Health Blog
Written by Dr. Heo Ji-young. Each piece takes a single symptom and follows what is actually happening in the body.
Quelling Inflammation Is Not the Same as Resolving It
The splinter came out on the first day, so why does it take a few more days for the spot to settle down? The word “settling” actually covers two different paths — pressing down on what has been switched on, and the body sending a separate signal to bring things to a close. If what could not be cleared away is left behind, it becomes an alarm again, running on at low intensity for a long time. If fever continues, or a joint is swollen and inflammatory markers are high, testing to find the cause comes first.
Flare-Ups Also Have Their Reasons
It flares up two or three times a year — but do those two or three times really come at random? For some, it is around when the first cold wind blows; for others, it is near the end of the monsoon; for others, it is three or four days after a stretch of packed workweeks. There is a pattern that does not show up in a single episode but only becomes visible after several — and the one to compare against is not someone else, but yourself last time. If it comes in a different shape than usual, checking comes before establishing a pattern.
The Exact Meaning of 'Your Tests Are Normal' — How Reference Ranges Are Made
The normal range is an interval cut from the middle 95% of healthy people. That's why kidney function can drop by half and still register as 'normal.' Tests look at items. And the place where you are struggling may be not an item but a chain formed by stringing items together.
If the Name of Your Illness Changes Every Time You Switch Hospitals
The diagnosis changing from hospital to hospital isn't because there's something wrong with you, nor because the doctors are mistaken. A diagnosis is a label seen through each one's own window. Instead of adding one more name, I look at what tilted, and in what order.
When You Breathe, Does Your Pelvis Move Along Too?
When groin pain, recurring cystitis and vaginitis, and a feeling that things are about to drop out come together, I also look at the pelvis. When the pressure wave of the breath cannot reach that space, it pools and dries. I look first at how far the breath goes.
Two Ways to Calm Inflammation
For long-standing inflammation, forcefully putting out the fire doesn't work well. It's because the signal that keeps calling the embers back is still there. Before anti-inflammation, I first look at why the alarm keeps going off.
Why Does Long-Standing Diarrhea Drain Your Energy Too?
Why can months of diarrhea leave you exhausted and cold-handed? Poor absorption can deplete nutrients, fluid, electrolytes, and energy; blood or black stools, fever, weight loss, or reduced urine needs hospital assessment first.
The Misunderstanding Behind Saying 'My Body Is Cold'
Do cold hands and feet always mean you need warming? Temperature can reflect blood flow, nerve tension, or tissue state; one-sided coldness, color change, numbness, or reduced sensation needs vascular or nerve assessment first.
When a Full Belly Makes Your Chest Tight and Your Heart Race
Why does eating make my chest tight when heart tests are normal? Abdominal pressure and nerve signals can affect breathing; warning signs still need cardiac care first.
If You Find It Especially Hard to Get Up in the Morning
Why exhausted on waking but clearer later? A shifted daily rhythm may contribute, but anaemia, thyroid disease, diabetes, sleep apnoea, and mood need checking.
Same Illness — So Why Treat Each Person Differently?
Why am I treated differently from a friend with the same diagnosis? A diagnosis alone does not show the same path, so time, sleep, digestion, and pain patterns are reviewed; tumors, infections, autoimmune, heart, and vascular disease need accurate diagnosis first.
What Time Does in a Long-Standing Illness
Why did pain start suddenly when nothing seemed wrong? The same burden can act differently depending on intensity and recovery time, but new pain or palpitations should not simply be treated as part of recovery.