’s counts as an emergency. Some examples include:
- Severe allergies
- Poisoning from toxic gases or drug abuse
- Second to third-degree burns
- Intense chest pains
- Dislocated or broken bones
- Serious head injuries
- Injuries to vital areas such as the chest, abdomen, or spine
- Difficulty in breathing
Non-emergency cases, on the other hand, encompass everyday ailments such as:
- Common colds
- Fever and coughs
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Slight abdominal pains
- Chronic aches and bodily pains
- Small cuts and bruises
Advantages of private ambulances for non-emergencies
There are several situations in which a private ambulance is needed for non-emergencies, such as:
- Public ambulances in Singapore are now only reserved for life-threatening emergencies. A private ambulance can offer convenience and comfort at a flexible cost and feature set for less intense ailments such as minor bruises and cuts, burns, and chronic pain.
- There are often ill patients who are in no condition to go to a nearby hospital themselves or have no one to go with them. By booking a private ambulance service, they can get the support they need all by themselves.
- Public ambulances will take patients to the nearest designated restructured hospitals by default and won’t consider any requests to redirect to the patient’s preferred hospital. If the patient is already receiving treatment from a preferred hospital, then private ambulances can cater to their request of being redirected there.
- Corporate entities often hold important events and, as a precautionary measure, may want to keep an ambulance or two on standby for emergency cases. Private ambulance services can provide for their needs and offer bookings tailored to their requirements.
Conclusion
The introduction of private ambulances in Singapore saves valuable time and resources for emergency medical services. If you ever need to book one for your medical needs, a private ambulance is just a few clicks away with MyCLNQ app. From booking a private ambulance to seeing a doctor online, you can get all your medical needs in Singapore’s leading telehealth app.
SSIVIX Lab Has Been Featured In Swiftnlift Business Magazine
The MedTech ecosystem is now thriving more than ever before – just last year, there were roughly 300 home-grown MedTech companies in Singapore, and industry experts believe that the trend will carry on as technology paves the way for more convenient and efficient healthcare.
Capitalising on the devices and technology that everyone uses daily, such as our smartphones and smartwatches, SSIVIX Lab continues to strive towards its mission of enabling the digital health ecosystem to better serve communities.
Recently, we were lucky enough to be featured in Swiftnlift Business Magazine to share more about SSIVIX Lab and what we do. Here are the key takeaways from the conversation with our founder.
Improving the accessibility and quality of healthcare: MyCLNQ
Featuring built-in artificial intelligence (AI), SSIVIX Lab has made it possible for anyone to now easily search for the nearest clinic and book an appointment with a doctor using the MyCLNQ app.
If that isn’t a viable option, telemedicine and online consultations are also available – allowing anyone to receive the help they need from qualified doctors and caregivers in the comfort of their home. The growth of telehealth services has greatly accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and MyCLNQ ensures that every family has access to prompt treatment and management of their medical needs, regardless of their age.
Having formed strategic partnerships with various leading healthcare institutions in Singapore, MyCLNQ has found a seamless and cost-effective solution to address the region’s unmet healthcare needs.
Giving back to society through MedTech
Being able to take an active part in improving the community and neighbourhoods, especially the geriatric and ageing population is what drives the team at SSIVIX Lab.
Despite the initial setbacks encountered in adopting a technology-based digital health ecosystem, we have managed to successfully converge both to increase the overall patient experience and satisfaction, as well as lowering the cost needed for accessible healthcare.
There are currently no challengers that provide such comprehensive services as SSIVIX Lab. Our digital healthcare services make it affordable and convenient to consult a professional online doctor in Singapore, book a private ambulance or obtain essential medical products.
Every individual has unique healthcare needs, and SSIVIX Lab addresses all these and more in one compact ecosystem.
A bright future ahead
We believe the Health and MedTech industry will continue to flourish in the years ahead with the collection of more data and as more advanced technologies enter the market.
Digital transformation has been crucial in driving the adoption of telehealth, and we will likely see more personalised care and medicine being received from hospitals to the home.
We also foresee our technology helping to improve access to quality primary health care (PHC) for resource-constrained countries that are experiencing chronic infrastructure deficits or shortages of the trained health workforce, in addition to increasing the number of digital options available to end patients while keeping it economical and easy to implement.
