The Arokaya Wellness Sala focuses on ‘prevention before cure’ with the application of natural science, herbs and innovations
The Arokaya Wellness Sala at Buri Ram’s Play La Ploen Boutique Resort has joined up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to give tourists a chance to experience the history of Arokayasala and the use of Thai herbs. This move will make the wellness centre a new landmark in wellness tourism. Panai Saichompoo, the resort’s assistant managing director, said the Arokayasala package will include a trip into the first wellness pavilion constructed during the 1150-1160 reign of the Khmer king, Jayavarman VII. “The Arokaya Wellness Sala focuses on ‘prevention before cure’ with the application of natural science, herbs and innovations,” he said. “Treatment includes Thai, Chinese and modern traditions, as well as a cannabis clinic and a variety of products.” Apart from offering personal treatments, he said the Arokaya Wellness Sala is also cooperating with TAT to prescribe medication that is historically accurate and in line with Buri Ram’s abundance.
The resort also promotes local ingredients, with a belief that food is medicine, in a bid to boost holistic healthcare that focuses on body, mind, social and intelligence, he added. “We expect that when the Covid-19 situation returns to normal, this will help the tourism sector and local communities generate revenue sustainably,” he said. Panai explained that the tourism trail starts with paying respect to sacred objects at the Phanom Rung stone castle, built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII. He said tourists will then visit the Muang Tam stone castle to study the history of Arokayasala which acted as a hospital in the 10th to 13th-century, as well as the production of 1,000-year-old Baray mud cloth and handicrafts made from reeds. “After that, tourists will go to the Arokaya Wellness Sala at Play La Ploen Boutique Resort. The resort offers accommodation, wellness centre and herb education centre,” he said.
“There, the tourists will study, do activities and visit exhibitions, such as blending four types of teas, seeing a doctor for health advice, receiving herbal treatments, such as inhaling steam from herbs containing essential oils, which help improve the respiratory system.”
They can also visit the “Diversity of Hemp” exhibition to Mark the 90th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother, as well as the “Buriram Food Series”, which offers delicacies cooked from local ingredients, including medical-grade hemp. He added that the food is cooked by the resort’s chefs who have expertise in using Thai herbs and have passed certified food standards.
“Arokaya Wellness Sala is a new project in Play La Ploen Boutique Resort and the resort’s managing director Pornthip Asadathorn has created guidelines to boost the awareness of 1,000-year-old medical treatment and to promote Thai herbs,” he said.
“We are ready to welcome visitors and offer treatment under medical experts’ supervision to create holistic healthcare and balance in health and standards.” He added that the resort had cooperated with Pakasai Resort in Krabi to provide wellness services that focus on using local herbs found in the South since early this year. “Those interested can seek advice from medical experts or more information related to wellness services at both resorts,” he added. Arokaya Wellness Sala is open daily from 9am to 6pm. Visit www.arokayawellness.com or Line @arokaya.wellness for more information.
Half the dose of an mRNA vaccine can provide as much immunity as a full dose, a top virologist said recently.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Chulalongkorn University’s Dr Yong Poovorawan said studies show that administering half a dose of an mRNA vaccine, especially Moderna, is just as effective as a full dose.
He added that in the US and Europe half doses or 50 micrograms of the vaccine are being administered as boosters.
He also pointed out that the Thai Food and Drug Administration had approved the administration of half doses and even indicated this on the label.
Hence, he said, people are within their rights to ask for half a dose even if their first two shots were of an inactivated vaccine like Sinovac or Sinopharm.
Yong went on to say that the Public Health Ministry has also approved the administration of half a dose or 15mcg of Pfizer vaccines as booster shots. This decision was backed by studies conducted by Chulalongkorn University and Siriraj Hospital.
He said the study conducted by Chulalongkorn’s Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology found that half a dose of an mRNA vaccine as a booster provides sufficient immunity.
The peer-reviewed Vaccine journal is looking into publishing this study, while it has already been published on the MedRxiv website https://bit.ly/3up4VA2.
Fully vaccinated people can contract Omicron twice in one month, a lung specialist warned on Monday.
In a Facebook post, Vichaiyut Hospital’s Dr Manoon Leechawengwongs cited the case of a 27-year-old nurse who had received two Sinovac jabs and two Pfizer boosters.
She developed a sore throat and tested positive for Covid-19 on February 19. She had contracted the virus from a family member and improved after spending 10 days in quarantine.
