Why moms trust ASCOF Lagundi Syrup

[caption id="attachment_1452" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="“I don’t want my children to take any cough medicine that might have side effects, so I give them ASCOF Lagundi Syrup, says mommy Rosanna."][/caption]

When it comes to administering medicine to their children, moms are quite meticulous. After all, they want to give the best to their kids, while making sure that they don’t suffer from side effects that some chemical cough formulations may cause in the long run.

 

And when it comes to treating their children’s cough, moms Charmaine Niduaza, Rossana Singson-Kawpeng, and Allen Hernandez have found an effective and safe cough remedy in ASCOF Lagundi Syrup.

“My kids’ health is my top priority. I trust only ASCOF Lagundi Syrup because I know it’s safe for their health,” says the 26-year Niduaza, who is mom to two kids.

Forty-one-year old Singson-Kawpeng adds, “I don’t want my children to take any cough medicine that might have side effects, so I give them ASCOF Lagundi Syrup.”

ASCOF Lagundi is made from 100% Lagundi leaves. Clinical trials have shown Lagundi to be equally effective as other chemical-based over-the-counter cough medications, but without their potentially harmful side effects.

ASCOF Lagundi works in three ways: one, it opens up the bronchial tubes to facilitate airflow, therefore making it easier for the child to breathe; two, it dissolves mucus so it’s easier to expel; and three, it reduces the inflammation in the respiratory passages due to its anti-histaminic action.

Aside from its efficacy and safety, these mothers also laud the fact that it is easy to have their kids take ASCOF Lagundi syrup because it comes in flavors that children love—strawberry and ponkan.

“It’s difficult for kids to take medicines that taste bitter. Good thing ASCOF Lagundi has deliciously flavored syrup variants,” Hernandez says.

For older kids, there’s ASCOF Lagundi Forte Syrup in menthol and sugar-free menthol variants, recommended for kids age 13 years old and above.

Singson-Kawpeng shares that ASCOF Lagundi Syrup has made taking cough medication easier for her two children.

[caption id="attachment_1453" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="It’s difficult for kids to take medicines that taste bitter. Good thing ASCOF Lagundi has deliciously flavored syrup variants,” Mommy Allen says."][/caption]

“My two daughters love the yummy flavors of ASCOF Lagundi Syrup. They say it doesn’t taste like medicine at all,” she explains.

Hernandez, meanwhile, concludes, “It pains me to listen to my kids cough all day and through the night. I’m glad there’s ASCOF Lagundi that helps cautious moms like me relieve our children of their cough – the safe and natural way!,” Hernandez concludes.

Things You Should Know About Brain Tumor

[caption id="attachment_1447" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Some members of the Gamma Knife team—(from left) registered nurse Mel-Ross Caleda, Medical Physicist Eliseo Dela Cruz, Dr. Monserrat Velasquez, and registered nurse Mario Louis Bumatay"][/caption]



The right place to go

One of the most populated areas in the world is Manila. It’s the capital city of the Philippines that is why this metropolitan area attracts foreign visitors and overseas workers. Now healthcare system is one of the places visitors are looking forward on us.
Just recently I was able to attend a media briefing on Philippine Gamma Knife Center at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center, the only hospital that offers noninvasive brain surgery, meaning it minimizes the possibility of developing complications. Above all its harmless.
Upon visiting here I learned the things I should know about brain tumor.
In the past years, several modern procedures for the treatment of brain disorders have been made available in the Philippines. Generally, there are several different types of brain disorder.
It is important to know and understand that treating a brain disorder should be considerable to you. It means it is important for the treating doctor to consider your age, as well as any and all health complications that you may experience. And this should be the ideal medical standard for these cases.

[caption id="attachment_1446" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Dr. Ted Vesagas"][/caption]

Medical professionals should also consider the type of brain disorder that you suffer from, Let say a brain tumor, since it is the primary disorder Gamma Knife Center is treating. Consider the location of the tumor, as well as the general size of the abnormal growth.

To give an idea here are the different types of brain disorder treatment that you may choose from in order to treat the health complications that you suffer from.

 
Radiation Treatment
Radiation therapy is a treatment that many individuals with tumors select to participate in after being diagnosed by their doctor. Machines that emit rays that are filled with a high level of energy work to effectively destroy tumor based cells. This treatment is also effective in reducing the possibility that the cells will grow and continue to multiply in the body.
In most instances, radiation therapy will completely stop the growth and reproduction process of cancerous cells in the brain and other locations in the body. This is an appropriate treatment for those that are not capable of undergoing treatment. Many patients prefer this treatment as it is considered to be local. This means that it only targets cells that are cancerous and not healthy cells.
However, patients may experience hair loss, loose of appetite, fatigue and some patients get bloated.
Chemotherapy
Many patients chose the treatment of chemotherapy. This type of treatment incorporates the use of drugs in order to effectively destroy tumor cells. Medical professionals will use a combination of several drugs, but there are many that will use only one type of medication when issuing chemotherapy.
This treatment is typically given in what is referred to as a "cycle". This means that a person is issued the medication on an intensive level. Typically, the patients that undergo chemotherapy experience many different challenging and uncomfortable symptoms. Many individuals actually describe these symptoms as being unbearable such as nausea, mouth sores, loose of appetite and loss of hair.