As SSIVIX Lab continues to innovate and push our boundaries, positive communication, building a friendly and encouraging atmosphere, and team spirit have and will be vital in realising our vision and mission.
Once again, we would like to thank Swiftnlift Business Magazine for having us. Do visit their page for the full interview here.
Stress And How Too Much Of It Can Make You Feel Sick
The advancement of modern life brings with it many enjoyable and pleasant experiences, but it’s also fraught with a slew of new sources of stress. These sources of stress can stem either at home, school, workplace, and more. Without a doubt, stress is now part and parcel of human life and is something that’s almost unavoidable.
Despite what people may think, stress isn’t always necessarily bad. A bit of stress can actually give you the much-needed push to help accomplish your tasks quickly. Although a manageable amount of stress is beneficial, it becomes problematic once it becomes chronic. Learn how chronic stress endangers your health and how you can combat it today.
Cortisol and Stress
To better understand how stress can harm our health, it’s necessary to first learn how the natural bodily function produces it. Whenever we are in situations that can induce either physical or emotional stress, our body’s sympathetic nervous system kicks in and begins a series of processes that activates our fight-or-flight system. These processes result in physiological changes such as elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, and more. One of these processes is the release of cortisol.
The presence of the cortisol hormone in your body signals the release of another substance called glucose, a type of sugar that aids in your fight-or-flight response by providing sufficient energy to your muscles. Once the threat that activated the response passes, your body naturally reduces and prevents your cortisol levels back to normal. However, if stress becomes chronic, cortisol levels can remain elevated and contribute to a host of health hazards in the long run.
Health Risks Related To Chronic Stress
As mentioned, leaving stress unchecked can worsen current conditions and increase the risks of others, such as depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and cardiovascular diseases, to name a few. Below are the common health problems associated with stress:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Gastrointestinal problems such as irritable bowel syndrome
- Obesity
- Asthma
- Headaches and migraines
How To Manage Your Stress And Safeguard Your Health
Virtual doctors in Singapore and other medical professionals highly advise that you practice stress management methods whenever you’re feeling too much pressure in your daily life. Here are 4 ways that you can fight back your stress and reduce it effectively:
1. Follow deep breathing exercises
Incorporating a few minutes of breathing exercise in your daily routine can help calm you down and tame your physiologic response to stress. Deep breathing encourages full oxygen exchange, effectively slowing down the heartbeat and lower or stabilise blood pressure.
As a tip, blend deep breathing with helpful imagery and focus on a word that will help you relax.
2. Always make time for the activities and hobbies you enjoy
Even if it seems like work and personal obligations are taking up every second of your day, never forego the time you have for yourself to rest and relax. Simply doing the things you enjoy during your leisure time is one of, if not the most effective way of combating and reducing the stresses of your day.
3. Regularly exercise
Whether it’s a short walk around the neighbourhood with your dog or a high-intensity workout early in the morning, make sure to squeeze in some exercise in your daily schedule. Physical activities help to reduce the body’s stress hormone, including cortisol. It also helps to stimulate the production of endorphins, the body’s natural mood elevator and painkiller. As such, be sure to clock in at least 150 hours of exercise a week to revel in its benefits.
4. Keep your problems in perspective
Going back and forth over past mistakes or worrying sick about current circumstances that are no longer in your control is only bound to increase your stress even further. To combat this, you can first take stock and analyse the situation, temper your expectations of the possible consequences, and learn areas on how to improve. Having such a systematic approach will help you better navigate your stressful situation and emotions, effectively reducing your stress.
Conclusion
Too much stress can impair your daily life and even put your health at risk. If you feel like you have too much stress on your plate, don’t hesitate to take some time off to take care of yourself.
If you need help dealing with your stress or the illnesses that may have arisen because of it, see a doctor online and via the MyCLNQ app today. As the leading app for telemedicine in Singapore, you can receive all your medical needs and have your queries about stress answered all in one place.
Manage Your Pain: When Do You Need To See A Chiropractor
If you’ve never been to the chiropractor, you may wonder how they can help you relieve pain and what does the treatment comprise of. Chiropractic care helps to alleviate pain in various parts of the body, which can greatly impact the details of how your whole body functions.
