Rightways to Success

Thursday, 20 April 2023

Mask up now !

More people are falling sick and seeking treatment at hospitals as the Air Pollutant Index readings seem to be going up in parts of the country. With the hazy and dry conditions, and Covid-19 still a concern, health experts are advising people to wear face masks when they are outdoors.

‘Take cover from virus, air pollution’

PETALING JAYA: Face masks now serve a dual purpose, protecting oneself from Covid-19 and also the haze that has been blanketing the country the past week, say experts.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh is advising the public to continue masking up, especially the elderly and children, to protect them from the harmful effects of the haze.

She said the air pollution consists of fine particles that could enter the human body through the respiratory system and cause health problems.

“The fine particles can go into our breathing system through our throat and lungs, which may cause health issues such as bronchitis. It could also settle on the skin and eyes, which can cause irritation,” the professor and public health expert said.

As Hari Raya Aidilfitri approaches, Prof Sharifa said the public should try to reduce outdoor activities.

“It is important to wear a face mask when outside, especially an N95 that could block fine particles.

“Haze is always related to extreme heat that could lead to heat stroke; hence, staying hydrated is also the best way to ensure good health conditions,” she said.

Prof Sharifa also said that setting up air purifiers in the house would also help ensure the indoor air is free of pollutants.

She also said that before visiting an area during Hari Raya, the public are advised to check the air pollution index (API) of the location.

“If the area records bad API readings, then, if possible, avoid going there,” she said.

Malaysian Medical Association president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai concurred, saying that the public must stay informed about the haze and take heed of any warnings or advice from the authorities.

“Face masks will indeed serve a dual purpose if the haze is still around during the Aidilfitri holidays.

“It will also be important to stay hydrated as the heat can cause dryness of the throat and eyes,” he said.

To continuously ensure Covid19 can be contained, Dr Muruga also said the public must wear face masks when visiting houses where there are vulnerable groups, such as the elderly.

“Those with an existing respiratory illness will need to take extra care to avoid exposure to both the haze and Covid-19.

“Whether it’s the haze or Covid19, if you’re having trouble breathing, you should go to the emergency department of a hospital immediately,” he added.

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa has advised the public to take precautionary measures as the haze situation is expected to worsen, with air quality dropping in several areas of the country.

“People should limit physical activities during the hot weather that could lead to illness.

“Limit being outdoors, use suitable face masks and protect yourselves from the haze by using umbrellas and caps to prevent direct exposure to the hot weather,” she said in a statement yesterday.

She urged the public to halt activities that would lead to air pollution, such as smoking, and to drink more warm water (at least eight glasses) to prevent dehydration.

According to a Swiss air quality index (AQI) monitoring company, a monitoring station in Kuala Lumpur recently recorded an unhealthy air quality of 117.

However, as of yesterday afternoon, almost all 68 air pollution index (API) stations in the country showed moderate readings below 100.

The website also forecast that the AQI in Kuala Lumpur on Friday (April 21) and Saturday (April 22), when Hari Raya Aidilfitri is expected, would be moderate, with readings of 80 or higher.

U.S. intelligence leak, How extensive is the US surveillance network and how deep does it penetrate the world?

Musk's disclosure is significant because it implies that the US government can monitor everyone on Twitter. How extensive is the US surveillance network and how deep does it penetrate the world? The US government owes the world an answer: Global Times Commentator Hu Xijin

US' 'full access' to Twitter shows its hypocrisy in claiming to protect people's basic rights

Pentagon file leak 'exacerbates lack of mutual trust between US and allies, a heavy blow to US hegemony'

Calling the leak of highly classified Pentagon documents "another PRISM incident," Chinese experts on Tuesday said it gives a rare chance to glimpse into how the US spies on its allies, which will exacerbate the lack of strategic mutual trust between them and deal a heavy blow to Washington's strategy of maintaining global hegemony.

Washington urged to give responsible explanation over spying on UN chief

The US owes a responsible explanation to the international community, especially to the United Nations, and should take concrete actions to fulfill its responsibilities and obligations as the UN's host country, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, after the UN formally lodged concerns to the US over reports of the US spying on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other senior UN officials.

United States: The Eavesdropping Empire

The #US has been eavesdropping not only on its rivals but also on its allies, even its own people for decades. Is it really for its national security or for hegemony? Check the graphic to learn more:

It's impossible for South Korea to enjoy being monitored: Global Times editorial

Facts repeatedly prove that the US, which believes in the principle of power, is not softer on its allies when it comes to using intelligence as a tool for blackmailing and coercion than it is toward a powerful "opponent."