It will also require you to keep on coming back, because, chemotherapy is usually done for three or more sessions.
Gamma Knife Surgery
It’s still considered a surgery but without incision. Following the patient’s admission, a stereotactic frame is attached to the patient’s head, then, neuroimaging such as MRI, CT Scan or cerebral angiography is performed. A marker on the stereotactic frame allows the Gamma Knife team to localize the tumor or vascular malformation with exact precision on a state of the art computer work station. When the plan is complete, actual treatment will follow which usually last a single day.
How exactly does Gamma Knife works?
The Gamma Knife uses ionizing radiation (gamma rays) produced by 201 cobalt-60 sources to target and destroy a tumor, a blood vessel abnormality such as an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) within or adjacent to brain tissue, or to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and trigeminal neuralgia (an excruciatingly painful facial condition) with extreme accuracy. Since each individual gamma ray is of relatively weak intensity, the normal brain tissue surrounding the abnormality is protected as the full dose of radiation is focused only at the point where all 201 beams converge. This explains why side effects are rare and usually temporary. Since the procedure is non-invasive, or “bloodless”, the risks of post-operative complications, such as infection and hemorrhage, are eliminated.
A multidisciplinary team consisting of a neurosurgeon, a radiation oncologist, and a radiation physicist accomplishes treatment with the Gamma Knife. The referring physician is an active partner in the treatment process, and patients accepted by Gamma Knife treatment remain in their primary physician’s care. Providing regular reports on patient status, the Gamma Knife team maintains ongoing communications with referring physicians through evaluation, treatment, follow-up, and outcome studies.
The speed with which the treatment takes effect depends on the type of tumor (its tissue type, or histology). Fast-growing tumors, such as metastases, respond very quickly (weeks), whereas slow-growing tumors, such as acoustic neuromas, have slower response times (months, sometimes years). The Gamma Knife can be used alone or in combination with surgery or radiotherapy.
Now, the best option if you don’t want to suffer from the effects of Radiation Treatment and Chemotherapy is the Gamma Knife Surgery. And the only hospital in the Philippines that offers this kind of treatment is the Philippine Gamma Knife Center at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center. They prioritize quality of life, making it sure that they give quick recovery time to patients. It saves your time and money, because it prevents you form keep on coming back to the hospital.

Why Gamma Knife is the gold standard in non-invasive brain surgery

In the past years, several modern procedures for the treatment of brain disorders have been made available in the Philippines.



These have given Filipinos easier access to procedures that they have otherwise gone abroad for and all the incidental expenses for travel and accommodations to think of.

 

One such procedure is the Gamma Knife Radiosurgery pioneered by the Philippine Gamma Knife Center at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center. It was established in 1998 to provide the Filipino patient access to neurosurgical technology that was difficult to access. It was created to become a center of excellence for Stereotactic Neurosurgery and Radiosurgery.

Gamma Knife Radiosurgery represents an advance in the field of Stereotactic Neurosurgery and is considered as the gold standard in noninvasive brain surgery. It was the result of a relentless pursuit by Dr. Lars Leksell, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, to develop less invasive methods of cranial surgery.  Dr. Leksell developed the Gamma Knife as a noninvasive procedure for performing stereotactic functional neurosurgery.

The respect accorded to Gamma Knife Radiosurgery is based on three reasons: its guaranteed quick recovery time, its high performance rating among experts and patients alike, and the team of experts who perform the procedure.

 

Quick recovery time

Gamma Knife minimizes the possibility of developing complications.  Following the patient’s admission, a stereotactic frame is attached to the patient’s head, then, neuroimaging such as MRI, CT Scan or cerebral angiography is performed. A marker on the stereotactic frame allows the Gamma Knife team to localize the tumor or vascular malformation with exact precision on a state of the art computer work station. When the plan is complete, actual treatment will follow which usually last a single day.

 

“Compared to conventional open surgery, Gamma Knife allows the patients to return to his daily activities quickly and cost effectively. Because the Gamma Knife requires no incisions, and in most cases requires local anesthesia, many of the risk associated with conventional surgery such as infection, hemorrhage, adverse reaction to anesthesia and death are actually eliminated.

 

 

 

 

The procedure is accomplished within a very brief time frame. It is usually performed as an out patient basis with no associated convalescence. Most patients resume their normal activities after discharge from the center.