“However, she tested positive again on March 23 with a sore throat, cough and runny nose,” Dr Manoon said, adding that the patient recovered again after 10 days.
He said receiving four jabs can reduce the risk of developing severe symptoms and death even though it cannot protect people from contracting the virus.
He added that the nurse had received her fourth jab in January and a month later she contracted the virus. He believes the patient was infected by the Omicron BA.1 subvariant the first time and the BA.2 subvariant the second time.
“Normally, people who have been infected by BA.1 will have developed immunity against other subvariants, but some people can still contract the Omicron BA.2 because they are only immune to BA.1,” he said.
He added that this can happen to one in 4,000 people.
The anti-viral medication, Favipiravir, may not offer much protection to Covid-19 patients in the high-risk group, a respiratory specialist warned on Saturday.
In a Facebook post, Dr Manoon Leechawengongs pointed out that the elderly have a high chance of developing pneumonia if they contract the Omicron variant of Covid-19. Often, he said, elderly patients end up in intensive care attached to breathing apparatus, especially if they have not received a booster vaccine.
He suggested that patients in the high-risk group should be prescribed medicines that are more efficient, such as Molnupiravir or Paxlovid within the first five days of the infection.
There is evidence that these two anti-viral medicines can block serious symptoms and even death, while there is no such evidence for Favipiravir, the specialist said.
Manoon cited an 85-year-old male patient as an example. He said this patient had broken his hip bone and was bedridden. He suffered from hypertension and enlarged prostate.
He went for a health check-up on March 12 and was found to be healthy. However, upon learning that the patient had not had a single Covid-19 jab, his doctor urged him to get one immediately. So, the patient’s daughter arranged for him to get his first AstraZeneca jab on March 18.
On March 24, his daughter tested positive for Covid-19 and soon after, her father began developing symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat and runny nose.
On March 26, he tested positive for Covid-19 and a hospital nearby sent him a Favipiravir prescription for five days. However, his symptoms did not improve and he was admitted to intensive care.
On March 31, he was hooked up to a tracheal tube and prescribed Remdesivir. But his condition kept worsening and his blood pressure dropped. He died on April 4 from acute kidney problems.
Manoon said this patient would have survived if he had been vaccinated sooner and given more effective anti-viral medicines.
A collaboration between four renowned co-authors, brought together by BDMS Wellness Clinic, has result in the highly anticipated book, “Health Brings Wealth”, which launches this month.
The book was written with the goal of educating people to live longer, healthier and happier by sharing decades of experience, advanced research, in-depth studies together with medical practice in their respective fields.The result is a book that is rich with useful advice and information as it is engaging.
Dispelling any myths, “Health Brings Wealth” hopes to give applicable advice based on scientific findings to put into daily practice in the long-term.
In this book, perspectives based on different medical fields are combined with discussion and how everyday choices can impact overall health systems.
Some key highlights from the co-authors and experts emphasise key advice based on their respective specialist areas and how these impact each health system.
Prof Jiří Dvořák’s mainly specialises in neurology and spinal injuries and conditions, sports medicine and lifestyle medicine that promotes a healthy lifestyle through research on the impact of exercise. He is an advocate of the prescribed 30-minute “exercise pill” and emphasises the importance of nutrition.
Prof Sergio Fazio is an expert on preventive cardiology. He discusses the importance of the cardiovascular system and the root causes of cardiovascular disease.
Adj Asst Prof Tanupol Virunhagarun is a regenerative doctor who focuses on lifestyle factors, centred around the core of lifestyle and anti-ageing medicine, in addition to chronic diseases, obesity-related diseases and causes.
Prof Keith L Black is a world-renowned neurosurgeon with a prolific body of work. His expertise on brain diseases and tumours will emphasise the important duty of the brain and how to optimise brain health and wellness as you age to prevent degenerating diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
Perhaps the most important message to distill for readers is to form lifelong healthy habits that are realistic and simple enough to commit to in the long-term.
“We hope you will enjoy reading this book and benefit from the pearls of wisdom within. A long-term healthy lifestyle does not mean sacrificing all your favourite activities and foods — even small lifestyle changes can make an impact,” as concluded in the preface by the co-authors.
“We would like readers to remember that it’s never too early or too late to start living a healthy lifestyle and appreciating how health brings purposeful wealth to life!”
