Facts About Breast Cancer

Real breast cancer statistics

Breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths among women ages 40 - 55. With mammograms being such a crucial tool in diagnosing breast cancer, the breast cancer site is providing a huge service to women and will potentially be saving hundreds if not thousands of lives. 211,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. With that kind of number, it would not be surprising if everyone either knew a women with breast cancer or were diagnosed themselves with the disease at some point in their lifetime. With 13 million women over the age of 40 that have never had a mammogram, the disease is sure to become more widespread. This is why it is so important for us to support The Breast Cancer Site and its "click to donate" program.

Your Medical Checkups Checklist

See when and how often you should be visiting the doctor's office

Everyone puts off doctor’s visits, but seeing the experts for big-picture status reports regularly is crucial to catching diseases in their earliest, most treatable stages. Here’s what to stay on top of:

General checkup

• Ideally, every year.

Blood pressure

• Every year at your annual checkup.

Blood sugar

• Every 3 years starting at age 45; earlier if you have diabetes risk factors such as a family history, being overweight, high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

Cholesterol test

• Every 5 years starting at age 20. Start earlier or have it checked more often if you have a family history of heart disease or other risk factors for heart disease (like hypertension or diabetes).

Vaccinations

• Get a tetanus-diphtheria (Td) booster every 10 years. All adults need a one-time dose of Tdap (a combo of whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria vaccines). In addition, get an annual flu shot, especially if you’re over 50 or have any chronic conditions.

Breast exam/mammogram

• Do a monthly self-exam and have a yearly doctor’s clinical breast exam. Once you’re 40, have a mammogram every year, maybe starting at a younger age if you’re at an increased risk for breast cancer.

Pelvic exam/pap smear

• If you’re under 30, get these annually. If you’re over 30 and have gone for 3 years with normal results, you may be able to get a Pap every 2 to 3 years.

Eye exam

• Twice in your 30s; every 1 to 2 years starting at age 40.

Teeth cleaning and exam

• Annually or more often, depending on what your dentist recommends.

Colonoscopy

• Unless you have a family history of colon cancer or symptoms, you can wait until age 50. Talk to your doctor about how often you should get them.

Bone density test

• Get screened at least once starting at age 65, but if you have risk factors for osteoporosis (a family history, or you’re taking meds that can affect bone density), your doctor may suggest that you be tested earlier and more often.

Health: Is your child sleeping well?

Sleep apnea in childhood can lead to poor growth and performance in studies, warns an ENT surgeon. ANNIE FREEDA CRUEZ writes

WITH 20 per cent of Malaysian children being obese, Dr Raymond Tan Suan-Kuo, a consultant ENT surgeon and snoring specialist says that sleep apnea can be a problem for youngsters as much as it is for middle-aged men.

Dr Tan, who is attached to Pantai Ampang Hospital, estimates that five to 10 per cent of Malaysian children suffer from sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is characterised by brief but numerous involuntary breathing pauses during sleep. These pauses make it impossible for sufferers to enjoy deep, restorative sleep. Sufferers often feel sleepy during the day and their concentration also suffers, he says.

“While being overweight or obese are risk factors for sleep apnea, being thin does not preclude a diagnosis.” The repercussions of sleep apnea and poor sleep for children are vast. When children do not get enough sleep, they are at risk for health, performance and safety problems. Difficulties in school are often the result. Sleep deprivation in children is often overlooked or attributed to attention-deficit or behaviour disorders.

Parents should be aware of night and day symptoms of sleep apnea. These include: • Snoring • Breathing pauses during sleep • Restless sleep • Mouth breathing • Difficulty getting up in the morning, even after getting the proper amount of sleep • Hyperactivity • Inattention • Behaviour issues such as aggressive behaviour, problems at school • Sleepiness • Headaches Other symptoms of sleep apnea are: • large tonsils and adenoids • an ‘Adenoids face’ — Long face with flat cheeks, open-mouthed look with thick lower lips due to years of mouthy breathing and little air entering the maxillary (cheeks) sinuses. • high blood pressure • poor growth (failure to thrive) and also, paradoxically, obesity • heart problems such as heart failure, and lung problems To help a child get a good night’s sleep, Dr Tan says parents and children should plan a daily schedule that includes the basic sleep requirements for a particular age group. This schedule should be maintained on the weekends, though students can be permitted to sleep in one or two hours on weekend mornings if necessary. While individual sleep needs can vary, the amount of sleep a night for particular age groups are: • 18 months — 12-14 hours • 3 years — 11-13 hours • 3-5 years (10-11 hours/ night) and • 5-12 years — 9.25 hours Dr Tan advises to “create a bedtime routine. Bedtime routines are important, regardless of a child’s age. It should include at least 15-30 minutes of calm, soothing activities. Discourage television, exercise, computer and telephone use, and avoid caffeine (found in beverages, chocolate and other products). It is important to also achieve a balanced schedule. “Identify and prioritise activities that allow for downtime and sufficient sleep time. Help students avoid an overloaded schedule that can lead to stress and difficulty coping, which will contribute to poor health and sleep problems.” To help children maintain a healthy body weight, parents need to be supportive. “Plan family activities that involve exercise. Instead of watching TV, go hiking or biking, wash the car or walk around the mall. Offer choices and let your children decide,” he says, adding that it is crucial to eat meals together as a family unit and to eat at the table, not in front of the television. “Eat slowly and enjoy the food,” he adds. He also stressed that food should not be used as a form of reward or punishment. Children should not be placed on restrictive diets unless asked to do so by a doctor (for medical reasons). Children need food for growth, development and energy.