There is also a common misconception that chiropractors only deal with spine-related pain – but there are actually common ailments that can also benefit from their care. So, when do you need to visit one? If you are suffering from any of these conditions below, it may be worth your time to receive chiropractic care.
1. Back pain
This is probably the most common reason why people visit a chiropractor. More often than not, back pain is caused by a nerve impingement or a biomechanical joint issue. This can be the result of minor issues, such as poor posture and sleeping in the wrong position, or severe conditions like scoliosis, disc herniations and degenerative disk disease. Treatment usually involves spinal adjustment to ease tension and bring relief.
2. Neck pain
People often brush off their neck pain as a normal occurrence, but if it occurs for extended periods of time, it can actually signal that something is wrong. A misaligned spine can lead to tension and irritation surrounding the muscle tissues. Chiropractors may use cervical manipulation to loosen up the joints of the cervical vertebrae in the neck and thereby reduce pain.
3. Headaches and migraines
Spinal bones in the neck and upper back that lose their normal motion or position can affect the surrounding nerves, resulting in chronic headaches, dizziness, migraines and giddiness. Sometimes, you may also experience ringing in the ears and even sinus problems. There’s a number of reasons that cause headaches, such as falls, injuries, poor posture, dehydration and food intake. Chiropractic care for headaches involves realigning the injured cervical vertebrae to decrease the intensity and frequency.
4. Whiplash
Whiplash is the most common neck sprain injury that results from a car accident. This happens when the soft tissues of your neck extend beyond their normal range of motion and in rapid movement. The symptoms include dizziness, blurred vision, and neck stiffness, especially when you try to turn your head. Spinal manipulation and muscle stimulations can be used by chiropractors for whiplash treatments.
5. Arm and leg pain
We are constantly using our arms and legs, which makes them prone to many possible injuries. Sometimes, the pain can develop gradually over time and you might be unaware of the cause behind it. Frozen shoulder, arthritis, tendinitis and joint dysfunctions are just some of the most common causes.
There could also be referred pain, where pain experienced in one area is caused by an injury or pain in another part of your body. For instance, headaches can result from issues related to neck muscles, rather than the head itself. Chiropractors are trained in identifying the patterns of referred pain and addressing its source.
What does chiropractic care involve?
Chiropractors specialise in relieving pain that arises from issues related to the spine and the musculoskeletal system. They typically work manually on the client’s body with their hands, adjusting or manipulating the spine and other body parts to get them in proper alignment.
Before they can decide on the appropriate chiropractic adjustment, a physical assessment will be done on the body to examine the multiple causes of pain and how to address them. This evaluation can also involve taking one’s medical history and using advanced imaging techniques.
Some of the treatments involved may include:
- Therapeutic massages to alleviate tension around the spine
- Spinal adjustments to correct subluxations of the spinal vertebrae
- Exercise regimens designed to strengthen important muscle groups
How can chiropractic care improve your quality of life?
Apart from improving your physical health and getting you on the road to recovery, there are also other benefits that come with chiropractic care to boost your overall wellness.
- Stress relief
A misaligned spine will not only cause physical stress and pain, it will also lead to mental stress and tension as you are unable to let your body function in the best way. Plus, the chiropractor session itself can help you feel relaxed and elevate your mood – putting you in a better state of mind as you are rebuilding and restoring your health.
- Immune system
The spine is a part of your central nervous system, which means that any misalignments on it can cause different parts of the body to not receive vital signals that are necessary to function. This can lead to a poor immune system that makes recovering from illness much slower, and even digestive issues experienced in the digestive system.
- Better sleep
As you know, lack of sleep can lead to a host of issues. And when you’re suffering from pain, body aches and stress, you might struggle with getting enough rest and quality sleep at night. Proper spinal alignment can lower your pain while in bed, thus improving your sleep over time. When you are sleeping well, this increases pain relief and overall health and wellness.
Conclusion
If you’re facing musculoskeletal problems, chronic pain or nervous system-related issues, chiropractic care is a form of holistic health treatment that allows the body to heal naturally without the need for medicine or surgery. You can expect to find relief from discomfort, reduce your pain and improve your mobility to get on with your day-to-day activities.
