Interesting article

A medical issue I read from Saturday's Straits Times. Ok la, not that I read the WHOLE paper...it's just my kind parents who found it interesting, so they cut it out for me to read.

It's about coughs! And how it is related to stress.

I found this article particularly interesting cos I have this problem with coughs. As mentioned in many of my blog entries, I cough so often like nobody's business. And it takes ages to go away, and not long after, I'll start coughing again.

Cough's due to bacteria and viruses which causes upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). Our body's equipped with a very good immune system, however, many factors causes the immunity level in us to go low, enabling these opportunistic organisms to give us infections.

In NUS, research has been done on Dentistry students to find out the relationship between coughs and stress. Amazingly, experiments have shown that IgA (a type of antibody) found in the saliva can detect if the individual is under stress. It is said that the IgA levels are low in these individuals, making them more susceptible to infections such as URTI.

Apparently, it is said that IgA levels in the saliva can be used as a marker to diagnose a patient who is under stress. But to make this diagnostic kit available to the public will still require some time. Geez, I wonder when it'll be out. I'm kinda curious about it. I wanna buy it and try it on myself. Guarantee you my IgA level will be darn low.

After reading this article, maybe I can assume my cough's due to stress? If Priscilla's reading this, then maybe she'll know why she had those coughing fits...stress related? I'm not surprised..

Maybe Mum will assume it's so too, and spare me from the blood tests and chest x-ray which she's gonna bring me for very soon. Then again, no harm doing those checks too. I wonder what's my cholesterol and sugar level. Not surprised if my cholesterol level is high manz...I love fried stuffs...