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Alert on viral wart

More people are suffering from warts than years agopartly due to Westernized diet.By Yoon Ja-youngWarts cause huge stress for people concerned with how they look, on top of sometimes producing pain or inconvenience in everyday life. The number of patients suffering from viral warts has increased steadily during the past few years. One third of them are teenagers, according to data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service.An analysis of health insurance data showed that 294,000 people had medical treatment for viral warts last year, up 77.5 percent from 2007 and an average 15.4 percent increase annually. The total medical fee for the condition marked 25.7 billion won last year, nearly tripling from 9.4 billion won five years ago.There was little gap in gender in terms of the number of patients. However, over half of the patients were under 20. Teenagers made up 32.8 percent of the patients, followed by children aged under 10 at 20.7 percent.“More people seem to be visiting hospitals for warts. A Westernized diet may also have worked negatively on the immunity of c

Nov 30, 2012By Yoon Ja-young
Alert on viral wart

(214) You can interpret your own dreams

By Janet ShinA woman agonizing over her career consulted me about her dream. She recently lost her job and was trying to change occupation to lead a stable mid-life. However it was frustrating as she kept failing to find appropriate employment. Under pressure to earn a living, she studied further to attain various licenses and met many people while also considering establishing her own business but having little capital. All of her efforts were in vain.In her dream, her late grandmother appeared. She didn’t say anything but was wearing fine clothes and had a dignified posture. Next, she was invited to a party thrown by a wealthy family. She thought that she was the only one invited but on arrival, she saw many people there. She decided not to eat anything and left. At the front entrance, there were lots of shoes. She barely found hers.She added that she saw the family name Heo on the doorplate.First I asked if there was anyone named Heo who she had met concerning either reemployment or business. She answered in surprise that a woman named Heo persistently proposed they start a

Nov 29, 2012
(214) You can interpret your own dreams

Pangs of fear and conscience

To act or not to act?When fear stops people helping others.By Kim Bo-eun, Jung Min-ho, Bahk Eun-jiTwenty-six-year-old office worker Park Jeong-min says she often faces inner conflict when she encounters unpleasant situations with strangers these days.“Once I was walking down a narrow ally to my house at night when a cigarette butt dropped from above several steps in front of me,” said Park. “It came from the window of a studio apartment, and I could see the man who threw it standing by the window.“Although I couldn’t see the man’s face clearly because of the bright light coming from the window, I was sure he could see mine, so I looked up at him with the most annoyed expression imaginable,” she continued.“And then I walked away but I suddenly got really scared because I thought the man might run downstairs and come after me,” she said. “It may seem like I am paranoid but with the rising number of rage crimes occurring, I couldn’t help feeling worried.”Park said in the past she would squarely tell a person to thei

Nov 27, 2012
Pangs of fear and conscience

Recipe for diabetes patients: Hanbang Ansim Jjim: Braised tenderloin with Oriental medicine ingredients

Courtesy of Vita BooksIngredientsYou will need 70 grams of beef tenderloin, 15 grams of radish, 5 grams of onion, 10 grams of autumn squash, 5 grams of chestnut, 3 grams of fresh ginseng, 3 grams of ginkgo nuts, and2 grams of jujube.For seasoning, you will need 5 grams of soy sauce, 0.3 grams of Aspartame, chopped ginger, chopped garlic and chopped green onion.Step by step1. Dice beef tenderloin into a size suitable to eat. Dice radish, onion, autumn squash and chestnut in size similar to that of the tenderloin.2. Trim fresh ginseng, gingko nut, and jujube.3. Put the tenderloin into boiling water. When the beef becomes tender, add radish, onion, autumn squash and chestnut.4. When the stew boils, add the seasoning.5. Put in fresh ginseng, gingko nut, and jujubeThis is an excerpt from “Best Recipes to Fight Diabetes” by professor Cha Bong-soo at the Severance Hospital of Yonsei University Health System, the Nutrition Team at the hospital, and CJ Freshway, published by Vita Books.

Nov 23, 2012By Yoon Ja-young
Recipe for diabetes patients: Hanbang Ansim Jjim: Braised tenderloin with Oriental medicine ingredients

Doctors stand off over English names

By Yoon Ja-youngThe country’s Western and Oriental medicine doctors are clashing over who has the right to use the term “Korean medicine.”A court recently denied the request of the Korean Medical Association to ban an organization of the doctors of traditional medicine from changing its name to the Association of Korean Medicine.The KMA claimed that the name could be confusing.Traditional medicine doctors had been under the Association of Korean Oriental Medicine, but they changed the name to the Association of Korean Medicine in March.“Oriental has a negative nuance in Western countries. We got rid of it to promote our field as future-oriented and developed medicine,” a spokesman for the association explained. “The term Oriental doesn’t equate with Korean medicine. Oriental means Asia.”He added that the name wasn’t confusing. “In other (Asian) countries, Western medicine doctors use the term medical while traditional medicine uses the term medicine,” he said, citing “Chinese medicine” and “Thai medic