With that said, if you are still experiencing persistent pains and aches, it may be wise to consult with a doctor who can provide other forms of treatment to improve your condition. With the MyCLNQ app, you can easily see a virtual doctor conveniently without leaving the comforts of your home. As the leading app for telemedicine in Singapore, this is your one-stop service for all your healthcare needs. Apart from teleconsultations and private ambulance bookings, you can also place an order for various health products and medical equipment as well as get your medicine delivered right to your doorstep.
4 Missteps Preventing You From Maintaining A Healthy Heart
Maintaining the health of one’s heart shouldn’t be limited to only those who have a family history of heart disorders. Ensuring your heart is in fine condition every day should be a top priority for everyone to live a long and healthy life.
If you’re making a conscious effort to keep your heart health in check, take it a step further by making sure you’ve gotten rid of any unhealthy habits that may just sabotage your efforts! Keep your heart in tip-top condition by keeping these 4 missteps off your daily lifestyle routine and diet.
1. Insufficient or Lacking Diet
The two extremes of food intake, undereating and overeating, are both responsible for the poor health conditions of the heart. As such, it’s recommended to slowly but surely change your diet and eat foods that contain the proper amount of calories needed for your age, body composition, and sometimes your lifestyle.
Apart from taking in the right amount of calories, it’s also crucial not to forget about maintaining balance in your diet as well. Place emphasis on increasing your fruit and vegetable consumption so that you can have the vitamins needed to promote your heart health. If you find it hard to get these vitamins from everyday produce alone, you may want to consider introducing multivitamin & mineral supplements in your diet.
2. Smoking And Taking In Second-hand Smoke
It’s no secret that smoking and second-hand smoking is detrimental to your health. When it comes to heart health, smoking contributes to atherosclerosis (a disease characterised by the deposition of fatty material on the inner walls of the arteries) and increases your risk of having and dying from heart disease, heart attack, or heart failure. No matter what you do to improve your heart health, just as long as you continue to smoke or be around people that do, you will derive little to no benefits.
To promote the wellness of your heart, you’ll have to quit the habit and avoid being in the same area whenever those around you decided to light a cigarette. However, quitting a habit (or, in this case, addiction) is easier said than done. If you’re having difficulties, it’s advised to seek professional help or the aid of relevant support groups to curtail your cravings.
3. Keeping Pent-up Stress
The hustle and bustle of modern living typically develop into an eventual imbalance of your work-life balance. This occurrence of dedicating more hours to work and cutting them from your leisure time is certain to pile up your stress.
If left unchecked, the accumulated stress can increase your risk of heart disease. Thus, it’s crucial to keep your stress levels minimal and take some time for yourself after each workday and during the weekends to destress and relax.
4. Not Being Active Enough Throughout The Day
Working out and getting some exercise, even for at least 150 minutes every week, is the general recommendation of medical experts and online doctors in Singapore. If you’re not clocking in those hours, you will increase the risk of atherosclerosis. Moreover, a sedentary lifestyle may also develop into insulin resistance, which can cause type 2 diabetes and obesity, 2 risk factors of heart disease.
To mitigate the risk of these from happening, make sure to take a break every once in a while from work and stretch your legs to remain active throughout the day.
Conclusion
Apart from the issues covered above, ignoring symptoms that indicate that you may have heart problems is also detrimental to your wellbeing. If you ever symptoms such as chest pains and/or unexplainable discomfort in your arms, shoulders, or back, see a doctor online via the MyCLNQ app today. As the leading app for telehealth in Singapore, you can receive all the medical attention you need with a click of a button and receive further valuable advice on how to maintain your heart’s health.
Ssivix Lab Gains Recognition In GHP Private Healthcare Awards
Medicine and healthcare have existed along with humanity ever since their provenance up until the modern-day. These two fields, along with their contributions, have undoubtedly been instrumental in our continued survival.
With key advancements from one age to the next, modern medicine has taken a new look, especially in the face of a pandemic. Discover how telehealth and its accompanying subset of practices are improving the healthcare system to unprecedented heights.
Technology and Healthcare
Pluck a nurse and surgeon out of the 19th century and transport them to a modern hospital today, it’d be a recognisable place imbued with the same strict cultures and hierarchies. Beyond that, however, the one change that would surprise them is how technological advancement has dramatically transformed the landscape. From infusion pumps, MRI scanners, antibiotics to even hand washing stations – these would all be considered new ideas.