The graphical and visually stunning 228-page book, “Health Brings Wealth”, will be in stores from mid-April 2022 at Asia Books Thailand, Save Drug at a price of THB990.
International distribution will be planned from April onwards with e-books available on Amazon.com worldwide.
The Omicron variant of Covid-19 is very contagious and can be picked up from any of 10 contact points, the National Health Security Office (NHSO) warned.
In a recent Facebook post, NHSO listed the 10 risky contact points and steps that should be taken for protection. They are:
Banknotes and coins: Wash your hands with soap and water or alcohol gel.
Door handles/knobs: Push the door open with your shoulder or wipe the door/knob clean with alcohol before touching.
Office desks: Always clean with alcohol before using.
Telephones: Mobile phones and desk phones should be wiped down with alcohol, and mobile phone cases must be removed and cleaned.
Escalator handrails: Avoid touching the rail, and if you must, wash your hands with soap or alcohol gel immediately.
Elevator buttons: Use a pen or toothpick to push the button.
Food court/parking cards: Wipe clean with alcohol.
ATM: Clean your hands immediately after use.
Public toilets: Use tissue to touch toilet fittings or wipe down with alcohol-infused tissue before using. Wash your hands when done.
Parcels: Spray with alcohol or set aside in a different room for two days before opening.
The number of Omicron cases has been on the rise because though it results in fewer symptoms, it can spread very quickly.
On Tuesday, 21,088 people tested positive for Covid-19, while 91 patients succumbed to the virus in Thailand.
Anthelmintic drugs cannot treat Covid-19, Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Medicine lecturer Thira Woratanarat made clear in a Facebook post on Thursday.
His remark came after the rumour went viral among netizens worldwide, including in Thailand.
Citing a study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Thira said Ivermectin anthelmintic drugs “cannot reduce the volume of the Covid-19 virus or reduce the severity of the disease”.
“Hence, we should not believe this rumour,” he advised.
Thira went on to say that it would be very hard for Thailand to declare Covid-19 as endemic in a few months as the number of patients continues to rise.
He claimed that a lot of medical institutions are facing a shortage of personnel as some of them have been infected with Covid-19 even while performing their duties.
“It would be better if the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration evaluates the effectiveness of its policy to allow Covid-19 patients to receive outpatient care thoroughly,” he suggested.
Thira Woratanarat
Thira also advised people to request contact with medical personnel that they know and prepare a plan in case they or their family members are infected with Covid-19, as this could help relieve stress.
The treatment of Applied Thai Traditional Medicine based on a study of the elements is currently popular with health lovers.
Every year, around April, the temperature in Thailand sizzles at its hottest. The increasing temperature causes our bodies to be hotter than normal, which might cause some symptoms or unhealthy conditions. Therefore, we should try to cool down our body to avoid the symptoms or abnormal conditions.
To take care of your health in the summer weeks, there are many suggestions offered by Bhakkhaphorn Booranasuntikul from the Wiwatta Clinic, Applied Thai Traditional Medicine and Alternative Medicine Clinic at Princ Suvarnabhumi Hospital in Principal Healthcare, based on the science of Applied Thai Traditional Medicine.
Health problems from cumulative heat in bodies
Cumulative heat in bodies might cause sicknesses such as headaches, dizziness, tiredness, fainting, pain in the oral cavity and throat, aphthous stomatitis, constipation, difficulty in excretion, dry skin, inflammatory acne on faces, and abscess on bodies. The cumulative stored heat in the body might cause damage to some organs or lead to their abnormal functioning. When the body suffers from inflammation several times, it might lead to severe internal sicknesses such as tumours or cancer.
The hot weather in Thailand also affects several things in daily life and might cause unexpected health issues or illnesses, such as:
● The hot weather could easily cause food to get spoilt or go rotten. Eating food with contaminated bacteria or viruses might cause diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera), food poisoning, and typhoid fever.
● When a body is in hot weather for a long time, the body temperature might increase suddenly, which cannot be reduced immediately. It might even cause a heat stroke, leading to death.
● In summer, mammals could get irritable or angered easily, so people should beware of rabies. When mammals, such as infected dogs or cats bite, scratch, or lick the wound, the virus could flow into the blood vessel and might cause death.
● Stress disorder is a commonly found issue in summer. It could cause headaches, insomnia, make one short-tempered or easily irritable, which might affect relationship with a near one. It could also affect daily life negatively, such as cause nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, or loss of weight which might lead to a decline in physical health.
