Month: February 2008

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Let Eye Donation Be A Family Tradition

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The cornea is the clear, transparent, tissue covering the front of the eye. It serves as a window to allow light to enter the eye. Vision will be dramatically reduced or lost if the cornea becomes cloudy from disease, injury or infection.

The main causes of corneal blindness are injuries, malnutrition, infections, chemical burns, congenital disorders and post-operative complications or infections.

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Corneal grafting:–

Fortunately, lost sight due to corneal diseases can only be restored through corneal transplantation. This is a procedure in which the cornea of a donor eye is grafted to replace the diseased cornea of the patient. A significant proportion of these patients can have their sight restored through corneal transplantation.

You can help this happen. Let eye donation be your family tradition. Donate eyes of your dearest after death. Age does not matter. The eyes of the deceased of any age can be donated whether he/ she has pledged the eyes or not.

Spectacle wearers, and people suffering from systemic disorders like asthma, tuberculosis diabetes and hypertension can also donate eyes. Patients who have undergone cataract surgery can donate eyes.

All religions endorse the practice of eye donation and it should always be encouraged as a RELIGIOUS ETHICS:-

Eyes have to be removed within six hours after death. So, lose no time in informing the nearest eye bank. You could be instrumental in ensuring an eye donation in time. If someone unfortunately dies in your family or friends circle, remember to call the nearest eye bank. Till the authorised person comes to remove the eyes, switch off fans, keep the airconditioner or cooler running and place wet cotton with ice over the closed eyelids. It will help keep the tissue moist and increase the viability of the donated cornea.

The eyes are removed by a trained person using a sterile procedure. It leaves no scar/disfigurement of the face. The donated eyes are never bought or sold. A request for eye donation is always attended to.

Eye donation in India:-

Corneal blindness affects mainly children and young adults who have a long life ahead of them. In India approximately 22,000 corneas from donated eyes are collected against the requirement of about 1 lakh corneas per year. Because of this huge lack of donor eyes in India new patients are added each year to a long list of already waiting patients.

Steps for the prevention of corneal blindness:

* All children below six years of age need supplementary dose of Vitamin-A solution

* Vaccinate all children as per schedule.

* Wear protective goggles in hazardous industries.

* Prevent eye injury, keep sharp articles away from the reach of young children.

* Be careful about the use of chemicals during Holi and crackers on Divali, etc.

* For any eye problem consult an eye specialist.

The frequently asked questions about eye donation:

1. What is cornea?

Cornea is the glass-like covering over the pupil of the eye.

2. Why does the cornea get damaged?

The cornea usually gets damaged because of infections or injuries of the eye or poor nutrition especially in childhood.

3. How can the eyesight in these patients be restored?

Persons who have lost their sight because of damage to the cornea can hope to regain it with corneal grafting.

4. Who can be an eye donor?

Anyone’s age or sex is not important, and it does not matter if you wear glasses or have undergone a cataract operation or any other eye surgery. All that is needed is a clear and healthy cornea.

5. Are any costs involved in eye donation?

No fees are charged from the family. The eye collection centre will rush a doctor to the donor’s home. This is a free service in the public interest.

6. Can I choose who will receive the corneas from my eyes?

You may make a request to that effect to the eye bank. But the corneas are usually transplanted into the next two patients on the waiting list to avoid any unfair practice.

7. Can my family meet the person who receives the corneas from my eyes?

No. The recipient will always remain anonymous. But the family should take pride in knowing the fact that the donor’s eyes have been used to restore vision to two blind people.

8. Can the eyes be removed at home?

The eyes can be removed at home or any other place where the body is kept after death.

9. What are the normal and religious views on eye donation?

Religious leaders throughout the world have voiced their support for eye donation as an expression for the highest humanitarian ideals.

Sources:
Most of writings taken from the notes of Chairman and Medical Director, Centre for Sight, New Delhi. E-mail: msachdev@bol.net.in

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News on Health & Science

Killing Flu With A Single Shot

Scientists may soon be ready with a vaccine against influenza that promises to offer protection against pandemics too…… P. Hari reports

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Few people in India vaccinate themselves against influenza, but it is an annual ritual in many countries. In the US, many citizens get themselves flu shots around this time, year after year. Influenza (not to be confused with avian flu) is a major disease all over the world, making millions of people sick every year. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 10-20 per cent of the world population gets infected with the flu virus every year. This leads to 3-5 million hospitalisations and up to 500,000 deaths annually.

Yet getting vaccinated against influenza is not as easy as it sounds. There are many different varieties of the influenza virus, and one vaccination protects against only one of these. Besides, the vaccinations have to be repeated every year. The virus mutates as well, making the development of the vaccines difficult. But these problems could soon go away — scientists are developing what is called a universal flu vaccine, one that could give protection for a lifetime against a variety of flu viruses.

