1075 HKSAR Name of the Day

Thayer Lam, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong (SCMP letters 11 Sept 2010)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

1074 HKSAR Name of the Day

Joseph Lui Cho-ze (Dr), Area chief executive, Hospital Authority, Hong Kong

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Common but Phonetic-based

Verbal Diarrhoea #15

"For years, Santos, a book lover, could not concentrate enough to finish one book. Last month, she read four."

Claims a newspaper article about Maria Santos, (name changed for patient confidentiality reasons), 44, a project manager at a bank who moved to Hong Kong four years ago from the United States, where she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid).





Question: Are these completely new books, or the books that she never finished over the years? Pray tell.

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Reference

The silent scourge of thyroid disorders (SCMP; paywall)

 WORLD THYROID DAY
Nadine Bateman (healthpost@scmp.com)
May 29, 2012    

For more than a decade, Maria Santos suffered symptoms of a thyroid disorder that left her struggling at work and unable to enjoy life.

"I felt tired all the time and found it really hard to get out of bed in the mornings," says Santos (name changed for patient confidentiality reasons), 44, a project manager at a bank. She moved to Hong Kong four years ago from the United States, where she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid).

"I couldn't concentrate properly; my brain felt 'foggy' and slow. I was moody and irritable. My skin, hair and nails were terrible - really dry and dull - and I gained weight easily … My husband used to say 'Come on, let's go to the gym, you can get out of this lethargy', but I just couldn't."

Hongkonger Milia Chan, 40, has experienced the other extreme of thyroid disorder - hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid - since being diagnosed in 1995. The service business manager with an information technology company has symptoms that include "an extremely fast heartbeat, shaking hands, shortness of breath and bad temper".

Both forms of thyroid disorder are surprisingly common (an underactive thyroid being more common) but they often go undiagnosed because many of the symptoms are similar to those of other conditions. The symptoms can also be attributed to "lifestyle factors", such as stress, poor nutrition, and a lack of exercise or sleep.

The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, controls metabolism. It produces hormones called T3 and T4, which tell cells how much energy to use. Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid overproduces the hormones and the body uses energy faster than it should. Hypothyroidism is the opposite: the thyroid doesn't produce enough hormones and the body uses energy slower.

People of all ages can get the disease, but women have it more often than men. It is estimated that one in five people worldwide have a thyroid disorder. Hence World Thyroid Day, last Friday, to promote understanding of the condition.

Dr Lauren Bramley, a family doctor who has a clinic in Central, suspects the figure is higher because many cases go undiagnosed. She recently completed a master's in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at the Chinese University and is treating a number of patients with thyroid conditions.

"Hypothyroidism is now rampant," says Bramley. "Hyperthyroidism, although increasing in prevalence, is not nearly as common as hypothyroidism. Furthermore, many hyperthyroid patients can become hypothyroid."

She says the list of hypothyroid symptoms is exhaustive, which is why it can be difficult for doctors to diagnose. "For example, fatigue - a major symptom of hypothyroidism - is also present in many other conditions or the result of lifestyle factors. But thyroid disorder has more symptoms than any other disorder in the body. This is because the thyroid gland is important in so many functions of every organ."

Other key symptoms of hypothyroidism include low body temperature, sensitivity to heat or cold, difficulty waking up in the mornings, severe fatigue at around 3pm, difficulty concentrating, low mood, enlargement of the thyroid gland in the neck and thinning of the outer areas of the eyebrows. Weight gain and hair loss are common complaints but are not always present. Bramley also believes pollution may negatively impact the function of the thyroid gland.

Hypothyroidism can be caused by many factors, such as autoimmune thyroid disease, hereditary conditions, inflammation (thyroiditis) and tumours. Worldwide, the most common cause is believed to be iodine deficiency.

Dr Teofilo San Luis of the Asia & Oceania Thyroid Association says: "Iodine is available through eating marine foods such as fish, shrimps, squid, oysters, crabs and seaweeds; processed foods which have been iodised; milk; and iodised salt."

He says people affected with thyroid disorders will have goitre (thyroid enlargement) as evidence of poor iodine nutrition. However, he says that goitre is "only the tip of the iceberg" as there are "more insidious manifestations" of iodine deficiency not commonly recognised, such as reproductive failures.

"Women are very vulnerable because of increased demands for iodine during pregnancy and lactation, and if their iodine nutrition is overlooked this could result in their babies having significantly lower IQ levels."

Patients are typically diagnosed through a physical examination, analysis of medical history and laboratory tests such as blood tests. Bramley notes lab test results can sometimes be unreliable.

If the condition is hypothyroidism due to iodine deficiency, San Luis says the treatment is to increase intake of iodine through iodised salt or, in extreme cases, iodised oil capsules. (Bramley, however, suggests refined, iodised salt is "not the ideal source". She advises taking unrefined sea salt which is not iodised, and supplements such as Iodoral tablets or Lugol's Solution.)

In general, Bramley advises first correcting underlying deficiencies of iron, vitamin D3, selenium and iodine, and suggests a review of heavy metal toxicity such as mercury, arsenic and fluoride.

Medications such as oral contraceptives and psychiatric drugs should also be considered. Identifying and balancing other hormones such as cortisol, progesterone and DHEA are important, says Bramley.

Chan had an operation to remove her thyroid gland last April. Her doctor, Laurence Shek, prescribed thyroxine, which she will take every day for the rest of her life. "It took my body a while to adjust, but my heart is better now and I can do more exercise," Chan says.

