Q: When do babies start teething? What are the symptoms? A: On average, children begin teething around 4 to 7 months. The common symptoms include mild irritability, fever, drooling, and an urge to chew. Q: What is the FDA warning about? A: FDA warns the use of teething gel contains Benzocaine. Benzocaine is a local anesthetic which may cause a life threatening condition called methemoglobinemia (reduce of oxygen carried…

The recent viral photo of Malaysia’s new prime minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir having a meal with his wife Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah, has sparked a local craze over Berocca™, causing it to be sold out in most major retail pharmacies. Netizens spotted and identified the supplement lying on the dining table in this photo to be Berocca (circled in red).   This sparked huge interest in Berocca probably because of…

Life was a lot less complicated back then when apple and blackberry were fruits. Life was also much simpler back in the days, when drinking milk meant…..drinking cow’s milk. Instead of having only cow’s milk, we now have so many different types of milk that I personally find it difficult to decide which one to drink! So I set myself the task to demystify one of the “most pressing” issues…

It was about half a year ago when dad underwent a minor surgery. He was 68 years of age and his eyesight was not all good anymore. Fortunately, the problem was not a big one. Like most elderly, cataract plagued his eyes. Cataract occurs when the lens within the eye becomes cloudy thereby obstructing vision and cause the appearance of flares under bright light. Cataracts develop because of aging, and…

Some of us love a challenge to scale high terrains while others just simply enjoy the view of the calm majesty of nature’s finest creations; the mountains! However, confronting high altitude is not easy. Not only does one need to have the strength and stamina to mount the steep slopes, one may also have to deal with altitude sickness.   What is altitude sickness? Travelling to places of high altitudes…

A runny and/or blocked nose can be very irritating. Even more so when it is a chronic (long term) problem. Many of us may suffer from occasional cold or nasal allergies from time to time. Some people suffer from seasonal or chronic allergies. So, what do we usually treat these problems with? A topical nasal decongestant.    Topical? As the name implies, this group of medicines clears up congestion within…