Dr. Roberto A. Palileo

Aside from treating patients, it is also my job to train and supervise young doctors to become future specialists. Which is why I give lectures to them or attend medical conferences presented by them to enhance their knowledge and share my experiences (which one will never learn from a book).

I'm pretty sure that's a peace sign above me.✌️😁

"Doc, I can't sleep at night! Can you give me something so I can sleep?"

This is a common complaint I hear from patients especially the elderly. Inability to sleep may of course accompany a lot of ailments but once I have determined that a patient has no medical issues preventing sleep, I need to ask a lot of questions.

For starters, how's the sleeping environment at night? Is it too warm? Noisy? Is your bed or pillow hard or lumpy? Does your bedmate (if any) snore or toss and turns? If you answer yes to any of these, then you should address whatever impedes your sleep. Also, avoid drinks that contain caffeine - coffee, tea, sodas- before bedtime.

Secondly, do you take siestas in the afternoon even for a few mins.? If yes, then that's also a culprit. When you're old and retired you don't get as fatigued as before so your ageing body doesn't need as much rest as when you were younger. So when you have napped during the day, you don't feel as drowsy come night fall. The solution: don't sleep in the daytime!

Our body clocks all have a day-night cycle where we should all fall asleep naturally, without the necessity for sleeping pills. However conditions needed to fall asleep must be present. If not, while in bed - watch TV, read a magazine, dabble on your cellphone, etc. so when your eyes tire, you could doze off already.

Sweet dreams!😴🌛

"Doc!! I've got incomplete right bundle branch block on my ECG!😲 Is it serious??"

I frequently see patients who are otherwise healthy but whose ECG result showed "incomplete bundle branch block". These patients are usually people who are job applicants or are scheduled for surgery so had an ECG done for routine tests. Understandably, they get anxious or loose sleep once they've seen the word "block".

First of all, calm down.

While an incomplete right bundle branch block (IRBBB) is an abnormal finding, it does not always indicate heart disease nor will it require treatment. In fact a lot of normal and healthy people may have this finding and are oblivious to its presence until an ECG is taken.

The block that is alluded to is a mild disruption to the passage of the pulse or heartbeat along the "electrical grid" or wiring that triggers the heart to pump. The block does NOT refer to an occlusion or "bara" in your heart's blood vessel.

Having said that, it's best to see or consult a cardiologist so you can be evaluated as to whether you need to be treated.

The Philippine Heart Association is the national organization of cardiologists of which I'm a member since the 1990s. Anything that has to do with the health of the human heart is our calling.❤️

This is reassuring to those whose primary vaccination was Sinovac followed by Pfizer or Moderna boosters.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2793443?guestAccessKey=63087d59-f40e-4fe7-a8dc-fb03f991b712&utm_source=silverchair&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=article_alert-jama&utm_content=olf&utm_term=062222

If you have regular exercise, that's great! But did you know that the time of day to exercise has an impact as well? Read on.

What's the Best Time of Day to Exercise? It Depends on Your Goals Exercise anytime is good, but more and more research shows the right timing can make it even better.

Some health worthy tips from the WHO.

Conducted an Advanced Cardiac Life Support course with my co-cardiologists to hone the skills of our hospital staff.

Beginning today, my clinic at St. Camillus is back to face to face consultations. However, if a patient has symptoms suggestive of covid, the patient will be advised to have a teleconsult instead.

In view of the current surge, my St. Camillus clinic now offers the option for teleconsults. Please call the clinic at 888993053 to set up a session with me during my regular schedule; payment will be through Gcash. Prescriptions, lab requests, etc. will be pm'ed to you afterwards.

However should one wish to see me in person, you can still do so but as per clinic policy, you'll have to take a rapid antigen test (regardless of vaccination status) right here at the clinic. If the result comes out negative after a few mins., then we can meet up face to face.

Stay safe, everyone. We will get through this!😄

We are the 'worst' place to be???🧐 Yet as far as covid cases go, we are far BETTER off than the US or Europe (see graph)! Western media can be sooo biased...

Take a long hard look at this infographic. As of yesterday (Aug. 26), the UP-PGH shows the proportion of confined covid patients as to who are fully or partly vaccinated and the unvaccinated. Note that the majority of admitted cases are UNVACCINATED. And not a single, FULLY VACCINATED person is intubated!

This speaks volumes about how vital it is to get jabbed with any vaccine.

During the ECQ period (Aug. 6-20), I shall continue to see patients at my 2 clinics with no change in schedule. However, at San Juan de Dios Hospital, walk-ins will not be allowed. To set an appointment please call/text my secretary at 09562936672.