‘Elements’ according to Applied Thai Traditional Medicine
Before we learn how to take care of our bodies according to the principle of elements, we must understand these elements first. The elements are categorised into four types: earth, water, air, and fire. Each element has a different distinctive feature.
Earth: A person with a tall or big body, dark skin, black hair, strong joints, big bone, complete organs, and healthy constitution. When they get an illness, they usually suffer from a chronic disease that requires them to take care of themselves, such as heart disease, hypertension, or obesity.
Water: A person with a regular physique, bright and firm skin, stable walking stance, speaking sweetly and softly, doing things slowly, and capable of enduring cold weather. When they suffer from an illness, it will usually be related to the respiratory system. They will suffer from fever or allergic rhinitis (hay fever) more easily than normal people. Moreover, they should beware of their lymphatic system, wounds healing slowly, and diarrhoea.
Wind: A person with a skinny or thin body, dry skin, doing things quickly, and unable to endure the cold weather. Their health problems usually are insomnia, stomach ache, heartburn, digestive problems. In some cases, they might suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease. They might suffer from body or joint pains while some patients might suffer from dizziness and faint in the rainy season.
Fire: A person with average body, oily skin especially on the face, hot-tempered, enthusiastic, unable to endure hot weather, often hungry. They eat a lot but do not get fat because they have a good metabolism. They usually suffer from stress, gastritis, fever. They also suffer from inflammatory acne, abscess on the body, sore throat, aphthous stomatitis, and constipation.
Does the fire element in the body relapse more easily in the summer and why?
The summer (beginning in March to the end of May) is the period when the fire element relapses because the Earth orbits closer to the Sun, while Thailand is at a right angle to the Sun. The weather will be hotter than normal while the body accumulates more heat (fire element relapse). If all of the heat cannot be released, it might cause some health issues, such as aphthous stomatitis, pain in the oral cavity, prone to acne or rash, constipation, blurred vision, insomnia, or inability to sleep well.
Food, vegetables, fruit, and herbs could help reduce the fire element in the body
Eating food that has a cooling effect can help to reduce cumulative heat in the body. Recommended foods are:
● Foods such as chicken and winter melon soup with preserved lime, stir-fried zucchini with eggs, vegetable gourd soup with minced pork, and vegetable katuk clear soup. They could help cool the body, reduce heat, and relieve fever.
● Foods with a slight or moderate bitter taste, such as bitter melon soup with minced pork, sesbania flower omelette, and stir-fried Asiatic pennywort with eggs. They could help greatly in relieving the heat, waste, and fever in the body.
Vegetables, fruit and herbal drinks with a cooling effect could also reduce the fire element in the body.
● Vegetables with a cooling effect include wax gourd, vegetable gourd, ivy gourd, pandan, blue trumpet vine, cucumber, moringa, and green okra.
● Fruit with a cooling effect include watermelon, cantaloupe, melon, musk melon, rose apple, pitaya, and mangosteen.
● Herbal drinks, such as pandan drink, chrysanthemum juice, pennywort drink, aloe vera juice, and lotus root juice.
What kind of foods can reduce the fire element in the body?
Avoid strongly flavoured foods (too spicy, sweet, greasy, or salty) because they will stimulate the fire element and cause problems such as aphthous stomatitis, inflammatory or slow down the healing of inflammations.
How can one take care of the body to reduce the fire element?
1. Drink at least eight to ten glasses of room temperature water a day.
2. Consume herbal drinks with a cooling effect, such as pandan drink, chrysanthemum juice, Tiliacora triandra leaf juice, and bael juice to make the body fresh.
3. Wear loose and light clothes such as thin cotton, linen, or chiffon. Also wear clothes with soft tone colours so as to reflect the light.
4. Avoid drinks with alcohol, caffeine, or sugar in high amounts because they could stimulate the fire element in the body.
5. Avoid foods with high fat or carbohydrates because they could make the digestive system work harder, which could increase fire element accumulation in the body.
6. Excrete frequently to reduce the heat and leftover waste in the body. If you suffer from constipation or have difficulty in excretion, you should eat vegetables or fruit with high fibre.
7. If you have to be outside for a long time, prepare cold water, a cold cloth, or cold packs to compress your skin and wipe yourself to open your pores, which could help reduce the heat in the body and make you feel better.
