Sinovac’s Covid-19 vaccine

Sinovac’s Covid-19 vaccine

by | Jun 23, 2021 | Uncategorized

Sinovac’s Covid-19 vaccine is now available at Integrated Wellness Clinic!

With the hope that life can return to normalcy to some extent and in order to achieve protection against COVID-19, Singapore started with its vaccination drive in January this year. 

To accelerate the pace of the national vaccination programme, Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) has appointed 24 clinics to help on this mission1.

Integrated Wellness has been entrusted as one of the clinics to administer the Sinovac’s vaccine from 18 June 2021, at no additional costs except for vaccination administration fees that are $25 per dose.

 24 selected providers were carefully reviewed by MOH to ensure that the vaccine administration can be done safely and efficiently. Other important factors that Integrated Wellness clinic was selected upon were experience in vaccine administration and clinic’s compliance history at past licensing inspections.

 

About Sinovac’s Vaccine

The vaccine is produced by the Beijing-based pharmaceutical company Sinovac. World Health Organisation (WHO) has validated the Sinovac-CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine and assured that it meets international standards for safety, efficacy and manufacturing. Its easy storage requirements make it very manageable and particularly suitable for low-resource settings2.  According to the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), the vaccine can be used in adults 18 years and older, in a two-dose schedule with a gap of two to four weeks. Vaccine efficacy results showed that the vaccine prevented symptomatic disease in 51% of those vaccinated and prevented severe COVID-19 and hospitalization in 100% of the studied population.

 To book an appointment for your vaccination, contact Integrated Wellness Clinic

Tel: 6250 7623

Email: [email protected]

Address: 8 Sinaran Dr, Novena Specialist Center #05-04, Singapore 307470

 

 

Sources:

  1. 17 June 2021, Straits Times 
  2. 1 June 2021, World Health Organisation 

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All You Need To Know About Sun & Tanning

All You Need To Know About Sun & Tanning

by | Dec 2, 2020 | Uncategorized

Main Image Credit: Healthline 

All You Need To Know About Sun & Tanning

The most popular skin issue is Sun Tanning. Stepping out is inevitable but protecting yourself is not impossible. If you want to know how to protect yourself from tanning, what causes tanning and how to choose the right sunscreen then keep on reading!

There are primarily 3 types of UV rays: UV A, UV B, UV C.

Image Credit: Sungrubbies 

UV C is filtered by earth’s ozone layer, therefore only UV A and UV B reach our skin. UV A penetrates deep into our skin layers and causes wrinkles and aging. Whereas UV B targets the top layer of our skin and causes sunburn and redness. 

The question now arises, how do we protect our skin from harmful rays?

1. Avoidance:

  • You can’t completely stop going out but you can try and avoid getting under the sun from 10am to 4pm as the UV rays are strongest during this time.
  • Avoid surfaces that reflect light, such as water, sand, snow and areas that are painted white.

2. Sun protective clothing:

Carry umbrellas, jackets or hats to protect yourself from the sunlight.

  • Choose clothes with UPF readings between 25-39 or 40-50.
  • Opt for darker fabrics as they won’t let the sunlight pass through.
  • If you are comfortable, then choose polyester or nylon fabric as they too provide better sun protection.

Tips on how to choose the best sunscreen:

  1. If your skin is sensitive to the chemicals in sunscreen products, then choose a mineral sunscreen such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide and SPF 30
  2. For people with oily skin, opt for a gel based sunscreen or matte finish and SPF 50
  3. For people with combination skin, opt for a sunscreen that is gel+cream based
  4. The sunscreen should have SPF reading between 30-50.

 

Did you know?

1. To make sure that you apply enough of sunscreen take a teaspoon and scoop out a quarter of sunscreen and apply

2. Do not underestimate the sun when you are indoors. The reality is that indoor tanning or sunless tanning exists. Even while you are not facing the sunlight at home or office, you are still bound to get tanned because UV rays can reach us through windows. Therefore it is advisable to apply sunscreen at all times during the day.

3. Do not rely on your makeup for sun protection. The SPF present in the makeup products is not enough to protect the skin from tanning unless an adequate amount of that makeup product  is applied just like the sunscreen (quarter of a scoop)

4. The sunscreen should have a minimum SPF 30. Any sunscreen below SPF 30 will not be effective. 

Already got some tanning?

