Nasty health problems in the Philippines - What to do?

[Winston]

Hi all,
A few days ago, our doctor agreed to test my blood for Hepatitis. The results came back today and they were negative. I do not have Hepatitis B or C. Thank goodness. He said the cause of the liver enzymes and the high GOT and GPT readings could be many things. But it has gone down a little after I took the Livorin pill the past few weeks.

My vision though continues to be blurry a lot, especially when I look at the computer screen. But when I wear sunglasses, my vision seems to clear up.

Ok here is what I don't get though. There are some discrepancies between what the eye doctor in the Philippines told me vs. the one in Taiwan.

The one in the Philippines gave me these anti-biotic eye drops and said to use them four times a day to heal the infection. He said that he cannot tell if I have chlymadia trachoma (a disease that affects the eyes) without doing a lab test on the fluid discharge from my eyes.

However, the eye doctor in Taiwan said the anti-biotic eye drops were unnecessary, so he prescribed these steroid eye drops for me instead that are usually used for healing the eyes after laser surgery. And regarding chlymadia trachoma, he said he can tell by looking at my eyes that I don't have it.

Yet the Philippines eye doctor said that only a lab test would be able to determine if I have that or not.

What's going on?

How do you know who to believe?

[Winston]

Hi all,
I just got a response from an MD on Medhelp.com about my 2 month eye infection and blurry vision problem. He told me that from what I described, it's more likely that I have Blepharitis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blepharitis

From the link above, he seems to be right. The symptoms described fits me to a T.

Signs and sypmtoms that are associated with the chronic inflammation can be;

* Redness of the eyelids.
* Flaking of skin on the lids.
* Crusting at the lid margins, this is generaly worst on waking.
* Cysts at the lid margin (hordeolum).
* Red eye.
* Debris in the tear film, seen under magnification (improved contrast with use of fluorescein drops).
* Gritty sensation of the eye.
* Reduced vision.

The only question is, why has it persisted for 2 months?

[Winston]

Hi all,
I just got a response from an MD on Medhelp.com about my 2 month eye infection and blurry vision problem. He told me that from what I described, it's more likely that I have Blepharitis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blepharitis

From the link above, he seems to be right. The symptoms described fits me to a T.

Signs and sypmtoms that are associated with the chronic inflammation can be;

* Redness of the eyelids.
* Flaking of skin on the lids.
* Crusting at the lid margins, this is generaly worst on waking.
* Cysts at the lid margin (hordeolum).
* Red eye.
* Debris in the tear film, seen under magnification (improved contrast with use of fluorescein drops).
* Gritty sensation of the eye.
* Reduced vision.

The only question is, why has it persisted for 2 months?

OHHHHH SHIT!

I just read a ton of articles on Blepharitis and found out that there's no cure for it and that it's a chronic condition. THAT SUCKS MAJORLY!

I thought all eye bacteria and illnesses could be cured! That's lame.

This is an inflammation of the eyelids that causes crusting. You have to clean the eyelids everyday to reduce its symptoms.

Am I f***ed for life or what?

Why didn't the TW doctor tell me about this? He's so dumb.

I had to find out about it at MedHelp.com.

Anyway, here is a video about it by a female eye doctor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkpV_xrqtSU

[Winston]

Well it turns out the Taiwanese eye doctor here does not think I have Blepharitis. Two of them said that. However, he also denied that there's no cure for it too, which I can't believe since ALL websites online say that there's no cure for Blepharitis and that it's chronic. So I am in doubt about the competence of doctors here.

However, my symptoms fit it to a T. And plus, when I clean out my eyelashes with soap, water and a towel, which Blepharitist sufferers are supposed to do, my symptoms improve a lot and my vision clears up. So if treatment for Blepharitis works for me, it's a sign that I have it right?

[Winston]

Just got a revealing result today at the hospital.

I tested positive for Chlamydia Trachomitis. That explains why my eye infection won't go away for the past few months.

Sheesh. The thing is, the hospital never called to tell me this. I had to go there and make an appointment with a urologist just to get the result. In the US, they usually call you with the test result.

