Health Blog
Written by Dr. Heo Ji-young. Each piece takes a single symptom and follows what is actually happening in the body.
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.
The Illness That Returns When You Stop the Medicine
If symptoms return after I stop medicine, must I take it forever? It depends on the illness and the medicine; never stop essential prescriptions without your doctor.
When Seemingly Unrelated Symptoms Come Together
My legs swell, my head feels heavy, digestion is poor, sleep is shallow, and my shoulders are tight—could breathing be related? Shallow breathing is one factor to consider, not the only cause; heart, kidney, or thyroid problems need testing first.
Breathing does not only take in air — a rhythm that continues even while you sleep
Can breathing affect the body beyond taking in oxygen? It creates a pressure rhythm through the trunk and helps venous return, but breathing alone cannot explain several symptoms; sudden breathlessness or chest pain needs assessment first.
Where Is the Baseline of Immunity Set?
If my immunity feels low, should I start with an immune booster or probiotics? The gut is important in calibrating immune responses, but probiotics alone are not the answer; suspected autoimmune disease or immunodeficiency needs appropriate care first.
Why Sinusitis Is So Stubborn to Heal
Why does sinusitis keep returning when it improves only on antibiotics? Secretions can remain trapped behind a narrow sinus outlet; fever, severe facial pain, polyps, or structural blockage need ENT assessment and testing first.
The Longer You've Been Ill, the Less You Notice Getting Better
Why can treatment feel unchanged from last month? Bad days stand out while gradual changes are easy to miss, so track practical shifts such as nights woken by pain and the number of better days.
Eating Less but Still Not Losing Weight — The Place of Insulin Resistance
Saying metabolism has worsened does not mean willpower is lacking. It is a state in which the cells have stopped hearing the signal. I look at the side that reopens that ear.
When Your Feelings Swing and Your Body Swings With Them
When my mood swings and my body swings with it, am I unusual? Emotion and heart rate, digestion, and breathing can affect each other; low mood or loss of interest lasting weeks deserves appropriate care too.
When Your Throat Feels Tight and Swallowing Is Uncomfortable but Tests Are Normal
Your thyroid tests are normal, yet your throat feels stifled and your voice grows hoarse. In cases like this, I look not at hormones but at the nerves and pressure that pass through that spot.
If Your Blood Sugar Is Borderline — I Look at the Swing First
Could post-meal drowsiness be related to borderline blood sugar? Blood-sugar swings can cause same-day symptoms even when one reading is only borderline.