 

Safer and more effective

But more than quick recovery time, what is being commended by doctors and Gamma Knife patients alike is the accuracy with which Gamma Knife treats a brain disorder. In fact, there is no other procedure that can claim to have greater acceptance among the world’s leading hospitals and medical practitioners when it comes to the non-invasive treatment of brain disorders than Gamma Knife.

Here, no scalpels are required and no blood is shed. Patients undergoing the Gamma Knife procedure will have their brain disorders treated, instead, through the delivery of a high single dose of radiation to that area that is affected. That makes it safer as surrounding tissues will not be affected during or after the procedure.

 

Patients whose lives have been changed after a Gamma Knife treatment also number in hundreds of thousands around the world. The technology involved in this procedure ensures its precision in treating a brain disorder. It has been proven to be one of the most successful radiosurgery weapons in the fight against brain disorders such as Arteriovenous malformation, benign intracranial tumors including acoustic neuromas, meningiomas, pituitary adenomas, craniopharyngiomas, pineal tumors, malignant tumors such as metastatic carcinoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Other candidates for Gamma Knife Radiosurgery include patients with residual lesions left unresected by previous open neurosurgical procedure, patients at high risk for surgical complications due to age or underlying medical problems, and patient who refuse craniotomy. This is why it is preferred by the experts. Morbidity is low and mortality is none.



Expertise

Since its clinical start-up in 1998, the Philippine Gamma Knife Center has performed over 1700 radiosurgical and open stereotactic procedures. The safety and effectiveness of the Gamma Knife procedure is ensured by a multi disciplinary team of medical professionals which are all trained in Stockholm, Sweden.



The team is composed of Neurosurgeons, headed by Dr. Vesagas who currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Asian Leksell Gamma Knife Society, Radiation Oncologist, Medical Physicist, Anesthesiologist and Neurosurgical Nurse with years of experience behind them. Averaging 130 cases a year, the Stereotactic Neurosurgery team at the Philippine Gamma Knife Center is the most experienced in the country, bar none.

 

Need to know more about how Gamma Knife can help you? Just visit the PGKC at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center or visit their website at www.gammaknife.com.ph or call 7259254;7237575.

 

Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition's newest fitness experts

Coach Jim Saret and model Chinggay Andrada were now the two world-class specialists for the Philippine franchise of the Biggest Loser entitled “The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition” which will be shown soon on ABS-CBN.

Chinggay was a former TV sports host, a radio DJ, boxing instructor and professional model. She was also the cover girl of FHM Philippines twice while.

Coach Jim is a Sport Medicine and very well known to be an Olympic atheletic trainer.

Now the both of them will guide the contestants as they aim to lose weight.

Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition will be hosted by health and health rumor icon Sharon Cuneta.

A Bigger NatGeo Earth Day Run kicks off April 10

A bigger NatGeo Earth Day Run (EDR) awaits thousands of students, professionals, athletes, health buffs, and celebrities as the event kicks off with an added 21-kilometer race on April 10, 2011 at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

“We were encouraged by last year’s huge turnout that’s why we are putting up the 21K race,” said Jude Turcuato, Fox International Channels territory director. “It looks like we are going the have twice the participants this year from the 5000 runners in last year’s inaugural race as more and more people are taking up running as a sport.”

Aside from the 21K race, the NatGeo EDR features 3K, 5K, and 10K categories. A limited edition NatGeo EDR technical shirt is included when you register with each distance having an assigned color.

The NatGeo EDR is an annual event aimed at creating awareness about caring for the planet and helping save the environment. It is part of the National Geogrpahic Channel’s (NGC) global thrust in support of Earth Day on April 22 this year.

Apart from encouraging Filipinos to care about the planet, NGC also plans to help bring a constellation of stars in the Mind Museum’s Universe Gallery by asking NatGeo EDR online registrants to sponsor a star. Details and mechanics can be found through the EDR website.

Sponsors will receive an electronic “Donor’s Certificate” and a sponsorship badge that they can post on Facebook. Their names will also be posted at the Mind Museum website.

Online registration is available at www.natgeorun.com until March 27, 2011. On-site cash registration is accepted at the NatGeo EDR booth at the left wing ground floor of Greenbelt 3 in Makati City until April 3, 2011.

What your child’s cough might mean

Coughing 101: What your child’s cough might mean

[caption id="attachment_1436" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="ASCOF Lagundi Syrup is a dependable and effective cough remedy."][/caption]

Coughing is a reflex that serves several functions. It helps protect the lungs by clearing airways of secretions and foreign particles. In most cases, coughing may also be a symptom of an underlying condition or illness.

 

How would you know if your child's cough is simply a case of the body doing its job, or a sign of a more serious ailment? It all depends on the type, character and severity of the cough, and how long it lasts.

