Doctor's advice

Author: Wang Huifen
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-07-01
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Spring is a high season for colds, and for kidney disease patients, a cold can easily lead to a relapse or worsen their condition. Therefore, patients should pay extra attention to their health. Asthma patients have poor adaptability to weather changes and weak immunity, so they must strengthen self-medication and preventive care. Spring dermatitis is more common in women aged 18-30, primarily. It can also manifest as increased freckles or deeper brown spots. Since it often occurs when peach blossoms are in bloom, it is also called "peach blossom eczema." Patients with this condition should minimize sun exposure, avoid low-quality cosmetics, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, and avoid shellfish like shrimp and crabs that may cause allergies. (Anshun)
27. Eating Vegetables Improperly Can Lead to Illness
Eating vegetables improperly can also cause various "vegetable-related illnesses." Common "vegetable-related illnesses" include:
Green Vegetable Illness (also known as "Enterogenous Cyanosis")
Green vegetables contain varying amounts of nitrates, which are reduced to nitrites by air and bacteria in the human intestine. If spoiled green vegetables are consumed, or if a large quantity is eaten at once, or if they are cooked for too long and left to sit for too long, the nitrite levels in the blood can increase significantly. Nitrites can cause hemoglobin in the blood to lose its ability to transport oxygen, leading to varying degrees of hypoxia symptoms, such as bluish lips and nails, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Severe cases may result in coma, convulsions, or even death.
Potato Illness
Potatoes contain a small amount of the toxic substance "solanine." When potatoes sprout or turn green or purple, the toxin increases significantly, especially in the sprouts and surrounding flesh. Solanine has a hemolytic effect on the human body and can also paralyze the motor and respiratory centers of the nervous system. Symptoms of poisoning appear 10 minutes to several hours after consumption, including dry mouth, numb tongue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Severe cases may include fever, shortness of breath, dizziness, tinnitus, photophobia, and convulsions. In severe cases, respiratory center paralysis can lead to death. Therefore, when potatoes sprout or turn green or purple, the sprouted and discolored parts should be removed completely, soaked in water for a period, and then cooked thoroughly. Adding vinegar while cooking is recommended. Potatoes with severe sprouting or discoloration should not be eaten. If dry mouth, numb tongue, or itching occurs while eating potatoes, consumption should be stopped immediately.
Green Bean Illness
Green beans, flat beans, wax beans, and soybeans contain saponins, plant hemagglutinins, and antitrypsin factors. If eaten raw or undercooked, they can cause poisoning. Antitrypsin factors can affect the digestion and absorption of protein in the human body. Saponins have a strong stimulating effect on the gastrointestinal mucosa, causing local congestion, edema, and hemorrhagic inflammation. Additionally, saponins can destroy red blood cells, leading to hemolytic reactions. Plant hemagglutinins cause red blood cells to clump together. Symptoms of green bean illness include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dizziness, and headaches, which usually occur 3-4 hours after consumption and typically recover within two days. Drinking uncooked soy milk can also cause similar symptoms. Since these toxins can be destroyed at certain temperatures, green bean dishes must be cooked thoroughly before consumption.
Daylily Illness
Fresh daylilies contain a substance called colchicine, which can cause poisoning symptoms 30 minutes to 4 hours after consumption. Mild symptoms include dry throat, a burning sensation in the stomach area, nausea, and vomiting. Severe symptoms include abdominal distension, abdominal pain, diarrhea, blood in the stool or urine, and urinary retention. Therefore, when eating fresh daylilies, they should be soaked in water for two hours, the water squeezed out, and then cooked. The cooking time should be extended, and avoid using large pots to prevent uneven heating and the retention of toxic substances.
