Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) ad low FODMAP diet There is no proper medicine to cure chronic irritable bowel syndrome, other than by dietetic discipline. This is a very common malady among Asians including Sri Lankans due to spicy carb varieties of food they eat, and silently suffer with the condition. In this syndrome you suffer with abdominal pain and cramping, a bloating feeling, gaseous embarrassing moments, constipation, followed by diarrhoea and mucus in your stools, with bleeding and with progressing weight loss. These symptoms are present in any chronic abdominal dysfunction, and may take time to suspect IBS through evaluation process. It is a chronic recurrent progressive condition and all investigations prove negative and the diagnosis is made on having a typical history through trial and error. The causes are not known, but many factors can play a part. The walls of the small and large bowel muscles contract and ...
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Health and views December 1st issue – Health Education for Sri Lankans & others ...
Read More →Are you deficient in Vitamin D? by Dr Harold Gunatillake This is a very important vitamin necessary to every cell in the body for its normal functions in fact every cell has an opening or receptor to vitamin D. Vitamin D is manufactured in your skin from cholesterol in your body. How do you find out whether you are deficient in vitamin D? Dark people make less vitamin D in their skin due to the barrier action of the pigment layer in the basal layer of the outer skin preventing UV rays of the sun getting into the deeper layers of the skin. Furthermore, dark people avoid the sun generally. White people need only about 20 minute exposure to the sun for an adequate requirement of vitamin D ...
Read More →High Fibre Foods Written by Dr harold Gunatillake – Health writer Fibre is essential for your gut movements. It is recommended that you aim for 38 grams of fibre per day, and women 25 grams per day. Dietary fibres are carbohydrates in the food you eat the humans haven’t got the enzymes to digest. They are found in all plant foods, like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains. There are two varieties if dietary fibre- the soluble and the insoluble. The soluble ones do absorb water in the gut and forms gel-like paste which slows down the digestion of food. ...
Read More →Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) ad low FODMAP diet by Dr Harold Gunatillake There is no proper medicine to cure chronic irritable bowel syndrome, other than by dietetic discipline. This is a very common malady among Asians including Sri Lankans due to spicy carb varieties of food they eat, and silently suffer with the condition. In this syndrome you suffer with abdominal pain and cramping, a bloating feeling, gaseous embarrassing moments, constipation, followed by diarrhoea and mucus in your stools, with bleeding and with progressing weight loss. These symptoms are present in any chronic abdominal dysfunction, and may take time to suspect IBS through evaluation process. It is a chronic recurrent progressive condition and all investigations prove negative and the diagnosis is made on having a typical history through trial and error. The causes are not known, but many factors can play a part. The walls of the small and large ...
Read More →Let’s talk about Apple Cider Vinegar and its multi-benefits Written by Dr harold Gunatillake-Health writer A bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar on your kitchen table kept ready at hand is one of the most vital items, as important as onions, spices and so on. It has many uses such as for cleaning, washing your hair, preserving food, to clean your skin of exfoliated skin and moles, in addition to being used as a health drink-just a few drops in your drinking water, daily. ...
Read More →A better way to check your diabetes: Written by Dr Harold Gunatillake FRCS-Health writer Most Sri Lankans do ignore a simple test to check for diabetes when required after the age of 40, as they do not realise the serious issues of the disease and the ability to control better when detected early. Those who have a family history of diabetes do check to find out whether they have got high blood sugar levels. To check for fasting blood sugar finger prick test would do. If you have your own glucose testing monitor, you could check it at home when required. In a normal non-diabetic person the reading would be about 90mg/dl. (6 mmol/l). When it reaches 126mg/dl (6.9mmol/l) you would be considered a pre-diabetic. The complications with pre-diabetes and full blown diabetes are similar. So, it is important at the pre-diabetes stage to nip in the bud by eating ...
Read More →Breast Cancer-Treatment When breast cancer is detected early removal of the breast is the most common management, with or without adjuvant, radio and chemotherapy. Mastectomy is the name given to breast removal. In the past radical mastectomy was the standard treatment when the cancer was limited to the breast tissues and local underarm glands. This includes the removal of the breast tissues, regional lymph glands within the breast and the arm-pit, plus the pectoralis minor muscle for better exposure for the removal of the lymphatic tissue. ...
Read More →Why do your legs swell? Written by Dr harold Gunatillake –Health writer When you are young and active swelling of the legs and round the ankles are a rarity unless you suffer from a disease like nephritis- chronic inflammation of the kidneys due to many reasons. Venous blood pumping from the feet and legs work efficiently through the pumping action of the peripheral heart and that would be your calf muscles. There is an efficient lymphatic system which takes extra-cellular body fluids in the legs towards the heart an additional system to remove fluid (lymph) from the lower extremity. ...
Read More →Alcoholic drinks when having diabetes Written by Dr Harold Gunatillake-Health writer Yes, true, people having raised blood sugar need to be careful drinking alcohol. They still can enjoy a drink or two without guilt, but intelligent drinking is the solution. Men with diabetes can still enjoy two drinks a day, just like the non-diabetics and women too can have just one drink a day. A sugary drink like a cocktail can raise your blood sugar, and if you are on insulin medication you could whack small insulin shot to maintain a steady blood sugar level. Those on anti-diabetic tablets unfortunately may not have this flexibility. If you drink on empty stomach, on the other hand a strong alcohol drink will bring your blood sugar level too low. ...
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