By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net

HAVING Hepatitis B restrict health workers in job application abroad, said Dr. Eric Tayag, officer-in-charge of the National Epidemiology Center (NEC) at the Department of Health.

“Maaaring magkaroon ng discrimination kung saan ‘yung merong mga Hepatitis B infection na naging carrier ay baka hindi mabigyan ng trabaho (People who had been infected by and have been carriers of Hepatitis B may be discriminated and may not land a job ” said Tayag who stressed the need for a set of guidelines on Hepa B by health institutions to protect health workers and prevent restrictive job policies.

Currently, the Philippine College of Occupational Medicine (PCOM) proposed the guidelines, which include communicating hazards of the disease through information dissemination programs, provision of personal protective equipment, such as aprons, gowns and gloves, and free screening for Hepatitis B and vaccination.

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By Alex Villafania
INQUIRER.net

A SEDENTARY lifestyle, which characterizes an inactive life for most of the day, could lead to cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, a Filipino doctor said.

Hypertension is the number one killer disease in the Philippines today, with seven to eight million Filipinos affected by it, stressed Dr. Rafael Castillo, president of the Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH).

Speaking during a recent event promoting the “Heart Healthy” program, Castillo added that half of those affected are not aware that they have hypertension.

“It is a lifestyle disease. So it requires a lifestyle change. It’s understandable that most Filipinos are busy with their work but taking care of your body will go a long way,” Castillo said.

In an interview, Castillo said those who are not aware that they have the illness are “walking time bombs,” unaware of their condition until symptoms occur.

Symptoms include difficulty in breathing, chest pains, headaches and lethargy.

“They are asymptomatic and don’t show any signs of the disease until the problem becomes complicated. If they do not take care of themselves there could be no turning back,” Castillo said.

Castillo said Filipinos must eat right and have regular exercises to reduce the chances of developing hypertension.

Castillo said that Filipinos should closely monitor their health to lessen the risk of developing hypertension.

The PHS recently partnered with medical hardware manufacturer Omron for the Heart Healthy program, which promotes active lifestyle changes among adults, especially older people who have more chances of developing the disease.

The Father of Smoking Cessation, Dr. Karl Fagerström, tells smokers to quit smoking now. He also listed down ways to get rid of the habit.

Fagerström was in Manila to speak on “Why Quitting Can’t Wait: A Forum on the Issue of Nicotine Addiction.”

Watch this video interview with Fagerstrom done by multimedia reporter Izah Morales.

He has created a nicotine dependence scale, aptly called “The Fagerström Test For Nicotine Dependence,” which later earned him a World Health Organization medal 1999 for outstanding work in tobacco control, according to this website.

Listen to this interesting podcast of Fagerström’s speech during the UK National Smoking Cessation Conference way back in 2005.