Soybean Illness
Soybean illness can occur at any age but is more common in children under nine. Symptoms of hemolysis usually appear several hours to days after consumption, including chills, fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and lower back pain. Severe cases may include jaundice and hemoglobinuria (a yellowish-brown urine color). Extremely severe cases may lead to severe anemia, confusion, shock, acute kidney failure, and even death if not treated promptly. Therefore, it is not advisable for ordinary people to eat freshly picked soybeans, nor should they eat too much or continuously. Before cooking, they can be soaked in water several times. (Geng Jian)
Preventing Illness in Summer: Focus on "Two Gates"
If people can control the "gates of disease entry through the mouth and hands" during summer, they can avoid many infectious diseases. Tests show that an unclean hand can contain up to 800,000 bacteria and parasite eggs. If such hands are used to handle food or rub the eyes, diseases like gastroenteritis, dysentery, typhoid, cholera, viral hepatitis, roundworms, pinworms, influenza, conjunctivitis, tuberculosis, and fungal infections, boils, and carbuncles can be contracted.
Washing hands is the simplest way to remove bacteria and viruses. However, some people just rinse their hands in water after work or share a basin with others, which does not achieve the goal of cleanliness. Experiments show that washing hands in a basin can remove only 30% of bacteria; using soap and then rinsing with running water can remove 76% of bacteria, and doing this three times in a row can remove 96% of bacteria on the hands. After washing hands, avoid using dirty towels to dry them to prevent recontamination with bacteria.
Water, whether river water or well water, is polluted to varying degrees by feces, garbage, and wastewater. Some water may appear clean, but under a microscope, it contains many bacteria and parasite eggs. Some people tested "clean" well water found as many as 2,300 per liter. If consumed without boiling, it can lead to acute intestinal infections like gastroenteritis, dysentery, typhoid, and hepatitis A, and cholera.
In summer, various vegetables and fruits are in season. Many people are fond of eating raw vegetables and fruits like celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, radish strips, strawberries, and hawthorns. However, these fruits and vegetables may be contaminated with various pathogenic microorganisms during growth. If pathogens on the surface of fruits and vegetables are not washed off or killed by heat before making salads or eating raw, they can lead to intestinal infections through the "gates of disease entry through the mouth."
Additionally, summer is also the peak season for seafood, which often contains a pathogenic microorganism called Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Consumption can cause food poisoning. Therefore, it is best not to eat raw salads or seafood. If they must be eaten, they should be thoroughly washed, disinfected, and cooked to kill any bacteria and viruses hidden within. (Mou Hua)
27. Pay Attention to Six Often Overlooked Symptoms
People often seek medical attention for minor ailments like colds or headaches, but some seemingly insignificant symptoms are often ignored. These overlooked symptoms can actually be signs of certain diseases.
1. Chest Pain
Most people dismiss chest pain as a minor issue or believe it will gradually improve, especially if it occurs during exercise and feels compressive or suffocating, sometimes radiating to the teeth, neck, back, or upper limbs, or accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, or nausea. Patients should not take such symptoms lightly, as they could be signs of angina. Immediate medical attention is required. If the pain persists for a long time, it is best to call an ambulance rather than go to the hospital alone to avoid accidents.
2. Sexual Dysfunction
Due to taboos, questions about sexual health are often overlooked in clinics. Even doctors may not ask about sexual issues when prescribing medications that can lower sexual function, such as antidepressants or antihypertensives. If a patient experiences a lack of libido or difficulty with erections, they should first consider conditions like diabetes, thyroid disorders, depression, or tumors. Early-stage heart disease can also manifest as erectile dysfunction.
3. Changes in Sleep Habits
Insomnia or excessive sleepiness often occur during stress and are usually caused by psychological factors. However, changes in sleep habits can also be a sign of respiratory diseases, kidney disease, or diabetes. Sleeping with extremely high pillows or needing to sit to fall asleep can be early symptoms of heart failure.
4. Drug Reactions
Headaches, nausea, dizziness, and rashes can be symptoms of diseases or side effects of medications. Patients should inform their doctors about any recent medications they have taken so that the doctor can adjust the treatment promptly.