Nov 23, 2012By Yoon Ja-young

Impurities set back implant surgery

Dentists perform implant surgery in this file photo. Ultraviolet light treatment can improve the likelihood of successful operations.                                                                                                                   / Korea Times fileYonsei University professorLee Jae-hoonBy Yoon Ja-youngImplant surgery at dental clinics has become as common as filling cavities, but not all implant procedures are successful. There are diverse reasons for the failure but most of the problems have to do with the implant failing to be integrated with the alveolar bone. Why do implants fail to integrate with the bone in some cases while taking firm hold in others?Implants are mostly made of titanium, as it has good compatibility with the human body while being resistant to corrosion. It i

Nov 23, 2012By Yoon Ja-young
Impurities set back implant surgery

Extreme diet in 20s causes osteoporosis later

By Song Sang-hoFinally, the college scholastic ability test is over. High school seniors in the country now have time to enjoy their life, but many of them have a critical plan to execute — it’s the time when students, especially girls, start a diet, which they have delayed until “after the life-determining college test.”However, there are a few things that you should pay extra attention to. The health of your joints in your 40s and 50s is determined in your 20s.A sudden diet in adolescence can damage joints. Bone density, which is directly related with bone health, reaches its peak in people’s 20s and 30s and gradually reduces afterwards. Hence, they may be exposed to the risk of osteoporosis unless you pull the bone density up when you are young. Women should take special heed as they can suffer bone loss after menopause.The 20s is the most appropriate time to increase the bone density. Unbalanced nutrition caused by diet at this time can weaken bones. The low bone density usually leads to osteoporosis, a disease caused by calcium depletion in the bone

Nov 23, 2012
Extreme diet in 20s causes osteoporosis later

Symptoms of jaw joint disorder

By Lee Sung-hunThe temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the joint of the jaw, and is one of the most frequently used in our body. It is used when we speak, chew or swallow food, and even when we yawn and sneeze. The two TMJs (one on each side) are the joints between the upper temporal bones and the lower jaw bone called the mandible, and they are located immediately in front of the ears. TMJs are supported by the jaw muscles and ligaments, and the articular discs act as a cushion between the bones, much like the intervertebral discs. When one or more parts of the TMJ components, be it the muscles, ligaments, disc or the bones, exhibit pain and other symptoms, it is called a TMJ disorder.Symptoms associated with TMJ disorders can seem so commonplace, and many don’t feel the need for treatment. Some patients, due to lack of information, do not seek proper treatment in time and may suffer from chronic pain and discomfort. Particularly, if the TMJ disc is displaced, it is impossible to restore it to the normal state, requiring constant monitoring and treatment.TMJs are closely related

Nov 23, 2012
Symptoms of jaw joint disorder

Trauma medical system in dire need

A rescue squad transports a victim of a terrorist attack in an emergency medical service drill held at a subway station in Seoul in this file photo. Due to a lack of adequate trauma treatment, the country is suffering deaths that could have been prevented.                                                                        /  YonhapNo investment in special medical field causes preventable deathsBy Yoon Ja-youngOne night, a young man in his 20s had a motorcycle accident in Seoul. One of his legs was completely severed from the thigh. He was taken to a hospital in western Seoul. An orthopedics resident kept the leg in a refrigerator and waited for his boss to come. The boss arrived after a few hours and said that he couldn’t do anything, sending the patient to Seoul National University Hospital. However, it was too late. The leg couldn’t be saved. The young man committed suicide a yea

Nov 23, 2012By Yoon Ja-young
Trauma medical system in dire need

Skype sessions for depression

Dear Dr. P,I have been in Korea for about three months and I have been feeling quite depressed. I would like to speak to a therapist about this, but I have a few concerns: I would prefer not to take medication, I do not live in Seoul, I wish to keep my therapy a secret from my colleagues, and I worry that the cost will be more than I can afford.To be a little specific about my depression, I would first say that I have dealt with some degree with social anxiety for as long as I can remember. Living and teaching in Korea has been difficult as a result. Not only has my social life been affected, but my job performance is suffering as well. I have had thoughts of leaving my job, but I would prefer to stay and work things out if possible. Speaking with family and friends hasn’t been enough, and it’s time I do something I should have done a while ago and seek therapy.Dear Sender,It must be very difficult and stressful for you to feel anxiety and to suffer depression in an unfamiliar foreign country. It is a pity that you have had thoughts of leaving your job. However, I think i

Nov 23, 2012
Skype sessions for depression
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