The treatment of Applied Thai Traditional Medicine based on a study of the elements is currently popular with health lovers. It starts from changing behaviour according to the elements, eating healthy food, avoiding risky foods, and eating herbs that are appropriate to each element. These will make you healthy, relieve illnesses, and facilitate the return to normal.
Those who are interested to check their elements and consult for health guidelines with herbal treatment could make an appointment at Wiwatta Clinic by calling 02-080-5999 or Line account @psuv
People with no or mild Covid-19 symptoms in some cases do not need to take Favipiravir, the Department of Health said on Wednesday.
Department deputy director-general Manus Potaporn said the latest guideline focuses on Omicron patients:
Those with no symptoms should be treated as outpatients, undergoing home isolation or treated at facilities allocated by the government, according to doctors. They should not be given antiviral drugs such as Favipiravir because most patients can be cured without the drugs. However, doctors could prescribe Fah Talai Jone, but this herb must not be given at the same time as antiviral drugs because there might be some side effects.
Patients with mild symptoms, without pneumonia or a risk of severe diseases and normal lung X-ray results should be given Favipiravir as soon as possible within five days. If the patient has been infected for more than five days and has no or mild symptoms, they might not need to be given antiviral drugs because they can be cured by themselves.
Manus reminded medical personnel to be careful when prescribing medicines, especially Favipiravir, to pregnant women. It might affect the baby’s development, especially during the first three months, he said.
Favipiravir could also affect patients with liver issues. It might irritate the gastrointestinal tract. Favipiravir increases uric acid, which might affect patients with uric acid issues.
People can gain immunity if they are vaccinated, he pointed out, adding that taking care of your health and getting enough rest will boost immunity against the virus.
Public Health Ministry deputy permanent secretary Thongchai Keeratihuttayakorn confirmed that the ministry had enough medicines to treat every patient if needed.
However, not every patient needs medicine.
He advised people to get a booster dose. If they do not have severe symptoms or are not in risk groups, the virus will stimulate their immunity and it will be eradicated in five days. After five days, they should take an ATK test again.
The ministry has medicines available – Fah Talai Jone, Favipiravir and Molnupiravir – plus Paxlovid, for which it has already signed a purchase contract, Thongchai said.
However, he warned that these must be used “reasonably” as some could destroy the liver and kidney.
He asked medical personnel to inform patients in detail on how and when to use the drugs.
Guidance on telling the difference between dengue fever and Covid-19 was offered by the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health on Monday.
Dengue fever symptoms include high fever for two to seven days, a skin rash, red face, headache, aches and pains, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, and stomach ache. Other less common signs of the mosquito-borne disease are black stools or blood in the stools, or red spots under the skin. Any difficulty in breathing or pneumonia is not usually accompanied by coughing or runny nose.
Covid-19 symptoms include low or high fever, aches and pains, sore throat, dry cough or phlegm, runny nose, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pneumonia in severe cases, vomiting, and diarrhoea in some cases – but no red spots under the skin.
Somsak Akksilp, director-general of the Department of Health, warned that hot weather, storms and standing water were now offering a breeding ground for dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
The resulting rise in dengue infections has coincided with a surge in daily Covid-19 cases, making it difficult to tell the difference between the two diseases and provide appropriate care – especially for young children at danger of severe symptoms.
Moreover, children under five have not received Covid-19 vaccine.
Health officials have urged parents of children with symptoms who test negative via ATKs to beware of dengue fever.
Institute director Adisai Pattatang explained dengue fever is caused by four virus variants – DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4 – and carried by yellow fever mosquitoes.
Covid-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2 which via droplets or aerosol vapour coming into contact with the eye, nose or mouth.
Both diseases can share the same symptoms of fever, vomiting, or diarrhoea, but it was important to identify cases of dengue as these can lead to organ failure and death.
To do this, people can use ATK tests and their history of close contacts to rule out Covid-19 infection and get emergency hospital treatment for dengue.
Patients who suffer symptoms for two to three days but have no cough or runny nose should visit a hospital for a blood test and diagnosis.
Adisai said no antiviral drugs exist for dengue but the fever can be treated with paracetamol – though not with aspirin or ibuprofen. Patients who lose their appetite could drink milk, juices or mineral water.
Meanwhile people with mild Covid-19 can treat themselves at home though severe cases need hospital treatment.
Thira Woratanarat
SootinClaimon.Com 