Influenza and gastroenteritis were among last year’s top 10 causes of people visiting doctors during and after the Lunar New Year holiday, the National Health Insurance Administration said yesterday, urging people to look after their health.
In the week following last year’s holiday, more than 1.7 million people sought treatment for influenza, while 316,161 people went to hospitals because of gastroenteritis, agency data showed.
They were also the top two illnesses causing 3,000 to 6,000 people per day to seek emergency treatment during the holiday over the past three years, the data showed.
Photo: CNA
Lower back pain, high blood pressure, allergies, soft tissue diseases, diabetes with complications, eye inflammation, upper respiratory tract infection and diabetes without complications rounded out the top 10 diseases, the agency said.
People who are having problems sleeping because of the celebrations should avoid taking sleeping pills, as these are prescription drugs and might be habit-forming, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.
People with insomnia should avoid drinking too much water and caffeinated drinks before going to sleep, the FDA said, adding that overly fatty and spicy foods might disrupt sleep.
Flu, gastroenteritis, allergies and dizziness are the most common holiday diseases, partly due to people staying up late, Taichung-based otolaryngologist Cheng Kuo-yang (鄭國揚) said.
While most establishments are closed during the Lunar New Year holiday, Cheng has for the past 14 years opened his clinic during the holidays, except for the first day of the lunar month, when seeing a doctor is considered a taboo.
Chen said that he once saw up to 50 patients on Lunar New Year’s Eve.
A 60-something patient with high blood pressure and diabetes had a stroke after playing games all night, Cheng recalled.
After adminitering basic care, Cheng had the man transferred to a medical center.
Cheng advised people to avoid overeating and to take 30-minute to one-hour breaks from using smartphones or playing cards.
Sitting for too long for some people might be conducive to developing hemorrhoids, or lead to a stroke or heart attack, he said.
The US House of Representatives yesterday passed the PROTECT Taiwan Act, which stipulates that Washington would exclude China from participating in major global financial organizations if its actions directly threaten Taiwan’s security. The bill, proposed by Republican US Representative Frank Lucas, passed with 395 votes in favor and two against. It stipulates that if China’s actions pose any threat to Taiwan’s security, economic or social systems, the US would, “to the maximum extent practicable,” exclude China from international financial institutions, including the G20, the Bank for International Settlements and the Financial Stability Board. The bill makes it clear that China
Taiwan’s Li Yu-hsiang performs in the men’s singles figure skating short program at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, on Tuesday. Li finished 24th with a score of 72.41 to advance to Saturday’s free skate portion of the event. He is the first Taiwanese to qualify for the free skate of men’s singles figure skating at the Olympics since David Liu in 1992.
Garbage and recycling schedules are to vary from Saturday through Sunday next week over the Lunar New Year holiday period. The following collection information is from the governments of the six special municipalities. Taipei Regular service: Sunday to Monday next week. No service: Tuesday to Thursday next week. Extra service: Friday next week. Regular service resumes: Saturday next week. New Taipei City Extra service: Sunday. Adjusted collection time: Monday next week — garbage collection is to begin in the morning and end at 6pm. No service: Tuesday to Thursday next week. Regular service resumes: Friday next week. Note: Garbage can be dropped off at 70
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday held a ceremony marking the delivery of its 11th Anping-class offshore patrol vessel Lanyu (蘭嶼艦), saying it would boost Taiwan’s ability to respond to Beijing’s “gray zone” tactics. Ocean Affairs Council Deputy Minister Chang Chung-Lung (張忠龍) presided over the CGA event in the Port of Kaoshiung. Representatives of the National Security Council also attended the event. Designed for long-range and protracted patrol operations at sea, the Lanyu is a 65.4m-long and 14.8m-wide ship with a top speed of 44 knots (81.5kph) and a cruising range of 2,000 nautical miles (3704km). The vessel is equipped with a
RSS