Bad Habits Among Malaysian Drivers

Malaysians are a nice, kind and polite society. This is seemingly far fetch when they are on the road. But driving and motorcycling on the Malaysian road, I noticed their very bad habits and unusually rude driving.

Malaysian drivers seems different while they are on their feet. Unfortunately transformation takes place once they entered their car. Is driving on the Malaysian road puts that much of pressure into them until they resorted to impoliteness, rudeness and bullying other drivers?

Firstly, Malaysian drivers tend to cut the queue whenever its possible and felt no remorse in doing so. They just could not care if it affects other drivers' feelings. This is so wrong. This also make me to decide that they are ignorant.

Secondly, Malaysian drivers are rude when it comes to overtaking other drivers. They just seem too lazy to switch on their signals and cuts in abruptly without thinking of other people's safety. They just cut in too early and at times overtaking too near to the other driver. Didn't the driving school teaches them to overtake other drivers in a safer manner, did they?

Thirdly, Malaysian drivers who always felt the need to be faster than other drivers. They will honk you incessantly. These creatures are the worst lots of drivers and usually are on the highways. They will speed up more than 110 km/h and will start shooting the high lights from far away so to let you know that they are coming. Poor cars who are just overtaking are forced to go back into their path. Is this really necessary? They just couldn't wait to speed to their death, I presumed.

Fourthly, Malaysian drivers love to bully others while they are in another state. Especially drivers who return to their hometown.This is another rude creature that don't care of other drivers originated from other states. When they see a driver slows, they will honk. At traffic lights, they are worse! They will start honking at the front car. We all know when to accelerate. But are you in a hurry? So many times from what I've seen this drivers are not in a hurry. Once they are on the road after the traffic light, they drive very slow. So is the honking necessary in the first place? It's just plain rude and annoying.

Malaysian drivers are rude, I must say. I always wonder why Malaysian drivers cannot just have the courtesy and proper manners in their driving. Nice, kind and polite as projected is not seen on Malaysian road. I wonder is it the driving school fault which fails to cultivate good driving manners and courtesy? Or is it just because of our 'tidak apa' attitude?

Muscle Spasms and Cramps

If you've ever had muscle spasms or muscle cramps, you know they can be extremely painful. In some cases, a muscle may spasm so forcefully that it results in a bruise on the skin. Most muscle spasms and cramps are involuntary contractions of a muscle. A serious muscle spasm doesn't release on its own and requires manual stretching to help relax and lengthen the shortened muscle. Spasms and cramps can be mild or extremely painful. While they can happen to any skeletal muscle, they are most common in the legs and feet and muscles that cross two joints (the calf muscle, for example). Cramps can involve part of a muscle or all the muscles in a group. The most commonly affected muscle groups are:

   Back of lower leg / calf (gastrocnemius).

   Back of thigh (hamstrings).

   Front of thigh (quadriceps).

   Feet, hands, arms, abdomen

Muscle cramps range in intensity from a slight twitch or tic to severe pain. A cramped muscle can feel rock-hard and last a few seconds to several minutes or longer. It is not uncommon for cramps to ease up and then return several times before they go away entirely.

What Causes Muscle Cramps

The exact cause of muscle cramps is still unknown, but the theories most commonly cited include:

   Altered neuromuscular control

   Dehydration

   Electrolyte depletion

   Poor conditioning

   Muscle fatigue

   Doing a new activity

Other factors that have been associated with muscle cramps include exercising in extreme heat. The belief is that muscle cramps are more common during exercise in the heat because sweat contains fluids as well as electrolyte (salt, potassium, magnesium and calcium). When these nutrients fall to certain levels, the incidence of muscle spasms increases. Because athletes are more likely to get cramps in the preseason, near the end of (or the night after) intense or prolonged exercise, some feel that a lack of conditioning results in cramps

Treating Muscle Cramps

Cramps usually go away on their own without treatment, but these tips appears to help speed the healing process:

   Stop the activity that caused the cramp.

   Gently stretch and massage the cramping muscle.

   Hold the joint in a stretched position until the cramp stops.

Preventing Muscle Cramps

Until we learn the exact cause of muscle cramps, it will be difficult to say with any confidence how to prevent them. However, these tips are most recommended by experts and athletes alike:

   Improve fitness and avoid muscle fatigue

   Stretch regularly after exercise

   Warm up before exercise

Stretch the calf muscle: In a standing lunge with both feet pointed forward, straighten the rear leg.

Stretch the hamstring muscle: Sit with one leg folded in and the other straight out, foot upright and toes and ankle relaxed. Lean forward slightly, touch foot of straightened leg. (Repeat with opposite leg.)

Stretch the quadriceps muscle: While standing, hold top of foot with opposite hand and gently pull heel toward buttocks. (Repeat with opposite leg.)