The new vaccine was developed by two European universities — the University of Ghent and the Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) in Flanders. It has subsequently been passed on to the British firm Acambis which is carrying out further work on the vaccine. Recently, it crossed the first stage of clinical trials. In a few years, if the vaccine goes through Phase II and III clinical trials, we may not need to get flu vaccinations repeatedly, thereby saving enormous time and money. In the US alone, influenza costs the economy $10 billion a year.

The value of a universal flu vaccine can be gauged if one looks at past influenza epidemics. In the last 100 years, the world has seen three influenza pandemics. The first one, called the Spanish Flu, killed more than 60 million people from 1918 to 1920. The second one, called the Asian Flu, killed around 1.5 million people in 1957-58. The Hong Kong Flu killed around 1 million in 1968. There has not been a major pandemic since then. Since the virus mutates regularly, a flu pandemic is a disaster waiting to happen, even if we discount avian flu, which could become a global disaster like never seen before.

The rapid mutation of the virus is the most serious hurdle in developing an effective vaccine. If the virus mutates, few people will have immunity to the new form. It takes almost a year to develop a vaccine, during which time a truly virulent form could kill millions of people. So efforts were underway to see what portion of the virus gene remains unchanged in all the varieties. It is this portion that is the basis of the universal vaccine.

In the 1990s, scientists at VIB discovered a region — called M2e — in the influenza virus gene that remains common to all the mutated varieties of the type A form of the virus. This type is the most common form of the virus, and thus scientists expect a vaccination against type A to stop a pandemic. The vaccinations currently given are all against type A, but they do not use this common region. In laboratory animals, the M2e vaccine provided total protection against all influenza A strains. Moreover, no side effects were noticed.

VIB had licensed the rights to the vaccine to the British vaccine company Acambis. In the Phase I trials done by the company in the US, the vaccine reportedly generated a good immune response with no side effects.

Interestingly, the vaccine was also tested in ferrets against avian flu. In the experiment, about 70 per cent of the animals which received the vaccine survived, while all the animals which did not died. While these results do not automatically translate into a vaccine for avian flu, they are good enough for immunologists to take them seriously.

So if there is an avian flu pandemic, a vaccine based on M2e might provide some protection. But that is not the primary goal of the universal vaccine, whose developers hope that two vaccine shots would be enough to protect against influenza for a long time.

Sources: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

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Herbs & Plants

Aristolochia indica

Botanical name: Aristolochia indica
Family: Aristolochiaceae
Genus: Aristolochia
Species: A. indica
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Piperales

English name: Indian birthwort.
Common name: Indian birthwort, Hooka-bel (Hindi), Isvaberusa (Kannada), Isvaramuli (Tamil), Esvaraveru (Telugu), Arkmula (Gujarati), Sampsun (Marathi), Garudakkoti (Malayalam)

Sanskrit name: Ishvari.
Vernacular names: Ben and Hin : Isharmul; Mal: Isvaramuli; Mar: Sapasan; Tel: Eswaramuli.
Trade name: Iswarmul.
Habitat:Found throughout the subcontinent, mainly in the plains and lower hilly regions from Nepal to Bangladesh.
Ecology and cultivation: Found in open scrub jungles; wild.
Medicinal Parts used:Root, aerial parts.
Description:
Twining herb, semiwoody, having more or less swollen nodes; leaves cordate or ovate, exstipulate; flowers irregular, often offensively smelling, perianth globose with a purple dilated and trumpet-shaped mouth with a strap-shaped brown purple appendage or lip behind; fruit a subglobose capsule.

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THE PLANT

Indigenous to Mediterranean regions, Asia Minor, and the Caucasus, this perennial is also found in numerous other regions. The plant grows to about three feet and has an unpleasant smell. The flowers are a dirty yellow and briefly trap the insects that pollinate them.

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The Duck Flower grows in the southern part of Mexico to Panama. It is a hairy vine that grows along streams and in other wet areas. The leaves are long-stemmed and appear heart-shaped. Before opening, the vine resembles the shape of a duck with the stalk appearing like a bill and a slender tail dangling at the other end. Flowering: June to October; Fruiting: November to March.


History:
Aristolochia means “excellent birth” and refers to the traditional use of the fresh juice to induce labour. Indian Root was used mainly in childbirth. In England, it was known as birthwort and used for this purpose.
Theophrastus (c. 372-286 BCE) records that the plant was used to treat disorders of the uterus, reptile bites, and sores to the head.

