General Health

Hi @Pear yes that is likely, if you don't have any other symptoms or skin changes elsewhere, you can try some anti-fungal creams OTC such as miconazole - visit your local pharmacist at places like Guardian to show them your feet and they would be able to give you some recommendations.

If it doesn't improve, I would recommend a review with your doctor to evaluate why and whether there may be other causes. This can either be done at a GP clinic near your home, or potentially online via apps that provide video-based consultations, and the attending doctor would be able to prescribe medications and have them delivered to you. If you would like me to see you online for this, you can reach me via the Raffles connect or Doctorworld applications on Sunday/Monday morning. Here is a link that shares more about this: https://www.todayonline.com/brand-spotlight/doctor-will-see-you-next-app

Hi @Novi the problem you describe is a sleep disorder which requires further evaluation. Here are some measures recommended by the American Academy of Family Physicians that you can try to improve your sleep and regulate your sleep cycle,

If the condition persists or if it starts to affect your ability to function, I would strongly recommend to seek medical attention so your doctor can evaluate for any reversible causes of this and/or treat with medications where appropriate.

Hi @Jo_c sorry to hear about this accident! De-roofing the blister yourself is not recommended due to the infection risk which can make things worse. Do take some pain killers and go for a review with a GP near your home as soon as you can, especially if there is no pain or decreased sensation. 

Before you leave, check your vaccination records and bring the latest ones along with you if you can (specifically check "Tetanus" vaccine or "DTP" vaccine if you have them). Hope this helps!

Hi! 

From what I can see on the image it does not appear to look like hives. Secondly I would avoid giving antihistamines like benadryl I'm a child less than 6 months. The safest antihistamine one can give at the age of 6 months can be fexofenadine or cetirizine which are second generation anti- histamines. 
I would suggest a visit to the pediatrician to have a better look at this rash. 

Hi @Saruri there are several possible causes for this, ranging from allergies to insect bites. Even the extent and duration of the rash, it would be best to have a discussion with a doctor to work this out and evaluate what medications you may require.

This can either be done at a GP clinic near your home, or potentially online via apps that provide video-based consultations, and the attending doctor would be able to prescribe medications and have them delivered to you. If you would like me to see you online for this, you can reach me via the Raffles connect or Doctorworld applications tomorrow morning. Here is a link that shares more about it: https://www.todayonline.com/brand-spotlight/doctor-will-see-you-next-app

 

Hi!

I'm sorry to hear about your occular stroke last month, I do hope you have managed to recover without much deficits. This full ache in your left calf sounds non specific, however as it is only isolated to your left calf and it has been there for a few days I would suggest you get this checked out. One possibility like you rightly pointed out is a blood clot.
 I would suggest you get an ultrasound scan done of your leg to rule out a blood clot and avoid vigorous exercise till you get the scan done.

Hi @vermie 

Very unfortunate that you got a burn. Managed to see the pic. Hope you get better soon.

Did you run the hand under running cool water  after the burn ? That can potentially help.

As for the paste, I wouldn’t suggest it as it has chemicals in the whitening component which can be more harmful.

Aloe Vera and honey can be helpful home remedies.

From the retail pharmacies - you can request for a Silvin cream ( Burn cream ) and apply it twice a day.

If you notice increasing redness , swelling or feeling feverish or notice discharge , pls consult  your  doctor at the soonest.

Hope this helps. 

Hi.

Yes you are correct in a way to be experiencing some side effects if medicines like ella is taken twice in very short intervals.

But a good news is, ella has a half life ( the time taken for the drug concentration in the body to be halfed each time after consumption) is about 1 1/4 days ( 32 hours). So within 3-4 days, the drug levels should come down to negligible levels and you should be feeling back to normal.

As for your question whether Ella is harmful if taken  second time within 2 days, i would not say its harmful. There are instances where we do give it, though its rare. There is a high chance of contraceptive failure and the higher likelihood of side effects.

That being said, if you are still concerned about contraceptive failure, please look out for your menstrual cycle. If there are any signs that its being delayed, please see your family physician at the soonest possible.

Hi Celestine,

You are correct in that there could be multiple causes for hand or foot numbness after waking up from sleep. One of the more common causes would be nerve compression which can be exacerbated by certain sleeping positions. For example, carpal tunnel syndrome is a common cause of hand numbness which can be worse during sleep. Would suggest if it’s troublesome to get a consultation to reach a diagnosis.

Hi @SL 

Sorry to hear about your finger. It does sound bothersome. 
I would advise that you see a doctor to exclude infection in view of the symptoms you mentioned. 

Hi @Jayde sorry to hear that! The truth is, although this is suggestive for BPPV, it could be due to any of those causes, including other possibilities. Others include low sugar levels since you were exercising at the time, or other more severe problems involving parts of the brain such as the cerebellum that could be life-threatening. Unfortunately it is not possible to differentiate between them without performing a more detailed assessment. 

Therefore, I strongly recommend to seek medical attention for a more detailed assessment. I hope this helps!

Hi @Kenny 
In view of ur sore throat, I would advise you to see a doctor and also to monitor your fever. 