Last September, Santos was prescribed T3, vitamin D, DHEA and iodine supplements - she had previously taken T4 medication for years without benefit. "I'm so much happier. I've more energy - I go to the gym three times a week. I feel good when I wake up in the mornings; I'm enjoying socialising again; and I'm losing weight."

For years, Santos, a book lover, could not concentrate enough to finish one book. Last month, she read four.

1073 HKSAR Name of the Day

Milia Chan, Hongkonger and hyperthyroidism sufferer, Hong Kong
see Verbal Diarrhoea #15

About Verbal Diarrhoea

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Creation; Deletion

1072 HKSAR Name of the Day

Kristal Tin Yui-nei, local actress and wife of Chapman To Man-chak, Hong Kong



There appears to be two spellings of Chapman To's wife's name: Kristal Tin Yui-nei (see Being Vulgar in Hong Kong) and Crystal Tin Yue-lai (see 0152 HKSAR Name of the Day)

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

1071 HKSAR Name of the Day

Dada Chen (Miss), local actress, Hong Kong
Dada is a Nigerian name and its meaning is "curly-haired"

Dada Chen (third from left) in the local Hongkie movie Vulgaria (see Being Vulgar in Hong Kong)

 
About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Rare

1070 HKSAR Name of the Day

Koala Cheng, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong (SCMP letters 3 September 2010) 
see 0047 HKSAR Name of the Day

About Novel HKSAR Names
Name Category: Nature-based; somewhat common in Hong Kong

Jolie Ho Says Let's Hear It For The Boy

The fact that Miss Ho's name is in fact a cheerful, upperclass British hurrah is probably lost on many. Damn shame, what pip I say, old chap.

see also 1069 HKSAR Name of the Day


Let's hear it for the amazing Joseph Ng (SCMP; paywall)

14-year-old gets top grades in sciences and is no slouch when it comes to languages - and you should hear him play the piano. The shy prodigy yesterday found himself among the elite of the city's students
Jolie Ho and Lilly Zhang
Jun 30, 2012    

Joseph Ng Kwok-chung might seem like a regular 14-year-old who likes Garfield comics and is shy around strangers.

But he is also a science and music prodigy who scored three As in the A-level examinations intended for pupils four years older.

Joseph, who is in Form Seven at the International Christian Quality Music Secondary and Primary School, was the youngest candidate to sit the last A-levels and earned top grades in physics, chemistry and mathematics, plus a C in English and a D in Chinese. He took only nine years to finish 13 years of school. What's more, when he was 12 he received first-class honours in the International Junior Science Olympiad and picked up a performance diploma in piano.

Joseph's parents realised they had a prodigy on their hands when he was a baby.

His father, Ng Sai-keung, says his son began to recognise Chinese characters at the age of 18 months. When he was three, Joseph was watching a fountain and, seeing it never overflowed, asked his parents where the water went.

He jumped from Form Two to Form Six after taking the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination, normally taken in Form Five.

His parents were concerned that he would struggle to bond with his new classmates, but Joseph threatened not to go to school unless he was allowed to study the more advanced classes. They needn't have worried - he quickly made friends with his "seniors".

"We went to Disneyland and karaoke together," he said.

And his class adviser, Tsang Ling-sze, said Joseph worked well with his fellow pupils. "He puts Garfield strips on the boards and is eager to share the cartoon stories with his classmates," she said.

Joseph admits that his natural academic gifts would count for little without hard work.

"A lot of revision and exercises are needed," he said. "We cannot just memorise stuff but have to understand the logic behind it."

Kate Ching Kei-suet, 18, studied with Joseph. "Joseph was shy when he first joined the class, but after a time we started to get along well," she said.

Joseph is now waiting to hear whether he has won the university place he wants. He hopes to become a professor of chemistry.

Also celebrating is Matthew Li Man-hei, 19, of Po Leung Kuk Ngan Po Ling College, one of the few students to take seven A-levels. Despite the heavy workload, he scored six As and one B. While he attributed his success to hard work, his teacher, Lau Ming-wai, said: "He definitely works hard, but he also plays hard."

The sports fan didn't miss Champions League soccer matches even on nights before his exams, describing it as a good way to relax.

His results went beyond his expectations. "I didn't think so much about the results when I took the exam, and didn't expect I'd score six As," he said.

Matthew, who hopes to become a banker, spent four hours on his studies every day and read the South China Morning Post to expand his English vocabulary. He also enjoys reading philosophy books.

While even the most gifted students usually take no more than five A-levels, Matthew decided to study for seven because he wanted to meet the demands of global business programmes at local universities.

Despite their feats, they've not quite managed to match the record of Hong Kong prodigy March Boedihardjo, who in 2007 passed the British mathematics A-level with an A grade at the age of just nine.

MAKING THE GRADE

There is no second chance in this final A-levels exam, so I gave my very best.

Kong Hiu-fung, 6 grade As, Hang Seng School of Commerce

I played cards with the top-scoring seniors. The winner quizzes the loser on difficult business topics that are likely to appear in the exam. It is a fun way to learn.

Andrew Chan Yik-wing, 5 As and 1 C, Hang Seng School of Commerce

To relieve stress, I read and projected myself into the world of words.

Ma yin-yee, 5 As and 1 B, Hang Seng School of Commerce

I will stick with what I want to study, think positive and stay optimistic. I think I can still get a scholarship somewhere.

Angela Wong Man-Ling, Pentecostal School, whose results did not meet the requirements for a degree course

There are numerous choices to further my studies nowadays. Even if the result is not good, no one has to be worried.

Katherine Lai Sze-wing, Wai Kiu College, who also failed to make the grade