Of course, we would not leave you without a remedy if you already got a fair bit of tanning! While there are numerous natural home remedies for treating tanning, let us tell you one quick tan removal mask that shows great results.

  • 1  ½ tablespoon gram flour (alternatively you can grind some chickpeas and use)
  •  ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon yogurt 
  • ½ teaspoon honey 
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice 

Mix all these and make a thick paste. Apply it evenly on your face. Let it dry for some time and then gently rub in circular motion. Remove the pack as much possible by rubbing and then wash the face. 

So now that you have become more aware about skin protection from tanning, try to follow these tips as much as possible and see the difference!

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8 Ways To Practice Mindfulness During A Busy Day

8 Ways To Practice Mindfulness During A Busy Day

by | Nov 17, 2020 | Uncategorized

8 Ways To Practice Mindfulness During A Busy Day

We all have common questions like, “How can I manage stress? What does it mean to be mindful? How do I meditate correctly?” 

With increased competition, tasks at hand and turbulent environment at the workplace, we have lost the competency of being in the present and being fully aware of what we are currently doing. Here and now.

As said by Jon Kabat Zin, “Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” 

More often than not, when we have too much stress we lose the ability to concentrate. Our mind tends to go on a trip to future situations, cause the burning questions to rise: “What will I do? Will I get into trouble? What is going to happen next?”. The prolonged feeling of such uncertainty and worry can be developed into anxiety and even panic attacks.

However, there is a way of releasing this state of panic and maintaining a feeling of peace and calmness instead. 

The secret lies in focusing on what is happening in the moment and what we have now rather than thinking of what we lack and what we possessed in the past.

Meditation and mindfulness practice are parallel activities. The popular query amongst people is how do we meditate, how to stop thinking while meditating, and what are the right meditation techniques. 

However, the best meditation tip is when you are meditating ‘Don’t Try To Meditate’. Don’t put your efforts into stopping to think, as the harder you try to push your thoughts away the more they come. It will become merely an activity that makes you feel fatigue and rather than being a stress reducing and calming practice, it becomes a task for you.  

At HeartVoice, we invited Harsheeni Rajoo, an Educational Advisor, Senior Educational Therapist and a Yoga and Mindfulness teacher to discuss the simple yet effective ways of reducing stress through mindfulness. 

Here’s 8 magical ways of being mindful that any of us can incorporate while going about our daily tasks:

1. Embrace the moment you are in since you have never been in this before.

Every moment is new, even if it is your usual Monday. You have never lived THIS particular Monday before, and you never will after the moment passes by. There is no day similar to one another. Therefore, it is up to us to pay attention in order to notice all the beautiful things changing around us.

2. When you wake up in the morning take 3 long deep breaths.

As simple as that. Before reaching out to your phone, talking to a family member, petting a dog, recognise your awakening first. Take a few deep and slow breaths to awaken your body and mind fully.

3. As soon as you wake up, think of 3 things you are grateful for. 

In this competitive world, we always aim for more. However, we should remember to cherish what we already have at this particular moment.

4. Befriend yourself with your past experiences and become friends with the current moment and experience.

You are already enough.

5. Practice Mindful Eating.

Try to pay attention to how many times you chew your food, how you drink your cup of tea/coffee. Extend your gratitude towards what’s there on the table in front of you. What’s more you can think about who has made it possible for you to eat that particular meal and what all challenges they must have faced. Avoid eating while watching something or doing any work as that will hamper your effort of scrutinising the moment you are in. 

6. Mindful cooking.

Is another interesting way to practice mindfulness. Right from the time you are slicing or washing vegetables, how conscious you are and how good your energy reflects on the taste of the food.

7. Journaling.  

There can be various ways to maintain a journal. You can write three things you are grateful for, what’s the best thing that happened today or sum up your entire day in just one line. You could also note down your goals. When you are setting goals, try to be as specific as you can and define a time period for achieving those goals. You can even doodle something with the colourful pencils. 

8. Observation too helps in practicing mindfulness.

Mindfully observing people while they talk, their body language, listening to them and trying to connect with them are all important factors to pay attention to. 

Being mindful all times will immensely help in acknowledging things around us, develop a feeling of reverence towards what we have in the current moment and help detach ourselves with what has happened in the past and the worries of the future. Mindfulness tremendously impacts our decision making course as well cause we make choices and judgements with a calm mind when we are mindful. 