Technology drives healthcare more than any other force. It has driven innovation in so many areas; the science of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of a wide range of harmful diseases has slowly yet steadily conquered the obstacles along the path of the industry’s, and by extension, man’s evolutions.
Telehealth: The Modern Take On Healthcare
The onset of the recent global pandemic has effectively crippled the reality that we once used to. It has developed beyond becoming just a health scare, with an economic downturn being one of its consequences. Moreover, the ease of transmission of the virus has put a strain on societies, and the need for physical distancing has brought forth its own set of problems.
But with problems, there must be solutions. In hopes to ease health worries during such a critical time, the technology industry has made one of the most notable advancements in medicine and healthcare: telehealth.
Telehealth is defined as the remote distribution of health-related services, such as self-care, medical care, health information services, provider and patient education, via electronic channels and telecommunication technologies. Patients are able to use life video conferencing, mobile health apps and more to make sure that their health-related needs are met, especially during a time where face-to-face interaction may not be a viable option. This increase in accessibility, convenience and ease has effectively driven the quick and widespread adoption of telehealth solutions globally.
Ssivix Lab’s MyCLNQ App
The healthcare industry in Singapore has undoubtedly fully leveraged telehealth in Singapore, specifically its subset telemedicine, to continuously provide medical assistance to the common folk staying in the safety of their homes. We at Ssivix Lab have provided our own humble contribution to telehealth through our MyCLNQ app, a smart and digital app that serves as a one-stop-shop that allows Singaporeans to gain access to all their healthcare needs all in one place. Its primary services include providing quick access to consultations with virtual doctors in Singapore, medical transport via private ambulances, booking of medical escorts, and e-commerce for medicines and other medical products.
Our vision to serve the Singapore community by enabling an AI digital health ecosystem has allowed us to push on even further. Thus, we’re overjoyed to announce that we’ve been recognised as the Best MedTech Solutions – Singapore in the Global Health & Pharma under Private Healthcare Awards 2021. Receiving such a prestigious award from an equally outstanding entity emboldens us to strive harder and double our efforts in achieving our goals and continue to perfect our offering to the betterment of community via telehealth.
Why It’s Important To Care For Your Eyes In This Digital Age
Modern advancements in technology have brought forth many significant changes to the workforce in the last couple of decades. One of these changes is digitalisation itself. The proliferation of such technologies and digital devices has transformed the way of living, where one is often glued to a screen in some form or another.
Whether it’d be your work desktop or your smartphone, staring at the screen day in and day out doesn’t come without any drawbacks. Over time, you may start to feel discomfort along with other issues such as dry eyes and headaches. Explore the relationship between your eyes and your computer and learn what you can do to better protect your vision.
Digital Screens And Your Eyes
Heavy utilisation of digital devices has become part and parcel of everyday life. Due to overexposure to computer screens and phones, it’s not unusual to notice symptoms of computer vision syndrome like dry or red eyes, headaches, and blurry vision. If these symptoms become severe enough, it could warrant professional help from a virtual doctor in Singapore.
One of the main reasons why this syndrome occurs is because our eyes and brain don’t react in the same way when looking at texts and characters on a screen as they do on their printed counterparts. Viewing and focusing on characters on paper is less taxing because they’re in a dense black colour with clear-cut edges. In contrast, text on a digital screen doesn’t possess the aforementioned characteristics, forcing our eyes to put in extra effort at all times.
Additionally, anything else that can be viewed on a screen, such as images, are made up of a combination of tiny light points called pixels that’s difficult for our eyes to focus on for a long period. Continuous focusing strains eye muscles, hence why our eyes involuntarily want to drift to what’s called “resting point of accommodation” (RPA), a state of reduced level of focusing. What happens then is that our eyes move towards RPA and then strains themselves to regain focus once something changes on the screen. This back and forth flexing and relaxing of eye muscles creates fatigue and strain that leads to the symptoms mentioned previously.To start caring better for your oculars, discover a few habits to follow that promote your eye’s health.
Habits To Follow For Healthier Eyes
- Cut down your screen time
Cutting down your daily screen time is the first step to caring better for your eyes. You could start with putting away your phone or other electronic device hours before bedtime and enforcing limits on how much time you spend on your gadgets during free time.