Anyway, the thing is, my dad and the Taiwanese eye doctor said that the test would be a waste of time because Chlamydia no longer exists and is too rare to bother testing for. It turns out that they were wrong. I went against the doctor's recommendations and got the test anyway cause people online were telling me to take it.

So you see Momopi, DOCTORS CAN BE WRONG, especially in Taiwan where they can be very closed minded and narrow sometimes, assuming that any disease that's gone in Taiwan is gone in the rest of the world. Sheesh. Such stupidity ticks me off.

I had a fight with my parents over this today. My mom is sick and tired of hearing me call Taiwanese narrow, but I call it as I see it and feel it. She is narrow too and arrogant and jumps to conclusions fast rather than see them as possibilities. For example, my mom claims that me staying up all night is what is causing my liver dysfunction. That may be a factor but it is just a theory and not fact. Yet she sees it as fact and calls it as fact. You can't reason with her. Her mind is soooooo primitive and only understands simple things and is closed to new ideas that are beyond them. She possesses no insight at all, unlike me. I can't have any intelligent conversation with my mom at all. She's too narrow, closed, simple and gets angry if I mention that. I try to enlighten her, but she can't understand anything that's not shallow and simple. And she is quick to judgment without evidence. It's so hard to communicate with her.

Anyhow, this is a case where intelligent laymen were correct, and doctors were wrong, or Taiwanese doctors rather.

The lesson here is to get lots of second opinions from people so you can check all possibilities, especially when it comes to health. No one is infallible, not even doctors. And also, narrow minded people tend to be wrong about a lot more things cause they jump to conclusions fast and without good cause.

At the hospital today, I looked at a lot of people's faces and in their eyes I could see misery and unhappiness (not cause they were in the hospital, I'm talking about a deeper state of mind in them). I felt sorry for them and wish I could help them. But what can I do? The elite powers that run the world want people to be miserable for some reason.

Ladislav also told me that when he was in Japan for a few years, he noticed that the people there were generally miserable and depressed deep down, after understanding them better. He says it's worse than he can put in words, the inner state of Japanese people that is. Like me, he has a lot of insight too.

I also said hi to some good looking girls but they ignored me as if I wasn't there.

[gmm567]

cylmedia goes through rubbers. You got this from hookers.

[Nate]

Just got a revealing result today at the hospital.

I tested positive for Chlamydia Trachomitis. That explains why my eye infection won't go away for the past few months.

Sheesh. The thing is, the hospital never called to tell me this. I had to go there and make an appointment with a urologist just to get the result. In the US, they usually call you with the test result.

Anyway, the thing is, my dad and the Taiwanese eye doctor said that the test would be a waste of time because Chlamydia no longer exists and is too rare to bother testing for. It turns out that they were wrong. I went against the doctor's recommendations and got the test anyway cause people online were telling me to take it.

So you see Momopi, DOCTORS CAN BE WRONG, especially in Taiwan where they can be very closed minded and narrow sometimes, assuming that any disease that's gone in Taiwan is gone in the rest of the world. Sheesh. Such stupidity ticks me off.

I had a fight with my parents over this today. My mom is sick and tired of hearing me call Taiwanese narrow, but I call it as I see it and feel it. She is narrow too and arrogant and jumps to conclusions fast rather than see them as possibilities. For example, my mom claims that me staying up all night is what is causing my liver dysfunction. That may be a factor but it is just a theory and not fact. Yet she sees it as fact and calls it as fact. You can't reason with her. Her mind is soooooo primitive and only understands simple things and is closed to new ideas that are beyond them. She possesses no insight at all, unlike me. I can't have any intelligent conversation with my mom at all. She's too narrow, closed, simple and gets angry if I mention that. I try to enlighten her, but she can't understand anything that's not shallow and simple. And she is quick to judgment without evidence. It's so hard to communicate with her.

Anyhow, this is a case where intelligent laymen were correct, and doctors were wrong, or Taiwanese doctors rather.

The lesson here is to get lots of second opinions from people so you can check all possibilities, especially when it comes to health. No one is infallible, not even doctors. And also, narrow minded people tend to be wrong about a lot more things cause they jump to conclusions fast and without good cause.