If parents suspect that their child is suffering from sleep apnea, they should seek treatment from an ENT doctor. Obstructive sleep apnea may develop even in infancy. Retrospective studies note that many parents with children diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea recall that their child’s snoring began within the first months of life. Most children with obstructive sleep apnea are aged between two and 10 years. The mean age at diagnosis has been reported to be 14 months, plus or minus 12 months.

Treatment for obstructive apnea involves keeping the throat open to aid air flow, such as with adenotonsillectomy (surgical removal of the tonsils and adenoids) or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which is delivered by having the child wear a nose mask while sleeping.

Read more: http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Health_Isyourchildsleepingwell_/Article#ixzz15ktjKNwm

Health: Preventing stomach cancer

It is vital to seek early medical diagnosis when gastric pain looms, writes SUZANNA PILLAY

DON’T treat gastric pain lightly. Seek medical help, says Dr Ramesh Gurunathan, consultant gastrointestinal surgeon, “because the symptoms of normal gastric pain and early stomach cancer are very similar. Early gastric cancer is extremely difficult to detect with virtually no symptoms except for the gastritis, so what most people tend to do is to take it lightly.” “Patients with dyspeptic symptoms should be investigated early rather than viewing the pain as a classical symptom of gastritis,” he advised at the Third Asia Pacific Gastroesophaegeal Cancer Congress held at Sunway Medical Centre, Selangor recently. Those affected will firstly experience infection in the upper gastrointestinal tract (oesophageal and stomach), but often only seek treatment when the stomach cancer has developed to stage II or IV. Early symptoms of stomach cancer are gastritis or gastric pain. But Dr Ramesh says these symptoms may not necessarily mean stomach cancer but can also be a sign of early bacterial infection of the Helicobacter Pylori, a known risk factor for stomach cancer.

“At the early stage, the Helicobacter Pylori is easily treated but if left alone, it can develop into stomach cancer.” Symptoms of stomach cancer at an advanced stage are weight loss, reduced appetite, vomiting, passing of black stools (which may indicate that you are bleeding from a growth in the stomach), bloatedness, acid reflux and satiety. “Some people may have mild abdominal pain and no specific symptoms, so they self-treat.” One should cut down on high salt intake, eat more fruits and vegetables and get enough vitamins A, C and E. “Unhealthy eating habits, irregular food intake and a hectic lifestyle are major contributing factors.” Cut down on smoking and the consumption of alcohol and pickled, and preserved foods.

“It is one of the 10 most common cancers in Malaysia with about 1,400 Malaysians developing it every year. It can occur in adults of any age, however it is rare under the age of 50. It is more common among men than women.” Stomach cancer may affect males more because they smoke and drink more than women. In Malaysia, stomach cancer is the seventh most common cancer in males while it is the 10th most common cancer in females. Its prevalence in terms of ethnicity shows the highest among the Chinese (65 per cent). The figures are also high in Japan, Hong Kong and Korea. This can mean that it may be related to diet, genetics or eating habits. The bacteria is spread via food and air, thriving on unclean food and environment.

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Health_Preventingstomachcancer/Article/#ixzz15TddOjUc

AIA Financial Health Check - Wealth Management.

AIA Financial Health Check is a process that involves identifying your goals, establishing priorities, and assessing your available options to help you to achieve this goals. Its provides a sound foundation for you to build a more secure financial future. Why should you do AIA Financial Health Check? An AIA Financial Health Check is similar to that of a medical health check-up. While the medical check-up assesses your medical condition like Body Mass Index(BMI) and blood pressure, the AIA Financial Health Check assesses your financial situation. Everyone has a different needs at different stages in their life. When you are uncertain or faced with a financial shortfall, you may want to talk to us about your financial concerns. "People does know, but they did not realize" The AIA Financial Health Check aims to help you identify your financial need and assist you to make informed decisions. Let us help you achieve your lifetime goals. AIA Simple Financial Health Check. Please answer Yes(Y) or No(N)

1. I have drafted a will to distribute my estate to my loved ones. (Y/N)
2. I have started building my retirement fund of at least 10 times my gross annual income. (Y/N)
3. I have started to plan for my children's university education. (Y/N)
4. I have emergency funds (i.e. cash/cash equivalents) to provide for expenses for atleast 6 months. (Y/N)
5. I have critical illness insurance coverage of at least twice my gross annual income. (Y/N)
6. I have hospitalization and surgical insurance coverage that can provide for my hospital bills. (Y/N)
7. My house will be fully paid-up in the event of my death or disability. (Y/N)
8. I have life insurance and disability insurance coverage of at least 10 times my gross annual income. (Y/N)

The Diagnosis. Total number of "No" responses None. Fantastic! Good job! You are managing your life's financial concerns well. You might want to think about building up some other savings and investment. Contact me to review what you already have and plan ahead for your other needs. 1-3. Monitor. Most of your financial concerns seems to be under control at the moment. What ever your circumstances, it is good to review your unfulfilled concerns immediately. Set an appointment with me and I will review your situation and advice you accordingly. 4 or More. Alert! You should be on "Red Alert!" What if the worst were to happen - will your loved ones be able to manage financially? You would ask - What should i do next? Dont worry, if this exercise has given you lots to think about, I can help you with your financial concerns. Contact Faiz 014-5377897 or 016-6464767