Common types of cough

Basically, there are two types of cough : productive and non-productive.

Productive cough is usually due to a viral or bacterial infection. This type of cough expels the phlegm which was formed in our respiratory passages so abnormal amounts of mucus and germs are eliminated from the respiratory tract making breathing easier. This type of cough is commonly seen in asthmatics where it is accompanied by “wheezing” sounds due to constriction of the respiratory passages due to infection, fever may ensue.

[caption id="attachment_1437" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Know if your child's cough is simply a case of the body doing its job, or a sign of a more serious ailment."][/caption]

Non-productive cough is dry, tickling and irritating. This cough can be caused by phlegm that is so viscous that it is not loosened and expectorated. It may have an allergic or neurotic origin and in worst cases caused by an underlying disease. This type of cough is commonly seen in “smokers” due to the irritation of the respiratory passages to the inhaled smoke.

Natural and safe remedy for cough
In some cases, the cough will just run its course and get resolved after complete rest, fluid intake, and proper nutrition. However, there are instances when medication is necessary, especially when it reaches the point of discomfort. In these cases, a natural medication like ASCOF Lagundi Syrup is a dependable and effective cough remedy.

Made from 100% Lagundi leaves, ASCOF Lagundi works in three ways : : one, it opens up the bronchial tubes to facilitate airflow, making it easier for the patient to breathe; two, it dissolves mucus to make it easier to expel from the body; and three, it reduces the inflammation in the respiratory passages due to its anti-histaminic action.

Because it is natural, ASCOF has an advantage over chemical cough medicines because it does not have the negative side effects commonly seen in chemical-based medicines. Clinical tests indicate no adverse reactions among those who use ASCOF. This means that in the long term, ASCOF Lagundi is safer to use than chemical cough formulations. Furthermore, some studies indicate that using chemical cough medicines are potentially dangerous to children as it may cause respiratory distress and can even make some children hyperactive and irritable.

When it comes to figuring out your child's cough, it pays to listen. How a cough sounds like—along with its accompanying symptoms—will tell you a lot about its cause so you will be able treat it properly.

Using a natural cough remedy like ASCOF Lagundi will not only help your child feel better – it will also make moms like you feel more safe. And remember, if the cough persists, it is still best to consult your doctor.

How to make your kids take their medicine

[caption id="attachment_1433" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Having a hard time making your kids take their medicine."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1432" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Making kids take their medicine can sometimes be a challenge. Follow this tips to avoid future arguments with your kids"][/caption]

Parenting tips on How to make your kids
take their medicine

 

As a parent, you know that making your children take their medicine can pose quite a challenge. That’s because most of the time, children find their medicines to be bad-tasting, so they will do practically anything to avoid having to take them.

Don’t give up. Knowing this fact already brings you one step closer to finding out how you can make them take their medicine instead of forcing or fighting with them. Here are some things that can help you:

Talk to your kids. Explain to them why they need to take their medicine. Be firm yet patient in telling them that taking their medicine is an important step to making them better.

Some mothers use the airplanes and spaceships trick in putting the spoon or dropper into their kids’ mouth. While this is fun and cute, it is not strongly recommended as children may begin to associate medicines with playing games.

Choose good-tasting medicines. Toddlers and older children shun food that do not taste good. The same principle applies to medication. Yummy-flavored medicines are a lot easier to take than those that taste bitter or have flavors that are too strong.

When it comes to cough medications, it’s a good thing there’s ASCOF Lagundi Syrup. Made from 100% Lagundi leaves, it comes in delicious flavors such as strawberry, ponkan and menthol. And because it is natural, you can be sure that it is safe to give to children.

Give medicines that are easy to take. Some medicines are difficult for kids to swallow. As much as possible, choose something that is in syrup form so it’s easy for children to take.

Because it is available in syrup format, ASCOF Lagundi Syrup is convenient toadminister. . Just put the recommended amount of ASCOF syrup in a spoon or dropper, or use the dosage cup that comes free with every bottle.

Stick to the schedule. Skipping your child’s medicine intake schedule may give them the impression that they no longer need to take their medication. Sticking to the schedule will avoid confusion and will also help your children be more prepared in taking their medicine.
Do not mix medicine with food. : This tactic used by some parents in giving medication is not encouraged, because your child may not be able to take the entire intended dosage if he/she does not finish his/her food. Not only that, your child may begin to refuse any food given in the future, thinking that it may contain medicine.

Always have a positive attitude. Smile and be cheerful when administering medicine, so that your child will see the activity as something pleasant.
Say something like “It’s time for your medicine” in a happy voice, to reassure your child and give him/her the impression that there is nothing to worry about.

With these tips and further advice from your pediatrician, you can make your children take their medicine without the drama, and ensure that they recover from their illness much faster.