Most muscle cramps are not serious. If your muscle cramps are severe, frequent, constant or of concern, see your doctor

Heart Disease

Atherosclerosis

Hardening of arteries

   Tunica intima thickens with deposits of Cholesterol, Fibrous (scar) tissue, Dead muscle cells, Blood platelets        

      Arteries become less elastic and partially narrowed

        ↑BP which in turn accelerates atherosclerosis

         Leads to endothelium damage and weak walls

Mechanism

   Excess cholesterol leaks from lipoproteins (LDLs)

   Deposited on arterial walls

   Macrophages (white blood cells) are trapped within cholesterol

   Release free radicals which damage the arterial wall

   Activates blood platelets which stick to damaged areas releasing clotting factors (thromboxanes)

   Forms a plaque which may rupture to produce a thrombus

   Circulating thrombus is called an embolus

   Embolus may lodge elsewhere in the circulation (brain, heart arteries)

   NB: healthy arteries produce anti-clotting factors (prostaglandins) → don't form clots

Factors that aggravate atheroma formation / atherosclerosis:

   Hypertension (↑BP)

   Smoking (release of free radicals)

   High LDL and low HDL

   NB: they all cause endothelial damage

Aneurysm

   Weak arterial walls may burst leading to severe loss of blood (haemorrhaging)

   Brain aneurysm is called a stroke

Deep Vein Thrombosis

   Clots are formed by

   Endothelial damage (see atherosclerosis)

   Altered blood components (dehydration, too many platelets)

   Altered blood flow (stasis of veins) → this is what causes DVT

      Prolonged immobility

      Such as paralysis, long-distance flights, lying down for weeks after surgery

   Thrombus often originates in calf veins

   Inflammation of vein walls → destroys vein valves

   Causes leg pain, swelling, and redness

   Elastic support stockings required for life

   Prevented by taking aspirin or warfarin which inhibit blood clotting

Coronary Heart Disease

   Atherosclerosis causes arteries to become narrowed

      More force required to move blood through narrowed vessels

      Blood pressure increases

   Stable angina

      ↑exercise leads to ↑oxygen requirements by heart

      Narrowed arteries prevent more blood to pass through

      Shortage of blood to heart muscle causes chest pain

      Cells do not die as some blood can still pass through

      Pain only occurs during activity but not at rest

Myocardial infarction (MI)

   Coronary artery is totally blocked by a thrombus/embolus

   No blood supply to heart muscle and cells die

   Irreversible if not treated within 90min

Heart failure

   Prolonged blockage of artery causes damage to heart muscle

   ↓contractions / ↓cardiac output / ↓pressure generated / less blood leaves heart

   More blood is stored:

       on the right side of the heart → enlarged heart

       in veins → swollen legs and enlarged liver

Lifestyle

Cholesterol

  Needed for

     Vitamin D production in skin

     Sex hormone production in gonads and adrenal glands

     Making cell membranes

     Produce bile acid (salts)

  Has properties similar to fats → soft, waxy, and insoluble (difficult to remove if deposits form)

  Transported in blood from liver to tissues

  Safe transport is needed due to its insolubility

  Achieved by lipoproteins, which are soluble fatty proteins

  These are wrapped around cholesterol

  Normally, only small amounts of free cholesterol escape

LDL

   Low density lipoproteins

  Carries cholesterol from liver to tissues

  Normally, some cholesterol 'leaks' from the lipoprotein and is absorbed to build cell membranes

   Excess LDL/cholesterol → too much cholesterol leaks out and causes atherosclerosis

HDL

   High density lipoprotein

   Picks up cholesterol from arterial walls and carries it away from tissues

   Travels to liver where cholesterol is removed with bile

Smoking

↓antitoxidants (vitamins), more damage due to release of free radicals by phagocytes

Nicotine constricts arteries causing platelets to stick together → vasoconstriction → heart must work harder to force blood through → increases BP

↑BP causes damage to blood vessel lining / endothelium / collagen

Leads to rise on blood platelets and makes them more sticky / form a plug / adhere to collagen fibres

Release of thromboplastin/thrombokinase

Fibrinogen converted to insoluble fibrin

Platelet plug trapped by fibrin mesh

Raises conc. of fibrinogen (in blood) → increased risk of clotting

↑LDL causes more cholesterol to leak out in blood

Carbon monoxide reduces the efficiency of the blood in terms of carrying oxygen

Haemoglobin combines with CO more readily than with oxygen → forms carboxyheamoglobin

Associated with plaque formation

Principle CHD = heart muscle receives inadequate amount of blood or oxygen/(coronary) blood supply reduced