Consciously practicing these tips of mindfulness in everyday chores will ultimately increase ones capacity to deal with daily stress levels, make meditation relaxing and easy to do which eventually will make one feel rejuvenated every time they wake up in the morning.

 

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Telemedicine in Singapore: from Humble Beginnings to an Essential Service

Telemedicine in Singapore: from Humble Beginnings to an Essential Service

by | Aug 7, 2020 | Uncategorized

Telemedicine in Singapore: from Humble Beginnings to an Essential Service

Humble Beginnings 

Telemedicine was created from the growing concerns about access to healthcare, together with advanced telecommunication and information technologies. With Telemedicine, there were no “physical barriers” and patients could consult doctors from far distances. 

Telemedicine allows for long-distance patient and clinical contact, monitoring, care and advice.

This greatly reduced the need for physical doctor visits and medication refills. Instead, we can now see doctors online from the comforts of home!

However, in its introductory stages, Telemedicine was not widely received. Being a new invention that is vastly different from its traditional counterpart, many doubted its effectiveness and accuracy.

In countries dominated by an ageing population, such as Singapore, where the majority of patients are not tech-savvy, there was a low need and demand for online healthcare. Rather, most found traditional doctor visits easier. 

Challenges Faced

Digital healthcare faced the challenge of breaking the misconception towards Tele-Consultation and online healthcare with worries on misdiagnosis without physical checks, lack of qualified doctors online and possible service disparities.

Coupled with the lack of funding support from local governments and few clinics willing to partner with Telemedicine corporations —

It was hard for Telemedicine to establish a significant foothold in the healthcare industry.

The Global Pandemic & A Hidden “Blessing”

However, with the emergence of Covid-19, it has since removed barriers to digital health.

Regular physical doctor visits became risky or impossible, and healthcare services were limited. Advised to stay home, many who needed doctor consultations or medication refills turned to online alternatives.

 

This marked the turning point for Telemedicine as more people began switching to Telemedicine for their health checks.

On average online visits have increased by more than 160% since the start of 2020 for many Telemedicine providers.

The ability to receive medical care from a safe distance, without risking infection, proved to be the most attractive factor that accelerated the acceptance of Telemedicine.

Online healthcare thus proved to be a hidden “blessing” for many from home. 

The Endless Possibilities with Telemedicine

Telemedicine serves beyond mere online consultations with doctors. The introduction of Tele-Consultation and Tele-Monitoring is starting to be used for remote patient monitoring and follow-up.

Tele-Monitoring allows for regular follow-ups with patients, especially those with chronic conditions, by regularly monitoring their health vitals daily. It allows both the doctor and the patient to take an active role in their care, while reducing their visits to hospitals. 

The growing global pandemic has caused healthcare systems worldwide to report strains in healthcare facilities and manpower. Telemedicine represents an important tool in helping reduce this burden.

Its role in the optimisation of healthcare resources, reduction in the number of visits to clinics and hospitals, and ability to deliver necessary medications to homes evidently shows its importance to the sustainability of healthcare systems.

 

Benefits of Telemedicine

There are many benefits of Telemedicine, establishing its position as a strong alternative to traditional healthcare such as:

1.  Safety from Home

With the emergence of Covid-19, many avoided visiting hospitals and clinics in fear of exposing themselves to risk of infection.

Regular doctor check-ups were missed and patients with chronic conditions were unable to get their medication refilled. 

However, with Telemedicine, patients can consult their doctors for non-serious illnesses from the safety of their home. They can stay well-protected, receive doctor’s advice and have medication delivered without having to leave the house.

2. Avoid the Queues

Experiencing cough, fever, headaches?

But lack the time and energy to travel to the nearest clinic and waiting in line?

Avoid the queues with Telemedicine and easily fix a consultation with your doctor with just a few taps without having to wait in line for your turn.

3. Seamless Convenience

Telemedicine is not bound by physical barriers.

Fix a consultation with your preferred doctor that can best fit into your busy schedule. 

No longer worry about time constraints as Telemedicine allows for your doctor “visits” to be seamlessly incorporated into your daily lives. Furthermore, if you feel unwell during the day, easily schedule a consultation and receive your doctor’s advice and medication by the end of the day!

4. Lifetime Coaching & Support

Daily self-monitoring is made possible with Telehealth platforms, like HeartVoice. Especially for long-term chronic patients who require extra care, self-monitoring from home allows your doctor to regularly check your health vitals and provide better advice and support catered to your health needs.