Imperialist relations are never based on 'trust'

"The US will continue to use every possible form of technology to spy on its allies, its own citizens and its opponents. Imperialist relations are never based on 'trust,'" said Sara Flounders (Flounders), a political writer and activist for 50 years in the US, in an interview with Global Times (GT) reporter Wang Wenwen. Flounders is a contributing editor of Workers World Newspaper and helps coordinate the International Action Center and the United National Antiwar Coalition.

Leaked Pentagon documents about Chinese balloons only expose US' purpose to press, coerce China: experts

Regardless of the authenticity of the leaked documents purportedly revealing details of four Chinese "balloons," the purpose of the US' continuous hyping of the incident is to create a consensus of fear toward China among Americans, and to hype so-called China's lack of respect to the US in the international community, experts said on Sunday.

Leaked US, NATO documents on Ukraine's military operation show 'serious disunity within the West'

The recent leak of classified US and NATO documents on the Ukrainian military and Kiev's much-anticipated "spring counteroffensive" has exposed that disunity, distrust and divergences among the US, the West and Ukraine are serious and keep worsening, said Chinese experts. They noted that the incident further proves that Washington is the biggest obstacle for the international community to promote a cease-fire and peace talks for the ongoing Ukraine crisi

US poisons ties with 'nonsense charges'; its China policy increasingly self-contradictory

US' China policy is becoming increasingly self-contradictory and ridiculous, experts said, as while Washington wishes to send senior officials to China to seek dialogue on key issues and US military officers complain about obstacles to engaging with their Chinese counterparts, ...

China won't tread path of Western modernization, which features polarization, plunder: Xi

Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed that China will remain steadfast in comprehensively deepening reform and expanding high-standard opening-up, while also emphasizing that Chinese modernization is essentially different from Western modernization, which has features such as polarization and plunder, according to the Xinhua News Agency on Thursday.

Past decade of BRI proves China's sincerity, commitment to helping other countries without any strings: special assistant to Pakistani PM

“I as a Pakistani can say that Pakistan has benefited tremendously from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that China proposed,” said special assistant to the Pakistani Prime Minister and former special envoy for the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Zafar Uddin Mahmood.

Tuesday, 18 April 2023

Brain aneurysms can happen when there's too much pressure inside your brain

A sudden, severe headache could be a sign that the aneurysm has ruptured. — 123rf.com

The human brain is a unique and complex organ, with the cognitive capacity allowing us to invent the wheel, build pyramids and land on the moon.

The brain is seen as a crowning achievement of human evolution but when it comes to looking after our brains in the modern world, many individuals do not know where to start.

The interest in looking after our brain health can be triggered by a variety of different external factors: sometimes a simple headache will intrigue individuals to wonder why such head pains persist; other times, head injuries result in individuals wondering how to best help the brain recover with minimal side effects.

But sometimes, it takes a loss to the global community to make us take a step back and wonder if we are doing enough for our overall brain health.

When American actor Tom Sizemore was in critical condition after suffering a ruptured brain aneurysm, the news quickly became a trending search topic, reaching its peak when it was announced that he had unfortunately passed away on 4th March 2023.

In light of his death, it is important for us to be aware of what brain aneurysms are, what signs and symptoms we should be monitoring and when we should worry about the condition.

What is a brain aneurysm?

A brain aneurysm, also known as a cerebral aneurysm, is a bulging spot in a weak area of the artery, in or around the brain.

As the body pumps blood around the body and to the brain, the pressure of the blood flow will flow into the aneurysm and stretch it even further.

One way to understand the dangers of a brain aneurysm is like this: Imagine a balloon that is being inflated. As it is blown up, it is stretched and becomes bigger, causing its walls to become thinner.

Once it exceeds its maximum capacity, the balloon will burst. Similarly, a brain aneurysm stretches as it is filled with blood, making it more likely to pop and rupture.

This rupture will then cause bleeding in the brain and may result in life-threatening conditions such as subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH).

While we don’t know why brain aneurysms occur and what the exact causes are, it is important to understand who are more prone to develop the condition and what risks aneurysms pose.

Having high blood pressure increases your chances of developing a brain aneurysm as the walls of the blood vessels tend to be weakened. — AFP Are you at risk?