Treatment

Medication

Beta blockers reduce heart rate and reduce oxygen required by heart

Aspirin prevents blood clotting and thrombosis formation

ACE inhibitors stabilize plaques → prevent thrombus to break off

Statins reduce LDL and increase HDL

Angioplasty

Deflated balloon-like device is passed up to the heart via the aorta

Guided into damaged coronary artery and inflated to stretch the artery

Heart by-pass graft

Leg veins and arteries from chest are used to by-pass the blocked region of the coronary artery

Involves open heart surgery

Reperfusion therapy after a myocardial infarction

Angioplasty done within 90 minutes of onset of chest pain

May prevent irreversible damage to the heart muscle

Prevention

1. Screen population for

   High BP

   High cholesterol

   Uncontrolled diabetes

   Smoking? Unhealthy diet? No exercises?

   Men over 55 and women over 65 are at highest risk

2. Monitor the behaviour of the heart during exercise

   Difficult but encouraging the population to adopt a more healthy lifestyle from an early age is important

   Often leads to changes in diet and weight management

3. Giving up smoking and reducing alcohol intake

    Reduces blood pressure

    Coronary heart disease is a long-term degenerative disease, starts at birth

Some misconceptions

Human body and health

Different tastes actually can be detected on all parts of the tongue by taste buds, with slightly increased sensitivities in different locations depending on the person, contrary to the popular belief that specific tastes only correspond to specific mapped sites on the tongue. The original tongue map was based on a mistranslation by a Harvard psychologist of a discredited German paper that was written in 1901.

There is no single theory that satisfactorily explains myopia—in particular, studies show that so-called eyestrain from close reading and computer games does not explain myopia. There is also no evidence that reading in dim light or sitting close to a television causes vision to deteriorate.

Shaving does not cause hair to grow back thicker or coarser or darker. This belief is due to the fact that hair that has never been cut has a tapered end, whereas, after cutting, there is no taper. Thus, it appears thicker, and feels coarser due to the sharper, unworn edges. Hair can also appear darker after it grows back because hair that has never been cut is often lighter due to sun exposure.

Hair and fingernails do not continue to grow after a person dies. Rather, the skin dries and shrinks away from the bases of hairs and nails, giving the appearance of growth.

Although there are hair care products which are marketed as being able to repair split ends and damaged hair, there is no such cure. A good conditioner might prevent damage from occurring in the first place, but the only way to get rid of split ends after they appear is by a hair cut.

Snapping or cracking one's knuckles does not cause arthritis.

Sugar does not cause hyperactivity in children. Double blind trials have shown no difference in behaviour between children given sugar full or sugar-free diets, even in studies specifically looking at children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or those considered "sensitive" to sugar. In fact, it was found that the difference in the children's behaviour was all in the parents' minds.

It is a common misconception that sleepwalkers should not be awakened. While it is true that a person may be confused or disoriented for a short time after awakening, it is actually quite dangerous not to wake a sleepwalker as they may injure themselves if they trip over objects or lose their balance while sleepwalking. Such injuries are common among sleepwalkers.

While the vitamin A in carrots does help to build healthy vision (among other things), it does not improve the eyesight of a person already in possession of healthy vision nor does it improve night vision. In fact, an excess of carrots can cause vitamin A toxicity and carotenemia in rare cases. This misconception arose from an RAF attempt to hide the discovery of radar from the Axis forces by claiming that their pilots had gained vastly improved night vision from being fed carrots, rather than from any technological advancement.

In Korea, it is commonly believed that sleeping in a closed room with an electric fan running can be fatal in the summer. According to the Korean government, "In some cases, a fan turned on too long can cause death from suffocation, hypothermia, or fire from overheating." The Korea Consumer Protection Board issued a consumer safety alert recommending that electric fans be set on timers, direction changed and doors left open. Belief in fan death is common even among knowledgeable medical professionals in Korea. According to Dr. Yeon Dong-su, dean of Kwandong University's medical school, "If it is completely sealed, then in the current of an electric fan, the temperature can drop low enough to cause a person to die of hypothermia."

High levels of testosterone do not necessarily make humans more aggressive and less cooperative, even though this is observed in other animals. Human behaviour is very complicated and heavily affected by social condition and beliefs.

Biology

Warts on human skin are caused by viruses that are unique to humans (Human papillomavirus). Humans cannot catch warts from toads or other animals; the bumps on a toad are not warts.

The claim that a duck's quack does not echo is false, although the echo may be difficult to hear for humans under some circumstances.

The notion that goldfish have a memory of only three seconds is false. They have been trained to navigate mazes and can recognize their owners after an exposure of a few months.

