my timesThe Korea Times
Lifestyle

Others

Dark circles under eyes

By Lee Sung-hunLast week, a reader who read my column on cosmetic acupuncture inquired if acupuncture can treat dark circles under the eyes. Dark circles and bags under eyes not only make you look older than your age, but also make you look moody and exhausted. Some women cover them up with makeup, but even skilled experts find them difficult to conceal completely. Oriental medicine generally treats dark circles with the combination of acupuncture and herbal medicine. I would like to address the individual treatment methods depending on the underlying causes.The reason why the skin around the eye (periorbital skin) appears dark is because the skin tissues around the eyes are very thin. As such, any changes in the circulation of blood and bodily fluids can be easily revealed through the very thin layer.There are largely three causes for the dark circles under your eyes. The first is where the vein passing through the thin periorbital skin has bluish tint (hence, the dark circles) when expanded and seen through the skin. The dark circles that appear after a couple of days of extended s

Aug 2, 2013
Dark circles under eyes

Misconceptions about fertility treatment

By Lee Hye-jun As more women are having their first child at later ages and the infertility rate increases, the need for fertility treatment is rising. Fertility treatment includes all the medications and procedures to assist couples to conceive, such as clomiphene, gonadotropin, intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). Faced with infertility, women rely largely on the information which they get from friends or web surfing. However, what you hear is not always true. ●Fertility drugs will deplete my ovarian reserve more quickly. Fertility treatment usually involves fertility drugs including clomiphene and gonadotropin. Naturally women release one egg a month — occasionally ovulation of two eggs makes twins. Fertility drugs make women produce more than one egg to increase chances of conception. Then, would women use up the eggs more quickly after fertility treatment and reach menopause earlier?Women are born with two million eggs. As women age, this number continuously declines and reaches 300,000 at puberty. At ages 30 to 40 when many wome

Aug 2, 2013
Misconceptions about fertility treatment

Between sunburn and tanning

By Yoon Ja-youngAugust is the peak time for taking summer vacation; and so here are some health tips for people going on holiday.Those heading to beaches should protect themselves against sunburn. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays causes inflammation of the skin, turning it red and causing it to sting. The skin peels off and vesicles can form in serious cases. These symptoms often last for over a week.“It is impossible to completely block ultraviolet rays while sunbathing on a beach in summer,” said Prof. Shin Min-kyung at Kyunghee University Medical Center. She recommends using sun-block every two hours, and wearing wide brimmed hats and long sleeves to minimize exposure.When skin turns red, be sure to soothe it first. Dr. Kim Ji-hyun, a dermatologist at Grand Dermatology Clinic, recommends applying an ice pack, cold milk, or cold cosmetic water to get rid of the heat in the skin. A massage pack using natural ingredients such as cucumber and potato and aloe products can also soothe. If the symptoms continue after a week, however, a visit to a dermatologist will be n

Aug 2, 2013By Yoon Ja-young
Between sunburn and tanning

Sunglasses aren't just for fashion

Doctors stress that there is more to consider when choosing sunglasses other than the fashion. / Korea Times fileBy Yoon Ja-youngWhen heading out on a summer vacation trip, there is a sun-related item you must take other than sun block: sunglasses.Sunglasses are not a mere fashion item. Long-term exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays damages the eyes, leading to problems such as cataracts and glaucoma. Sunglasses that fulfill their role in UV protection decrease the risk.Prof. Park In-ki at Kyunghee University Medical Center and Prof. Choi Hyuk-jin at Seoul National University Hospital have some tips for choosing the right sunglasses. UV protection Firstly, you should check whether the lenses offer UV protection. That should come before design, brand or style. Avoid sunglasses that are too cheap as they probably won’t protect you well.“People usually think the darker the lenses, the more effective they are in UV protection. However, this has nothing to do with it,” Prof. Park said.Cheap sunglasses that have poor UV protection thus do more harm than good d

Aug 2, 2013By Yoon Ja-young
Sunglasses aren't just for fashion

(246) How to feng shui your front door

By Janet Shin The feng shui way about each part of the house has changed with the times. In the past, that of the kitchen had been considered as one of the most significant, which is getting less emphasis owing to the changes in people’s lifestyles – people are eating out more frequently than before. Meanwhile, that of personal room and living room has been magnified for the changed social ambience.Regardless of a transition in people’s conception, there is a spot in the house that has been consistently regarded highly, which is the front door. It is where the life qi comes in, where many opportunity and possibility are generated and accordingly it determines the influx of wealth.The main entrance allows the qi to enter your house therefore if it is not arranged properly, you can’t let the qi in however fluent energy there is. It is like a face of a person and dominates the overall atmosphere of a house just like the first impression of a person. It can either collect or disperse the energy subject to its condition.Then how can you make best feng shui of