There are certain risk factors that can increase the likelihood of an individual developing a brain aneurysm. In no particular order, the most common risk factors are:

Age and gender: Brain aneurysms are more common in people over the age of 40 and in women.Smoking:
As smoking damages the walls of blood vessels, smokers are more likely to develop an aneurysm.
High blood pressure: Those with high blood pressure are more prone to weakened blood vessel walls.
Drug use: Use of drugs such as cocaine or amphetamines.
Family history: If you have a close relative such as a parent or sibling who have had a brain aneurysm, the chances of you developing an aneurysm in the future is slightly higher.
Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions, such as polycystic kidney disease and arteriovenous malformations.
Head injury: A severe head injury can damage blood vessels in the brain, increasing the risk of developing an aneurysm.

Looking out for signs

An individual who has an unruptured brain aneurysm may have these signs: headaches, eye pains, blurry vision and a dilated pupil.

However, there are some cases where a brain aneurysm that has yet to rupture may not cause any of the symptoms described above.

These unruptured aneurysms may be discovered when individuals go for their regular health check-ups where the doctor will then be able to periodically monitor the condition with additional imaging tests.

However, if a brain aneurysm has ruptured, these are the signs that individuals should look out for – it could be either for themselves or their loved ones:

Sudden severe headache: sometimes individuals describe these headaches as one of the worst they have ever had in their life
Nausea and vomiting
Stiff neck
Sensitivity to light
Blurred or double vision
Loss of consciousness
Seizures
Confusion
Weakness or numbness on one side of the face or body
Difficulty speaking or understanding language.

If individuals feel they are experiencing one or more of these symptoms unexpectedly, it is advisable to immediately seek urgent medical attention.

Treatment options

There are different treatment options for a brain aneurysm that depend on the size, location and overall health of the patient.

If an individual has been diagnosed with a small, unruptured aneurysm, it can be monitored regularly with imaging tests such as CT (computerised tomography) scans or MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) to see whether they grow or change over time.

Larger or ruptured aneurysms may require surgical intervention, with various treatment options available.

Surgical clipping: In this procedure, a neurosurgeon places a metal clip around the base of the aneurysm to cut off the blood flow to it and prevent it from rupturing.

Endovascular coiling: In this minimally invasive procedure, a neurointerventional radiologist inserts a catheter into an artery in the groin and threads it up to the brain.

Using imaging guidance, the doctor then places tiny metal coils inside the aneurysm to block blood flow and prevent rupture.

Flow diverters: A flow diverter is a stent-like device that is placed across the neck of the aneurysm.

This device diverts blood flow away from the aneurysm and helps promote healing of the weakened blood vessel wall.

Supportive care: If a brain aneurysm has ruptured and caused bleeding in the brain, supportive care such as medication to control blood pressure, seizure medications and pain management may be necessary.

In severe cases, surgery may be required to remove the blood and repair the damaged blood vessels.

While some individuals with an aneurysm may be aware of having a headache that persists for weeks prior to the actual rupture, it can be difficult to differentiate whether the headache stems from other issues.

These are called “sentinel headaches’ which tend to be shorter in terms of duration and signifies an impending rupture of an aneurysm in the near future.

Why should I care?

When it was announced that the late Sizemore had suffered a brain aneurysm and was in critical condition, his condition was reportedly so severe that his doctors determined his situation to be one of “no further hope”.

This led the doctors to recommend end-of-life decision, which is a term used to describe the support and medical care given during the time surrounding the imminent death of a patient.

While this may not apply to every single patient suffering from a brain aneurysm, it goes to show that overall brain health and monitoring is crucial even in everyday life.

It has been observed that death is seen in 10% of all SAH cases within the first week, and this figure can rise to nearly 50% within the first month because left untreated, an aneurysm can occur very soon after the initial first bleed.

It is one of the reasons why understanding your own health is important and for those who have a family history of brain aneurysms, monitoring signs and symptoms is especially crucial.

As much as we should be aware of what conditions are out there and what we as an individual may or may not develop, it should not hinder our abilities to live life to the fullest.

If you or a loved one is pre-disposed to developing a brain aneurysm, rest assured that while it can occur in the future, as long as you are looking after yourself and do your necessary health check-ups, you will still be able to live a long and healthy life.

- Dr Gerard Arvind Martin is a consultant neurosurgeon. For more information, email starhealth@thestar.com.my. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only, and should not be considered as medical advice. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this article. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.

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