Lemmings do not engage in mass suicidal dives off cliffs when migrating. They will, however, occasionally, and unintentionally fall off cliffs when venturing into unknown territory, with no knowledge of the boundaries of the environment. The misconception is due largely to the Disney film White Wilderness, which shot many of the migration scenes (also staged by using multiple shots of different groups of lemmings) on a large, snow-covered turntable in a studio. Photographers later pushed the lemmings off a cliff.

Bats are not blind. While most bat species do use echolocation to augment their vision, all bats have eyes and are capable of sight.

It's a common myth that an earthworm becomes two worms when cut in half. This is not correct. An earthworm can survive being bisected, but only the front half of the worm (where the mouth is located) can survive, while the other half dies. On the other hand, species of the planaria family of flatworms actually do become two new planaria when bisected or split down the middle.

Jaundice in Newborns

Jaundice refers to the yellow colour of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by excess bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is produced by the normal breakdown of red blood cells.

Normally, bilirubin passes through the liver and is excreted as bile through the intestines. Jaundice occurs when bilirubin builds up faster than a newborn's liver can break it down and pass it from the body. Reasons for this include:

  Newborns make more bilirubin than adults do since they have more turnover of red blood cells.

  A newborn baby's still-developing liver may not yet be able to remove adequate bilirubin from the blood.

  Too large an amount of bilirubin is reabsorbed from the intestines before the baby gets rid of it in the stool.

High levels of bilirubin — usually above 25 mg — can cause deafness, cerebral palsy, or other forms of brain damage in some babies. In less common cases, jaundice may indicate the presence of another condition, such as an infection or a thyroid problem. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all infants should be examined for jaundice within a few days of birth.

Types of Jaundice

The most common types of jaundice are:

Physiological (normal) jaundice: occurring in most newborns, this mild jaundice is due to the immaturity of the baby's liver, which leads to a slow processing of bilirubin. It generally appears at 2 to 4 days of age and disappears by 1 to 2 weeks of age.

Jaundice of prematurity: occurs frequently in premature babies since they are even less ready to excrete bilirubin effectively. Jaundice in premature babies needs to be treated at a lower bilirubin level than in full term babies in order to avoid complications.

Breastfeeding jaundice: jaundice can occur when a breastfeeding baby is not getting enough breast milk because of difficulty with breastfeeding or because the mother's milk isn’t in yet. This is not caused by a problem with the breast milk itself, but by the baby not getting enough to drink.

Breast milk jaundice: in 1% to 2% of breastfed babies, jaundice may be caused by substances produced in their mother's breast milk that can cause the bilirubin level to rise. These can prevent the excretion of bilirubin through the intestines. It starts after the first 3 to 5 days and slowly improves over 3 to 12 weeks.

Treatments

In mild or moderate levels of jaundice, by 1 to 2 weeks of age the baby will take care of the excess bilirubin on its own. For high levels of jaundice, phototherapy — treatment with a special light that helps rid the body of the bilirubin by altering it or making it easier for your baby's liver to get rid of it — may be used.

More frequent feedings of breast milk or supplementing with formula to help infants pass the bilirubin in their stools may also be recommended. In rare cases, a blood exchange may be required to give a baby fresh blood and remove the bilirubin.

If your baby develops jaundice that seems to be from breast milk, your doctor may ask you to temporarily stop breastfeeding. During this time, you can pump your breasts so you can keep producing breast milk and you can start nursing again once the condition has cleared.

If the amount of bilirubin is high, your baby may be readmitted to the hospital for treatment. Once the bilirubin level drops and the treatment is stopped, it is unlikely that treatment for jaundice will need to be restarted.

Blood group incompatibility (Rh or ABO problems): if a baby has a different blood type than the mother, the mother might produce antibodies that destroy the infant's red blood cells. This creates a sudden buildup of bilirubin in the baby's blood. Incompatibility jaundice can begin as early as the first day of life. Rh problems once caused the most severe form of jaundice, but now can be prevented with an injection of Rh immune globulin to the mother within 72 hours after delivery, which prevents her from forming antibodies that might endanger any subsequent babies.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Jaundice usually appears around the second or third day of life. It begins at the head and progresses downward. A jaundiced baby's skin will usually appear yellow first on the face, followed by the chest and stomach, and finally, the legs. It can also cause the whites of an infant's eyes to appear yellow.

Since many babies are now released from the hospital at 1 or 2 days of life, it is best for the baby to be seen by a doctor within 1 to 2 days of leaving the hospital to check for jaundice. Parents should also keep an eye on their infants to detect jaundice.

If you notice your baby’s skin or eyes looking yellow you should contact your child's doctor to see if significant jaundice is present.

At the doctor's office, a small sample of your infant's blood can be tested to measure the bilirubin level. Some offices use a light meter to get an approximate measurement, and then if it is high, check a blood sample. The seriousness of the jaundice will vary based on how many hours old your child is and the presence of other medical conditions.

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