Aug 1, 2013
(246) How to feng shui your front door

How to enjoy summer indoors

35% of office workrs prefer to spend free time by themselves: pollBy Baek Byung-yeul, Nam Hyun-woo, and Park Ji-won Some are thinking of going abroad or heading to a resort to spend their summer vacation.The word “vacation” comes from the Latin word “vacationem,” which means “to be free, empty.” Thus, as we spend our vacation, we should give ourselves some free time.Not everyone decides to travel for vacation, and as a result, can remain stuck in boring or stressful routines. However, this does not necessarily have to be the case. We can stay at home and still enjoy the summer. Reasons for not traveling While traveling for summer vacation can help people recover from the fatigue brought about by their daily routines, such travel can be more stressful than rejuvenating because of the expense required and the crowdedness of tourist destinations. Thus, some opt to relax from home.Song, 30, an office worker, has forgone a summer vacation trip and decided to stay at home. Many of his colleagues at the steelmaking company are going to exot

Jul 30, 2013
How to enjoy summer indoors

Love against hate

Hi, Dr. P,I have been married for almost five years now and have decided that it’s time to get much-needed marriage counseling. My wife has refused for far too long. I have tried to explain to her that it’s not a bad thing and that it’s not a method to put blame on anyone for anything.Frankly, she’s extremely scared to face a lot of things, and that’s ok, I will be there for her. I want her to see that I want us to try counseling to help understand each other. She sees counseling as a way to “blame” others for actions. I have no intention to blame her for anything.I love her to death, and together I want to show her that there are solutions for all problems. And that we can do it together. I love her dearly. Some information about marriage counseling would be extremely helpful. Thank you. Dear sender,One of the most important things in the world may be domestic harmony. So the proverb says “When one’s home is harmonious, all goes well.” Actually many serious problems originate from conflict between a husband and wife.On

Jul 26, 2013
Love against hate

Joys of bringing life

By Jane HanFinally the moment has come — the day of delivery.I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous. Not even before my wedding day.Getting any kind of sleep the night before was pretty much impossible so I spent the entire night tossing and turning and thinking; thinking about a gazillion things.Did I pack everything in my hospital bag? Did I buy enough bottles and diapers? Did I buy the right kind of bottles and diapers? One question led to the next.And once I managed to stop obsessing over these questions, the real fear factor hit me. Yes, the dreaded c-section that gave me butterflies. All. Night. Long.I was beyond excited to see my girls after nine long months of waiting, but I must say, the surgical procedure wasn’t exactly something I was looking forward to.I kept telling myself that countless other women go through it just fine. But of course, that wasn’t enough to calm my crazy jitters. So with fear and anxiety, I welcomed the morning of delivery day.At 7 a.m., I was at the hospital to check in for my surgery at 9 a.m.My husband tried to ease

Jul 26, 2013
Joys of bringing life

Summer brings about heat-related illnesses

By Yoon Ja-youngA heat wave is hitting the country as now there’s no rain to cool it off.Sudden and excessive exposure to heat can incur a number of health problems, sometimes serious enough to cause death. More people, especially senior citizens, are expected to suffer this year as the summer is expected to be hotter than previous years. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the number of heat patients at emergency centers around the country increased by three times from June 1 to July 22 this year, compared with the same period last year.Following are some of the illnesses related with summer heat and tips for prevention, provided by Prof. Cho Be-long at Seoul National University Hospital and the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.When you stand under the scorching sun for a long time, you may suddenly feel dizzy, collapsing to the ground. You may be having heat syncope. When a person is exposed to sudden heat, the peripheral blood vessels expand, and the blood concentrates in legs. As the brain doesn’t have sufficient bloo

Jul 26, 2013By Yoon Ja-young
Summer brings about heat-related illnesses

Vacation is time to heal joints

By Song Sang-ho Many people are excited about making plans for summer holidays. Traveling can be “healing” to the mind and body, but I recommend that you have a time of “real” healing for your health during the summer vacation.Many people complain of painful joints. However, they often ignore warnings that their joints send them, because they have an excuse of being busy or they think it would be better if they endure it over time. Joint diseases can be somewhat cured only with medication and physical therapy in the early stages. When people continue to endure and neglect their symptoms, however, they will get worse and pain will aggravate. Thus, if you have often felt joint pain, I encourage you to have a time for accurate diagnosis, treatment and sufficient rehabilitation during this vacation.Those who usually complain of pains on wrist, shoulder or knee should take arthroscopy. Arthroscopy can be applied to a wide range of areas in joints such as carpal tunnel syndrome which office workers often suffer or cruciate ligament rupture or meniscus injury to

Jul 26, 2013
Vacation is time to heal joints
previous page
296297298299300
next page

Most Read in Lifestyle