5. Personalised Treatment & Quality

Similarly, with home monitoring, your doctor can better tailor treatments for your health problems. Daily monitoring is crucial for doctors to check how well your body is responding to the treatment and if changes need to be made. In doing so, your doctor can personalise your treatment to be more effective and efficient.

Telemedicine improves quality of care delivery as doctors can better target your health problems with specific treatments and solutions.

Furthermore, with better information on your own body, lifestyle adjustments can be easier changed.

Your lifestyle habits can affect how your body feels — be it an exercise regime, diet or sleep habits. With regular monitoring of blood pressure, weight, body fat and skeletal muscle, you will be able to see the impact of your lifestyle changes and make data-based decisions.

6.  Remote Patient Monitoring

Tele-Monitoring also serves as monitoring for clinical signs of chronic diseases.

Early detection and early treatment is crucial in minimising the health impact of the disease. 

Active self-monitoring also serves to raise awareness within patients — leading to them taking more responsibility for their health by changing their lifestyle habits and diet. This reduces the chances of falling sick and having to see a doctor.

7. Access to Specialist Opinions

Telemedicine allows for the leverage of specialist opinions, on top of your doctor’s advice.

When it comes to serious health issues, it is best to gather the most information before making a decision. Even if these specialists are not near you, Telemedicine has created a platform to easily seek their advice without wasting extra time and money for transport. This allows you to make the best decision for your health.

A New Age

Telemedicine is undoubtedly the new age of healthcare worldwide.

The benefits that it brings are endless.

It is shifting the way doctors are treating their patients and how patients receive healthcare. As the world battles against Covid-19, Telemedicine is the key to sustaining healthcare systems. One thing is for sure:

Telemedicine is already on its way to becoming an essential service.

Medical Disclaimer* 

Content on HeartVoice Health Blog is provided only for general informational purposes and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice. If you have been previously (or believe to be) diagnosed with a medical condition that requires special care, please contact your local healthcare provider for advice.

 

 

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Hypertension and Why Monitoring Blood Pressure is Important

Hypertension and Why Monitoring Blood Pressure is Important

by | Jul 22, 2020 | Uncategorized

Hypertension and Why Monitoring Blood Pressure is Important

Hypertension is the most common preventable cause of cardiovascular disease. As high as 25% of Singaporeans aged 40 – 69 suffer from hypertension. That is a whopping 1 in 4 ratios! Health Promotion Board data from 2015 shows that 74% of patients who have had heart attacks had hypertension as a risk factor. 

Your heart is the most important organ in your body; and we should always love and care for it.

What exactly is hypertension?

Hypertension is the state of elevated blood pressure. 

Having attained the name “silent killer”, hypertension shows almost no symptoms until it has done significant damage. 

You won’t even know you have it until it’s too late.

Watch out for these risk factors!

Modifiable risk factors include unhealthy diets (a diet high in saturated and trans-fat, high intake of processed food, colored drinks and sweetened foods, low intake of fruits and vegetables), lack of regular physical activity, and consumption of tobacco and alcohol.

Non-modifiable risk factors include old age (averagely above the age of 65) and a family history of hypertension.

 

Why should I be worried?

Many of us must be thinking, why should I be worried?

Long-term complications of uncontrolled and high hypertension are:

1. Heart attack, which occurs when the blood supply to the heart is blocked and heart muscles die from the lack of oxygen. 

2. Heart failure, which occurs when the heart is unable to pump sufficient blood and oxygen to the other organs in the body.

3. Stroke

4. Chronic renal failure or impairment, the failure of the kidney to filter waste and fluid from the blood (hypertension is one of the top 2 reasons for patients requiring renal dialysis)

How do you know if you have hypertension?

Check your blood pressure!

Traditionally, diagnosis is done in the doctor’s office with a blood pressure machine. Doctors then use this measurement to determine whether the patient is at risk of hypertension. However, there is a potential inherent inaccuracy with taking blood pressure the traditional way. The tendency to over-measure the patient’s blood pressure due to:

  • “White-coat” hypertension

Some individuals experience elevated blood pressure when in a medical setting due to the stress or anxiety of being in a doctor’s office. “White-coat” hypertension accounts for almost 20% of the total number of patients diagnosed with hypertension. 

  • Lack of adequate rest before the blood pressure is taken

Sleep helps your body regulate the stress hormones to maintain your nervous system. Lack of adequate rest could affect your body’s ability to manage your stress hormones, hence affecting your blood pressure. 

