SPECIALIST CARE GROUP 3, Mount Elizabeth, #11-10, Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, Singapore 228510
Media
Lianhe Zaobao 18 April 2023: "Stomach Flu"
腹泻疾病有三高峰期
病毒性胃肠炎引起的腹泻病况十分普遍。伊丽莎白医院肠胃肝脏专科顾问医生林利源说,根据2005年至2018年的研究调查显示, 新加坡 腹泻疾病在一年中有三个高峰期, 第一波高峰期是在1月底至2月初,上涨幅度最大的高峰时期是7月底至8月初,而另一个幅度较小的高峰则在11月底至12月初。林利源医生说:“腹泻风险与环境湿度有关联,湿度上升可能增加引起腹泻的食源性病原体,从而增加腹泻疾病的感染险。”
Straits Times 30 May 2023: "Do you need to drink eight glasses of water a day?"
Many people have heard that one needs to drink eight glasses of water a day. However, doctors say this amount is an oversimplification and may not meet a person’s daily water needs.
It is also not enough to rely on thirst to signal when you need to replenish your fluids.
Dr Lim Lee Guan, a gastroenterologist at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, says: “Thirst is not always a reliable early indicator of hydration status. Many people, especially the elderly, may not feel thirsty until they are dehydrated.”
Dr Lim Lee Guan says a person could lose up to 10 litres of water a day through sweat. The actual sweat rate depends on a person’s metabolic rate, or the amount of energy expended by the body in staying alive.
He suggests multiplying your body weight in kilograms by 30 and 40 to get an estimate of how many millilitres of water you require a day. A 60kg adult would thus require at least 1.8 to 2.4 litres of water a day.
He notes that both Singapore’s Health Promotion Board and Britain’s National Health Service recommend drinkingeight glasses of water, or two litres, a day. This amount includes water from food and liquids such as low-fat milk and sugar-free drinks.
However, people with medical conditions such as heart failure, kidney failure and liver failure will need to consult their doctors for an individual recommendation of what to drink and eat, as they are at risk of a condition known as fluid overload.
“This can lead to fluid in the lungs causing breathing difficulty, fluid in the abdomen causing abdominal distension and fluid in the limbs causing swollen limbs,” he says. “In addition to fluid restriction, salt restriction is usually also required. The doctor will advise on the restriction needed based on the individual’s condition.”