wonder women
JULY, 2018 | The HEALTH
Sluggish lymphatic system
for women above 40
OUR limp vessels can become clogged
with protein deposits and this can
cause a stagnation in the flow. When
this happens, a person can develop
fatigue, stress, get easily infected, suffer
emotional problems such as becoming
depressed, irritable, tired which leads
to a lack of physical activities and
water retention.
Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur Family
Medicine specialist Dr Marieanne
Sundram pointed out that this is quite
common in women in their 40’s and
above, where they feel bloated and gain
weight, which would affect a woman’s
self-confidence.
“Consequently, this toxins accumu-
late and your bodily cells are unable to
function properly. This results in vari-
ous metabolic disorders and infections.
“Once you hit 40, all your good
hormones starts to decrease by 10 per
cent. That’s why you notice and feel
your body slowing down, feel tired
easily, blood sugars start going up,
blood pressure is also on the rise.”
“As you go into the next 10 years,
your hormones will decrease another
10 per cent. So, you see yourself slow-
ing down much more,” she said.
The symptoms could be reduced by
frequently exercising while decreasing
the consumption of fast foods, coffee
intake or aerated drinks.
“Instead, invest more in vegetables,
fresh fruits and drink more water. A
simple 30 minute brisk walk will
help as it will circulate the lymphatic
systems which helps in the immu-
nity, helps with water retention and
bloating.”
“Once you start exercising, your
heart would also start clearing all the
blockages.”
Get a great workout in 10 minutes
TOO busy for the gym? Just 10 min-
utes can burn nearly 100 calories and
boost your energy level by up to 18
per cent. Try this compressed routine:
Minutes 0:00-0:59: Climb stairs -
walk, run, or sprint
Minutes 1:00-1:29: Do reverse
lunges with overhead presses (lunge
backward, lifting arms overhead with
each lunge; alternate sides).
Minutes 1:30-2:00: Do squats.
Repeat the circuit four more times.
Beginners may want to incorporate 30
seconds of rest between each cycle.
25
Thalassemia – an inherited
blood disorder
A 2017 report ‘In
Management of
Thalassaemia’
released by the
Ministry of Health
Malaysia Medical
Development
Division, Health
Te c h n o l o g y
Assessment Unit,
Thalassaemia is the
commonest single
gene disorder in
Malaysia with 8,000
persons infected
with HbE beta Thalassaemia and 8,000
with Homozygous beta-Thalassaemia as
of 1995.
Often known as an inherited blood
disorder in which the body makes an
abnormal form of haemoglobin, Thal-
assaemia is a disorder that results in
an excessive destruction of red blood
cells which leads to anaemia. Degree of
anaemia depends on the disorder itself,
leading back to the type of Thalassemia
you carry.
A disorder stemming from inheri-
tance, this would mean at least one parent
must be a carrier where the usual cause
is by a genetic mutation or by deletion of
key gene fragments.
Columbia Asia’s Consultant Obstetri-
cian & Gynaecologist, Dr Yip Khar Weng
explained that Thalassemia is a type of
haemoglobinopathy where in the normal
blood cells, there are two alpha chains
and two beta chains.
“Alpha thalassemia meaning that there
is a defective formation of the alpha chain
while beta Thalassemia is a defective
formation of the beta chain.”
“In a normal human being, blood will
live for 120 days. However when it comes
to Thalassemia carriers, their blood will
see an earlier depletion often lesser than
120 days. Common symptoms are bone
deformities, dark urine, delayed growth
development and excessive tiredness and
fatigue.”
Iron chelation therapy has shown to
excrete iron from blood transfusion so
without the extra deposition of iron, the
body is in a much better condition. Babies
with major Thalassemia however are still
in need of regular blood transfusion.