- Maintain proper distance
Keep your screen at or below eye level and up to 50-70 cm away. Putting some distance between you and your monitor means your eyes won’t have to strain too much to focus, effectively reducing fatigue.
- Get rid of any glare
Glare from other light sources in your surroundings makes it even more difficult for your eyes to decipher texts and objects shown on screen. Thus, find a way to get rid of the glare by either moving away to another location or dimming the light source that’s causing the issue.
- Tweak your monitor settings for comfort
The brightness of your screen also plays a role in how easy or difficult it is to make out the texts and characters displayed. Tweak your options until you find the setting that’s most comfortable for you.
- Give your eyes a break every once in a while
Giving your eyes a break every now and then is crucial if you need to look at a monitor screen for most of your day. A good rule of thumb would be to follow the 20-20-20 rule. The rule requires that every 20 minutes, you must look away from your computer screen and turn your attention to an object about 20 feet (approximately 6 meters) away. Afterwards, look at that object for a minimum of 20 seconds. Doing so give your eyes a chance to relax and reset their focus.
Conclusion
Our eyesight is one, if not the most important faculties that we need to function daily. Caring for it ensures that it remains in good shape and capable of taking on the many tasks that you face every day.
If you’re experiencing eye problems that don’t seem to go away even with rest, see a doctor online via the MyCLNQ app today. As the leading app for telemedicine in Singapore, you can receive all your medical needs and have your queries answered all in one place. With the help of telemedicine, you can now get medical assistance without moving from the comfortable confines of your home.
Why A Lifestyle Change Is Needed To Avoid Gallstones
A person’s health is almost always rooted in one’s lifestyle habits, and depending on the nature of these habits, one can easily influence their well-being positively or adversely. Apart from increasing the risk of developing chronic illnesses for the latter, other less known yet harmful health complications could arise from adopting unhealthy lifestyle habits. Such complications include gallstones.
Gallstones can be aptly described as tiny, pebble-like substances that are formed by the hardening of deposits of digestive fluids in the gallbladder. If they become big enough, these gallstones can then potentially become stuck while travelling out of the gallbladder and into your stomach. Once it blocks key ducts that aid in your body’s digestion, a number of health risks is sure to develop, of which some can be life-threatening. To prevent and reduce your risk of developing gallstones, here are some actionable tips that you can do as soon as today.
1. Lose Weight, But Don’t Rush It
Losing and maintaining a healthy weight is undeniably the best and most effective way of preventing gallstones and gallstone disease in the long run. However, it’s important to note that when you’re in the process of shedding off excess pounds, it’s highly advised to do it slowly rather than quickly and abruptly. The reason being is that rapid weight loss solutions don’t aid in preventing gallstones but promote them by altering the levels of cholesterol, lecithin and bile acids, which can lead to higher chances of developing gallstones.
2. Eat A Better Diet
Apart from keeping you in tip-top shape, following a healthy diet plays a crucial role in reducing the risk of developing gallstones and gallbladder disease. A healthy diet typically entails the following:
- eating a balanced mix of plant-based foods and foods with mono- or polyunsaturated fats
- getting sufficient fibre intake from fruits, vegetables and nuts
- avoiding red meat, carbs, and sugar
3. Regularly Exercise
Whether it’s high intensity or not, being active through regular exercise aids in reducing the chances of gallstone development. Create a schedule that ensures you follow the recommended minimum of 150 minutes per week working out and divide it into smaller time frames that can fit into your daily schedule.
4. Take Preventative Medication
As an additional precaution, one can also take preventative medication for gallstones and gallstone disease, such as ursodiol, which helps dissolve gallstones and prevent their formation, and statins, commonly known as cholesterol-lowering medicines. Consult your online doctor in Singapore about the options available to you and get a prescription that fits your requirements.
Conclusion
Due to the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s easy for problematic issues like gallstones to slip unnoticed and cause health problems when you least expect it. By simply changing some of your lifestyle habits, such as eating better food and being more active, you can prevent or lower your risk of developing gallstone disease as well as other infamous chronic illnesses.
If you’d like to know more about gallstones and the complications that they can cause, see a doctor online via the MyCLNQ app today. As the leading app for telemedicine in Singapore, you can receive all your medical needs and have your queries answered all in one place. Available on both Google Play and Apple App Store, getting medical assistance has never been easier.