Of the 350 or so species of Aristolochia, several carry the common name of snakeroot because many of the species were used by Native Americans to treat snake bites. They also employed the plants to treat stomachaches, toothaches, and fevers.

In the 16th century when Francisco Hernández was cataloging the flora of “New Spain”, he came across a plant that looked like the same as the herb he knew back in Europe. The Mexican species, however, can have enormous flowers. He reported that the Aztecs used it to treat abscesses, dysentery, deafness, and various other ailments.

Chemical contents: aristolochic acids, volatile oil and tannins
Root: A crystalline substance-probably a glucoside, a micro-crys­talline principle glucosidic in nature named isoaristolochic acid, allantoin, 0.05% carbonyl compounds and a small amount of an oil, with the odour of isovanillin, ishwarone, ishwarane, aristolochene.

Medicinal Uses:It is anti-inflammatory ,antibiotic ,analgesic ,abortifacient ,diaphoretic ,induces menstration ,nervine ,tonic and wound healer

UNANI: a constituent of ‘Majnoon-e-Flasfa’.

Modern use: Plant: used as abortifacient; EtOH (50%) extract: diuretic and anti­inflammatory; Dried stem and root: used as drug, which should be used in minimal doses; the drug promotes digestion and controls menstruation; in higher doses, it may prove lethal, it is used as a stimulant, tonic and for fevers; in moderate doses, it is used as a gastric stimulant and in dyspepsia; Root: considered as a stimulant, tonic and emmenagogue and also used in intermittent fever and in bowl troubles of children; shows antifertility activity in experimental animals.

Traditional Uses:
Root: tonic, stimulant, emetic, emmenagogue, in fever, in powder form is given with honey for leucoderma; Root-decoction: in impotency; Crushed root: applied on itching; Juice of leaf: in snake bite, used for cough; Seed: inflammations, biliousness and dry cough.
*Birthwort was formerly used induce labour; and, when taken after childbirth, it prevented infection while inducing menstruation.

*A decoction was taken to heal ulcers, as well as for asthma and bronchitis.

*It was also used to treat wounds, sores, and snakebites. Poultices and infusions were used by Native Americans for snakebites. It was also used for this purpose in the Amazon.

*Although used in China for lung disorders, pain, and fluid retention, Germany has banned the plant because of the toxicity of aristolochic acid. It is used in a wide variety of ways in nearly all European countries.

*It was also considered a strong fever remedy.

*In the Sudan, it is used for scorpion stings.

*In Iran, the European variety is used as a tonic and to induce menstruation.

*In India, it is used as a contraceptive.

*In Mexico, it has long been recommended for snake bite; and, interestingly, half a world away in Taiwan, a 1974 study of another species also effectively inactivated snake venom.

*It is used to stimulate the immune system, as well as in the treatment of allergically caused gastrointestinal and gallbladder colic.

*In Chinese medicine, it is used for joint pain, stomachache, malaria, and abscesses.

*Homeopathic uses include gynecological disorders and in the treatment of wounds and ulcers.

*It has been used in treatment after major surgery and in ear-nose-throat treatments.

Duck Flower has a number of reported uses in Central America. Generally not available in the US, it is available south of that border. Michael Balick and Rosita Arvigo state that it is one of the most popular herbal remedies used in Belize, where decoctions and infusions are commonly made from the vine. It can often be seen soaking in a bottle of rum in saloons since it is taken by the shot for hangovers, flu, flatulence, late menstrual periods, and irregular heartbeat. However, it is advised that it be used under the guidance of a knowledgeable professional as it is poisonous and contains a mutagen and carcinogenic.

It contains Aristolochic acid which not only stimulates white blood cell activity, it is also carcinogenic and damaging to the kidneys. However, it is an effective wound healer, according to Chinese research.

CAUTIONS:
*This genus of plant is rarely used anymore because it is so dangerous. Therefore, it should be used only under strict knowledgeable supervision.

*It is contraindicated in pregnancy.

*Since it is highly toxic, it can lead to the development of tumors if low doses are taken over an extended period of time.

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider

Resources:
http://www.bsienvis.org/medi.htm#Aristolochia%20indica
http://www.innvista.com/health/herbs/birthwor.htm
http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Indian%20Birthwort.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristolochia_indica

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Featured

Is Your Full Figure an Increased Risk for Diabetes?

A new study suggest that women who have smaller breasts in their late teens and early 20s may enjoy a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. However, many doctors have cautioned that the results may have more to do with obesity than they do with breast size alone.

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Researchers surveyed more than 92,000 women with an average age of 38, asking each of the participants to recall her bra size at the age of 20.