With floods getting frequent these days, it's best to prevent illness after walking through flood waters. Know how to be protected from leptospirosis.
(image courtesy of the Phil Society of Nephrology)

My clinic at San Juan de Dios hospital will resume tomorrow, Apr. 21. However, because of staffing concerns, my clinic days will be on Wednesday and Friday only (same time 1-3 pm).

My Monday clinic day may resume once the MECQ is downgraded.

I want to share some infographics from the Phil. Heart Association to those who are still reluctant to be vaccinated because of concerns about their blood pressure and/or heart condition.

Please share or forward to your friends or loved ones!

Per hospital directive, my clinic at San Juan de Dios shall remain closed until Apr. 30.

In the meantime, stay safe and if there's an opportunity -- get vaccinated!!💉

My clinic at San Juan de Dios will remain closed from Apr. 5 to 9 as per hospital directive. I will post later if it will resume the following week.

For patients who wish to consult/follow up I can see you face to face at my St. Camillus clinic OR for previous patients, set up a telehealth consult through the HIP platform (see my Sept. 8, 2020 post).

Stay safe please!

For those who are hypertensive and have some concerns about getting vaccinated.

Ligtas ang COVID19 vaccine sa may hypertension!

Many have asked my opinion about whether ivermectin is really effective against covid. This joint statement by the FDA and medical groups avers that it has NO proven benefit.

Feel free to share with others.

What's the 'best' anti-covid vaccine? Watch this video.

Why you can't compare Covid-19 vaccines What a vaccine's "efficacy rate" actually means.Subscribe to our channel! http://goo.gl/0bsAjOIn the US, the first two available Covid-19 vaccines were the o...

Due to the recent surge in covid cases, my clinic at San Juan de Dios has announced it will suspend all in-person clinics from Mar. 22 until Apr. 4 (Easter Sunday). Whether it will actually reopen on Apr. 5 would depend on the covid situation then.

In the interim if you wish to follow up or consult me online, just message me.

PLEASE STAY SAFE! We're not out of the woods yet so continue with the health protocols.

May I invite my patients who are 'high blood' or hypertensive to my short, free webinar so you may know more about your condition. It will be on Mar. 20 (Sat) at 10 am via Zoom. Please text your name to 09175587298 to register; only those who have registered will be given the Zoom link.

I hope my patients will be less apprehensive about getting vaccinated. Or about coming to my clinic.😊

Things to keep in mind when the vaccine becomes available.
Mga palatandaan kapag meron ng bakuna.

I've been double masking since I resumed my practice.😷

Dr. Fauci: Double-masking makes 'common sense' and is likely more effective The idea of "double-masking" generated buzz when people like Amanda Gorman and Pete Buttigieg wore surgical masks underneath cloth masks to the inauguration.

During this pandemic, telehealth consultations are encouraged to avoid getting infected. While this is OK for some specialties where it's enough for a doctor to see your appearance or lab results to know your state of health, a specialty like mine can't do without the need to listen to your heart and lungs. As of now, there's still no good way to relay the sounds of your heart online.

A recent patient of mine is one example. She's 77 years old, with diabetes and high blood pressure, and has been experiencing chest pain. Given her age and prior illnesses, the foremost thing that comes to mind is coronary artery disease (obstructions in the heart's arteries). And true enough, when she had a telehealth consult with another doctor, she was prescribed medicines for the heart. Yet the pain continued so she decided to be admitted under my care.

Long story short, it turned out she didn't have coronary artery disease. Further tests showed fluid was enveloping her heart for no obvious reason. When we did a procedure to remove the fluid, her chest pain stopped and analysis of the fluid and tissue around the heart showed it was likely due to TUBERCULOSIS. She is now home with prescription for TB.

So while telemed is good, it has its limits. And when it comes to the heart, it is best assessed in person by a doctor.

Stay safe!😄

I finally have a telehealth option for my former patients who are apprehensive about going to my clinics during this pandemic. This is only for patients whom I've previously seen because I already have a record of your heart findings and condition. For new patients I have to first check you up in person, after which we can telehealth for non-urgent follow ups.

For those technologically challenged, please have someone assist you through the app below (which becomes easy with repeated use). It would also be great if you have your own digital blood pressure monitor.

Magkita-kita na lang online!😀 Click the picture below.

Roberto Palileo, MD | CARDIOLOGIST | Find Your Doctor San Juan de Dios Hospital, St Camillus Polyclinic

My clinics at both San Juan de Dios and St. Camillus resume tomorrow. Please stay safe!