For many people with irritable bowel syndrome, their symptoms don’t give a clear indication of their condition. While IBS is a common gut disorder which causes abdominal pain, bloating, and sometimes bouts of diarrhea and or constipation, those who suffer indigestion ― also known as functional dyspepsia ― may experience the same, often accompanied with nausea or heartburn.But Dr. Jeong Seong-ae at the Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital says that what worries the patients most is that such s

Bile is made in the liver and stored in the gall bladder. It is secreted into the duodenum as the gall bladder contracts when food is consumed, aiding in digestion. Gallstones refer to stone formations in the duct that the bile flows through. Depending on its location, it can be categorized as an intrahepatic gallstone, ductal stone or gall bladder stone. Of these, stones are most commonly found in the gall bladder.The cause of gallstonesThere are various types of gallstones, such as cholesterol

South Korea’s birthrate last year declined for the first time in four years, according to data released by the Health Ministry.The country’s fertility rate fell to 1.19 children per woman last year, which is equivalent to that in 2008. The rate fell even lower in 2009, which was 1.15. However, the number rose from 2010 to 2012, from 1.23 to 1.24 to 1.30. It fell back to 1.19 last year. The ministry said the nation’s fertility rate last year falls short of the replacement level ― 2.1 children per

The controversial government poster on contraception. (Ministry of Health and Welfare)After receiving public criticism for sexist content in a poster to promote birth control published last week, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said it is discarding the materials. The ministry said it would develop new ways to promote birth control among young Koreans to boost the country’s notoriously low rate of contraceptive use. “We acknowledge that there were problems and we are going to make changes,” K

The number of South Korean doctors who applied to specialize in internal medicine this year was the lowest in the country’s history, according to the Korean Hospital Association.According to data released by the organization, only 542 doctors applied for 588 spots to become internal medicine specialists. This year is the first time that hospitals received fewer applications than the number of posts available. Along with internal medicine, the number of applications did not surpass the available

The majority of sexual violence victims in Korea don’t report their cases to the police as they fear social stigmatization and prejudice, according to the Gender Equality Ministry.As of last year, an average of 79 individuals experienced sexual violence every day in South Korea. According to the ministry, more than 65 percent of the victims do not share their experience with anyone.A total of 85 percent of the victims here were assaulted by acquaintances or somebody they already knew. The minist

For many bladder cancer patients, a cystectomy ― the surgical removal of all or part of the bladder ― can be a traumatic experience.In many cases, the surgery inevitably requires a urostomy, the creation of an artificial opening that allows one’s urine to be collected in a bag attached to the outside of one’s body.After this procedure, one has to empty the flat, watertight bag regularly. And according to surgeon and professor Lee Dong-hyun, who specializes in urology at Ewha Womans University Mo

Korean transnational adoptee Sarah Bowling was adopted to the U.S. in 1974 at age 3 from an orphanage in Busan.Despite two DNA tests with potential parents in the 1990s ― both came out negative ― Bowling has not found her birth family.However, her experience living in South Korea since 2009 as well as her own birth family search have inspired her to start a project with a very personal connection. She recently launched Korea Reconnect, an online database that helps birth parents and adoptees loo

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Sunday announced that it was indefinitely postponing the enactment of the charter of human rights for citizens of Seoul after fierce protests from gay rights opponents. The charter, which was proposed by the SMG to raise awareness about human rights in August, included a clause that stated a person “has the right not to be discriminated against based on his or her sexual orientation or sexual identity,” among others. The specific clause has been protested aga

The foot carries the load of the whole body. It is said that the feet carry a total load of 15 tons when you walk 1 km. A 60 year old person would have walked approximately 160,000 km in their lifetime, which is four times longer than the circumference of the Earth. The feet are therefore very important, but are under constant stress.Heel pain is a very common symptom. It is more common in people whose occupations involve a lot of walking, dancing, tennis, basketball and other activities that pu

The number of pneumonia patients has increased 9 percent in the last four years, according to the country’s Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The lung disease was the fifth most common cause of death for South Koreans in their 70s, and the fourth-biggest cause of death among those in their 80s.“The statistics show that more elderly people should be informed about the disease as well as the preventive measures to take,” said the agency in a statement.Last year, some 1.48 million pne

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― Nearly everyone aged 66 to 75 should consider taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins to reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke, new guidelines said.A total of 97 percent of people in the age group, and 100 percent of men, should be on the medication even if their cholesterol levels are normal, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, a journal of the American Medical Association.The research is based on controversial recommendations made late l

WASHINGTON, (AFP) ― Experts said Monday that regular tests for vitamin D levels were not proven to be beneficial or harmful, despite previous research warning of damaging effects of vitamin D deficiencies in adults. Studies have found that low levels of the vitamin can increase the risk of bone fractures, heart disease, colorectal cancer, diabetes, depression, Alzheimer’s disease and death. But the US Preventative Services Task Force said there was no evidence that getting regularly tested for s

Architect Rem Koolhaas expressed his concerns about contemporary design turning into a surveillance system during a special lecture held as part of the Herald Design Forum 2014 in Seoul. In today’s globalized economy, digital technology, individualized culture and data-driven design that allows monitoring of the masses often put human freedom at risk, according to Koolhaas. “Design occurs at every level, how design can be simple and straight forward and how design can be complex, political, econ

Children pose for a photo in front of a Pororo-themed taxi, which features the popular Korean cartoon character Pororo, in Seoul on Monday. (SMG)Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday introduced 20 cartoon-themed taxicabs in its effort to serve children better.The 20 vehicles feature Pororo, a popular penguin character in South Korean animated cartoon series named “Pororo the Little Penguin,” on their exterior. Passengers don’t have to pay extra for the specially decorated taxis. Those who wou

Two Korean firefighters who work for the Seoul Metropolitan Government will be sent to the Los Angeles fire department next year as part of the expanded cooperation in disaster prevention between the two cities signed on Monday.Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and his Los Angeles counterpart Eric Garcetti signed an agreement in Seoul to cooperate in disaster prevention as well as tourism, urban security, cultural programs and environmental issues.“The Los Angeles fire department is known for its excell

After the controversial revelation that a high profile Seoul National University professor is being investigated by the police for allegedly molesting one of his former interns this year, two more university professors have come under fire for similar allegations.According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, a Korea University professor in its engineering department is currently being investigated for repeatedly sexually assaulting one of his graduate students over a span of about three mon

About 180,000 Koreans are estimated to be living as undocumented immigrants in the United States, making them the eighth-largest ethnic group among the country’s 11.3 million illegal residents, according to U.S. think-tank Pew Research Center.Depending on their eligibility, some of the illegal Korean migrants may benefit from President Barack Obama’s order, announced Thursday, to protect nearly 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation.Under Obama’s plan, illegal residents who have been

South Korea ranked 49th in the 2014 Global Slavery Index, in terms of people in modern slavery in absolute numbers, among 167 countries released by Australia’s Walk Free Foundation.According to the report, some 93,700 people are estimated to be trapped in modern slavery in the country. The index defines modern slavery by including the presence of human trafficking, debt bondage, sex slavery and forced migrant labor or marriage.North Korea, on the other hand, ranked 43rd, with some 108,200 people

Immigrant women working at a call center set up to offer a hotline to migrant wives are often verbally harassed by Korean men, the Gender Equality Ministry said Wednesday. There are currently 76 foreign-born workers from different countries including Vietnam, China and the Philippines, for the national hotline Danuri, which provides 24-hour service in 13 different languages. The full-time operators were hired by the government to provide services in the mother tongues of women immigrants here. M