Women who recalled having a D cup or larger had about three times the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Women who reported wearing B cup and C cup bras also experienced a higher risk than women who wore an A cup, even after figuring in age, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, eating habits, family history of diabetes, physical activity level and pregnancies.

The study lead investigator believes that the correlation has something to do with how breasts develop during puberty. Puberty is a period marked by raised insulin resistance. Just as breast development is both accelerated and more pronounced in obese girls, their levels of insulin resistance may be as well.

However, if that is the case, many experts question why they should abandon the tried-and-true methods of evaluating type 2 diabetes risk by calculating their BMIs and evaluating lifestyles.

Sources:
ABC News January 28, 2008
Canadian Medical Association Journal January 29, 2008; 178(3): 313–315 (Free Full Text Article)

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Ailmemts & Remedies

Coloboma

Retino choroidal coloboma
Retino choroidal coloboma (Photo credit: Community Eye Health)

DESCRIPTION: Coloboma of the iris is a congenital (present since birth) defect of the iris of the eye.Congenital cleft in some part of the eye (commonly the iris, but may also occur in the lid(s) or pigment epithelium and choroid); caused by faulty closure during prenatal development; usually hereditary; secondary complication: cataracts. Associated conditions are: microphthalmia, polydactyly and mental retardation. Depending on the extent and location of the coloboma, there may be decreased visual acuity, nystagmus, strabismus, photophobia, and a loss of visual fields.
……….Click  & see

A coloboma (also part of the rare Cat Eye syndrome) is a hole in one of the structures of the eye, such as the lens, eyelid, iris, retina, choroid or optic disc. The hole is present from birth and can be caused when a gap called the choroid fissure between two structures in the eye, which is present early in development in the uterus, fails to close up completely before a child is born. A coloboma can occur in one or both eyes.

The effects a coloboma has on the vision can be mild or more severe depending on the size and location of the gap. If, for example, only a small part of the iris is missing, vision may be normal, whereas if a large part of the retina or optic nerve is missing, vision may be poor and a large part of the visual field may be missing. This is more likely to cause problems with mobility if the lower visual field is absent. Other conditions can be associated with a coloboma. Sometimes the eye may be reduced in size, a condition called microphthalmia, or there may be glaucoma, nystagmus or strabismus (squint).

Some children with coloboma of the eye also have malformations in other parts of the body. There is a rare condition called CHARGE syndrome, in which coloboma is associated with cleft lip and/or palate, ear abnormalities and hearing impairment, choanal atresia, delays in growth and development, central nervous system anomalies and congenital heart defects.

Colobomas are caused by a mutation in the pax2 gene.

CHARGE association congenital defects include:

-Colobomas -Heart defects -Atresia (Choanal atresia) -Retardation -Genitourinary abnormalities -Ear abnormalities

The incidence of coloboma is estimated at around 0.5 to 0.7 per 10,000 births, making it a relatively rare condition

Coloboma of the iris may appear as a black, round hole located in or next to the colored portion of the eye (iris). It can appear as a black notch of varying depth at the edge of the pupil, giving the pupil an irregular shape. It can also appear as a split in the iris from the pupil to the edge of the iris.

A small coloboma, especially if it is not attached to the pupil, may allow a secondary image to focus on the back of the eye, causing:

*Blurred vision

*Decreased visual acuity

*Ghost image

The defect may extend to the retina, choroid, or optic nerve.

Colobomas are generally diagnosed at, or shortly after birth.

CAUSES:-

Coloboma can occur due to:

*Eye surgery

*Hereditary conditions

*Trauma to the eye

Most cases of coloboma have no known cause and are not associated with other abnormalities. A small percentage of people with coloboma have other inherited developmental abnormalities.

DIAGNOSIS:-
The doctor will take a medical history and conduct an examination.

The patient is usually an infant, and the family history will be most important.

The physical examination will include a detailed eye examination, which may involve:

Dilated exam
MRI imaging of the brain and nerves connecting the eye to the brain
After seeing your health care provider:

You may want to add a diagnosis related to a coloboma to your personal medical record.

TREATMENT:
Cosmetic contact lenses and/or sunglasses for colobomas of the iris. Optical aids may be helpful.

IMPLICATIONS: Visual fields measurement is suggested when a coloboma of some-part of the inner eye is suspected (i.e., choroid or pigment epithelium).

Contact your health care provider if:-

You notice that your child has what appears to be a hole in the iris or an unusual-shaped pupil.
Your child’s vision becomes blurred or decreased.

Note: It is appropriate to see an ophthalmologist for vision problems. Your primary health care provider may need to help rule out disorders associated with coloboma of the iris.

Click to read:->How common is Madeleine’s eye defect?

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose

Resources:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003318.htm
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Education/anomalies/coloboma.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coloboma

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