At the hospital today, I looked at a lot of people's faces and in their eyes I could see misery and unhappiness (not cause they were in the hospital, I'm talking about a deeper state of mind in them). I felt sorry for them and wish I could help them. But what can I do? The elite powers that run the world want people to be miserable for some reason.

Ladislav also told me that when he was in Japan for a few years, he noticed that the people there were generally miserable and depressed deep down, after understanding them better. He says it's worse than he can put in words, the inner state of Japanese people that is. Like me, he has a lot of insight too.

I also said hi to some good looking girls but they ignored me as if I wasn't there.

Of course Chlamydia Trachomitis is a venereal disease and any girl you have banged is most likely also infected.

[Winston]

Of course Chlamydia Trachomitis is a venereal disease and any girl you have banged is most likely also infected.

That's what the doctor said too. He said you couldn't get it from casual contact.

But some of the websites I read said it can be spread from casual contact and bad hygiene. Why is that? For instance:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trachoma

Causes

Trachoma is caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and it is spread by direct contact with eye, nose, and throat secretions from affected individuals, or contact with fomites (inanimate objects), such as towels and/or washcloths, that have had similar contact with these secretions. Flies can also be a route of mechanical transmission. Untreated, repeated trachoma infections result in entropion—a painful form of permanent blindness when the eyelids turn inward, causing the eyelashes to scratch the cornea. Children are the most susceptible to infection due to their tendency to easily get dirty, but the blinding effects or more severe symptoms are often not felt until adulthood.
Blinding endemic trachoma occurs in areas with poor personal and family hygiene. Many factors are indirectly linked to the presence of trachoma including lack of water, absence of latrines or toilets, poverty in general, flies, close proximity to cattle, crowding and so forth.[2][3] However, the final common pathway seems to be the presence of dirty faces in children that facilitates the frequent exchange of infected ocular discharge from one child’s face to another. Most transmission of trachoma occurs within the family.[2]

http://www.medhelp.org/medical-informat ... 8/Trachoma

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Trachoma is caused by infection with the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. Symptoms being 5 to 12 days after being exposed to the bacteria. The condition begins slowly as conjunctivitis (irritation near the eye, "pink eye"), which if untreated may lead to scarring.

If the eyelids are severely irritated, the eyelashes may turn in and rub against the cornea. This can cause eye ulcers, further scarring, vision loss, and even blindness.

Trachoma occurs worldwide, primarily in rural settings in developing countries. It frequently affects children, although the consequences of scarring may not be seen until later in life. While trachoma is rare in the United States, certain populations marked by poverty, crowded living conditions, or poor hygiene are at higher risk for this illness.

Trachoma is spread through direct contact with infected eye, nose, or throat secretions or by contact with contaminated objects, such as towels or clothes. In addition, certain flies can spread the bacteria.

But others, even within Wikipedia, say it's sexually transmitted:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlamydia_infection

Chlamydia infection (from the Greek, χλαμύδα meaning "cloak") is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in humans caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. The term Chlamydia infection can also refer to infection caused by any species belonging to the bacterial family Chlamydiaceae. C. trachomatis is found only in humans.[1] Chlamydia is a major infectious cause of human genital and eye disease. Chlamydia infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide; it is estimated that about 1 million individuals in the United States are infected with chlamydia.[2]

Yet the same link above on the SAME PAGE says it can be caused by casual contact! Look:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlamydia_ ... ye_disease

Eye disease
Main article: Trachoma

Conjunctivitis due to chlamydia.
Chlamydia conjunctivitis or trachoma was once the most important cause of blindness worldwide, but its role diminished from 15% of blindness cases by trachoma in 1995 to 3.6% in 2002.[3][4] The infection can be spread from eye to eye by fingers, shared towels or cloths, coughing and sneezing and eye-seeking flies.[8] Newborns can also develop chlamydia eye infection through childbirth (see below). Using the SAFE strategy (acronym for surgery for in-growing or in-turned lashes, antibiotics, facial cleanliness, and environmental improvements), the World Health Organisation aims for the global elimination of trachoma by 2020 (GET 2020 initiative).[9][10]

So which is it? Is it sexually transmitted only, or not? Why did the writer of the wikipedia article above seem to contradict himself?