  • Smoking or caffeine intake before being tested

Smoking and caffeine can immediately raise your blood pressure temporarily, causing an inaccurate diagnosis of your true blood pressure.

How else can you better take your blood pressure?

Diagnosis is no longer limited to being at the doctor’s with the creation of the 24 hours Ambulatory Blood Pressure Measurement (ABPM) and the Home Blood Pressure Measurement (HBPM).

What is ABPM?

ABPM measures your blood pressure for 24 hours as you go about your daily life.

 

The machine checks your blood pressure every 30 – 60 minutes at fixed intervals and then takes the average.

By measuring your blood pressure over a 24-hour period, your doctor can get a more accurate representation of your true blood pressure throughout the day.

In doing so, it eliminates the risk of “white-coat” hypertension. Your doctor can then prescribe the proper medication for more effective treatment.

What about HBPM?

Most patients who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure should have been advised to monitor their blood pressure at home regularly. 

But I am sure many of us only seriously take our blood pressure the first few days and kick the practice to the curb after. Only to go back to the doctors a few months later and face their wrath for not taking better care of our heart. 

Blood pressure monitoring has never been easier with OMROM bluetooth blood pressure monitoring device and HeartVoice app. Your daily readings can be automatically synced into one app, making active monitoring possible with just a few clicks.

Self-monitoring at home has been shown to be lower than readings taken in the office and closer to the average blood pressure reading during the 24-hour ABPM.

What are the advantages?

  • Multiple readings can be taken over an extended period of time – the more blood pressure measurements, the more accurate the average result will be 
  • Avoid “white-coat” hypertension effect 
  • Ability to predict cardiovascular mobility and mortality much better than office blood pressure taking 
  • Allows the patient to better understand their management – the instant visual change in blood pressure numbers before and after taking their medication acts as a reminder and impresses upon them the importance of medication

However, there are disadvantages . . . 

  • Some home blood pressure monitors have been found to give inaccurate readings 
  • The patient may place the cuff at a position on the upper arm that will affect the accuracy of the readings – hence, it is important to educate the patient on proper cuff placement before he begins home-based monitoring 
  • Risk of treatment change by the patient themselves, based on their home blood pressure without the approval and guidance of the doctor 
  • Lack of nocturnal reading – 10 – 15% of individuals with high blood pressure suffer from night-time hypertension. If left undetected and untreated, they are at a higher risk of heart failure and other complications than those with day-time hypertension.

But, disadvantage does not mean ineffective!

In fact, HBPM is especially useful for anyone diagnosed with high blood pressure to consistently monitor their blood pressure and for those recently beginning with high blood pressure treatment to determine its effectiveness. 

Regular monitoring allows your doctor to adjust your medication as needed to properly treat your condition. 

Incorporating daily readings of your blood pressure – especially those already diagnosed – allows you to identify potential emergency situations and seek help promptly. 

Here’s how you can use blood pressure monitoring to self-diagnose at home! 

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has introduced guidelines one should follow to confirm a diagnosis of hypertension at home:

  • For each blood pressure recording, there has to be 2 consecutive measurements taken, at least 1 minute apart with the person seated
  • Blood pressure must be recorded twice a day – ideally, once you wake up in the morning and at night before you sleep, after resting for 5 minutes.
  • Blood pressure recording should be taken for at least 4 days – although recommended 7 days, of which the readings of the first day should be discarded
  • Take the average value of the readings on the remaining days to determine diagnosis

Hypertension should not be taken lightly.

Even if you are of a young age, it does not mean that you are any less likely to suffer from hypertension than someone in their 70s. Remember, 

90% of the time, hypertension shows no symptoms!

No matter your age, everybody benefits from having a healthy heart. Start taking care of your heart today, before it’s too late!

 

About Dr. Chen Yiming:

A family physician, graduated with MBBS Bachelors NUS, and a successful track record in helping patients with hypertension management.

Take charge of your heart health together with Dr. Chen! Sign up to consult him for all your hypertension questions, management tips and more! This is in partnership with the HeartVoice wellness app to regularly monitor your health, for more effective treatment and control.

Medical Disclaimer* 

Content on HeartVoice Health Blog is provided only for general informational purposes and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice. If you have been previously (or believe to be) diagnosed with a medical condition that requires special care, please contact your local healthcare provider for advice.

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