It is good that you took pictures of how the initial rash looked like- so u can monitor the progression. Often, we need to take some history (such as presence of itch?, any contactents? History or family history of eczema, occupation etc) in clinic to further evaluate the likely diagnosis. However, as a general piece of advice- use gentle soaps and avoid too harsh alcohol based hand rubs. And moisturise ur hands. Try not to scratch. 

Hope this helps! 

Hi @fair 

I’m sorry your family is going through a tough time. 

All procedures carry some form of risks, some may be common while some are rare. We always weigh the benefits versus the risks in deciding if the procedure is worth going ahead with. 
However, If you feel unsure about making a decision on which procedure to opt for, there is no wrong in seeking a second opinion from a cardiologist. 

My advise is: To bring the relevant records including past clinical investigations/reports and bring your mum for a consult with another cardiologist so that you can consider your options better. 

Take care >> 

Hi @Dan 
If your urticaria is well controlled on Telfast 180mg once a day dosage, u can up-titrate the dose by taking one and a half of the 120mg tablet to make it 180mg as a temporizing measure before your next clinic review. There are many anti-histamines that can be used in the treatment of chronic urticaria, but the choice of which depends on Clinical response and activity level (some may cause drowsiness). 

Dear @Placesfaces thank you for your question! It must be difficult for your to continue your lifestyle given such disruptive sleep patterns. 

Unfortunately poor sleep can have a wide variety of causes though most cases are physiological/environmental compared to organic causes (i.e medical related illness). After eating massive meals the body does tend to become more "relaxed" or what we refer to as a "post-prandial state" which could explain why you are able to sleep better. Though this may be the case, I would not recommend having large meals and then immediately lying down/sleeping as this can potentially lead to troubling gastric related problems. If you do this, do remember to lie down after at least 1-2 hours to prevent gastric complications. 

Further, there have been multiple studies on Vitamin B itself (as a supplement) and unfortunately there isn't any conclusive data to say that it can help with insomnia. Though, low levels of vitamin B can lead to significant weakness/tiredness instead. So I can't really comment on why your sleep was better when you first started taking vitamin B. Perhaps there were other factors during this time that went unnoticed ? 

In general, it is important to rule out organic causes for poor sleep. The most common would be sleep apnea. Do you frequently wake up choking? Does your husband notice you snoring a lot and occasionally catching your breath at night? These are some questions that a doctor may ask to ascertain a potential medical cause. Other common causes include stress/anxiety/depression which can come with other unnoticed symptoms. It is also frequent in people who tend to work shifts. 

As this seems to be bothering you for a long period of time, I would recommend you consult your doctor as soon as you are able. Most medication available are merely temporizing and I would not recommend long term use for sleep unless prescribed by a psychiatrist. You could try some simple medication such as melatonin (can be bought over counter) as it has shown some benefits for sleep and has no addictive potential.  

Hi, 
I'm not a doctor but what you have sounded like UTI, better go and check it will damage your kidney if you don't. 

Hi @lynn . Thank you for your question!

I would say that you should definitely go down to see your GP. It is important to establish a timeline in cases where we are suspecting a possible drug allergy. In general, rashes relating to allergies can occur anytime between 24-72 hours after ingestion of the offending agent. In rare cases, a medication of which you previously had no allergy against can cause an allergy only a few months after. 

In this situation i would recommend review for 2 reasons
(a) If related to metformin it would require your to stop and possibly change to another drug temporarily (depending on the severity of your diabetes) 
(b) Itchy rashes around the breast or any skin folds can often be mistaken for allergies and can turn out to be bacterial/fungal infections instead or a form of eczema. Given that you are diabetic, you are at higher risk for these easily treatable skin infections. 

At times it may be difficult to discern if the rash is related to a drug or infection and most physicians would consider stopping the drug and treating at the same time. 

If Any alarm symptoms for severe allergy are present such as difficulty breathing/throat swelling/extreme eye swelling or hand/leg swelling/palpitations/chest pain, please go directly to the AnE for management as these could be suggestion of anaphylaxis (severe allergy) 

hope this helps!

Hi @NIG . Thank you for your question!

In this scenario it would be prudent to see a doctor for full examination. Patients often don't realise if they have weakness if it is very slight and this would usually require examination by a physician. Though, given the activity that you think might have caused it, it sounds very unlikely that there could be a nerve injury involved or at worst maybe a mild compression of one of the small branches of the nerve from pressure. 

Best to see a doctor early if it is bothering you for some reassurance! Hope this helps!

Hi @Human67 I cannot say for certain without examining it in person, but it sure appears so! Would you happen to have any other skin lesions elsewhere, preceding injury/insect bite, or any other symptoms?

Hi @deadinside Im sorry to hear about this. If you have already completed the assessment at KKH, there may not be a need to return if the cost is a concern, unless you experience any change in symptoms (discomfort, spotting, abnormal discharge, etc). Alternatively, you can highlight this during your review with the doctor that has prescribed your other medications for them to speak to you about the potential alternatives to consider.