Can anyone explain this discrepancy?

[gmm567]

You can get it both ways, Winston. Sorry to hear of the bad news

[momopi]

So you see Momopi, DOCTORS CAN BE WRONG, especially in Taiwan where they can be very closed minded and narrow sometimes, assuming that any disease that's gone in Taiwan is gone in the rest of the world. Sheesh. Such stupidity ticks me off.

1. In the e-mail that I sent to you on May 21st, I specifically stated: "Health conditions found in PH may be uncommon in TW, and TW doctors are simply unfamiliar with it."

2. Look through this thread and you'd see my recommendation, posted on April 24th: "If tests are cheap in TW, get the ultrasound, and full STD panel (including Hep-B). You can also try seeing a different doctor for a second opinion."

3. I also referred you to Medhelp web site on May 13th in this thread, where you can obtain a second opinion for a small fee.

http://www.happierabroad.com/phpBB2/vie ... c&start=20

So which is it? Is it sexually transmitted only, or not? Why did the writer of the wikipedia article above seem to contradict himself?
Can anyone explain this discrepancy?

Look in the history log to see who edited what:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?tit ... on=history

Then contact the specific author to ask your question. Or, ask a doctor in the STD forums on Medhelp.

Also, there is no such thing as "sexually transmitted only" -- consider the number of people who got infected with HIV via needles.

[Winston]

You can get it both ways, Winston. Sorry to hear of the bad news

It's not bad news. It's good news because it's easily treatable with antibiotics. On the other hand, Blepharitis is a chronic condition that is not curable.

[Winston]

I just got a liver ultrasound done. The results showed that I have fatty liver and gallstones.

So what can I do about that? Just lose weight? I don't drink any alcohol at all, so it must be due to my weight?

And what can you do about gallstones? There's no easy way to flush them out?

Btw, should I take that supplement called Omega 3, which contains fish oil? Supposedly it helps lower triglycerides levels.

Do any of you deal with those things?

[Winston]

This might explain why I felt so drowsy in the Philippines?

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m ... _87854525/

Researchers aren't sure why humidity appears to increase aches. However, they do know why hot, humid days can cause fatigue. Normally, your body perspires to cool you down when temperatures are high, according to Malek. But if the humidity is also high, you're trapped in a moist environment where your sweat can't evaporate and escape from your skin. This causes you to expend extra energy, which can leave you feeling sluggish or fatigued.

If so, how come other people in Angeles don't complain about fatigue? And how come they don't want to talk about it when I bring it up?

[Winston]

Is what my friend said about pollution true?

Hi Winston,

Oh yes, air pollution lowers IQ, increases incidence of lung diseases (including cancer), increases heart attack risk 5X, and lowers lifespan by years potentially. Just Google air pollution risks etc. That's why I want my daughter OUT of Angeles, but her mother is too stupid to see sense.

[Winston]

Today my dad told me that my cousin's husband just died of high liver enzymes, and told me to take it as a warning to bring down my liver enzyme level as well. But how can I do that?

He wrote:

Dear Win,

I got a call from your cousin Shiu-Hon today. She told me her husband passed away Thursday. You remember her husband, he appeared as a chunky strong guy. Before he died, he had a levitated GOT and GPT and he was too busy to take care of that. His liver became harden (like a hard fiber) and stop functioning. His kidneys were also bad. He had a cold that further complicated the conditions that triggered multiple organs failure including lung. I was very shocked and sad for her. We will find time to go to Taipei to see her.

I can't help to think about your condition. You have high GOT and GPT. You have high blood pressure and blood sugar. You don't take care of your health. You have a bad sleeping pattern and you don't excercise. You don't take medication as you were told. Please take Shiu-Hon's husband as a warning sign and start taking care of yourself seriously.

You should also find time to come back to Taiwan for a thorough check up. If you don't like to stay long, you could just stay long enough for the check up. You could pick up the stuff you asked me to buy from US.

Let me know your plan. Take care. Love,
Dad