Month: July 2008

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Ailmemts & Remedies

Rheumatism

Definition:
Rheumatism or Rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the heart, bones, joints, kidney, skin and lung. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.The term “rheumatism” is still used in colloquial speech and historical contexts, but is no longer frequently used in medical or technical literature; it would be fair to say that there is no longer any recognized disorder simply called “rheumatism.” Some countries use the word Rheumatism to describe fibromyalgia syndrome. The traditional term covers such a range of different problems that to ascribe symptoms to “rheumatism” is not to say very much. Nevertheless, sources dealing with rheumatism tend to focus on arthritis. However, “non-articular rheumatism”, also known as “regional pain syndrome” or “soft tissue rheumatism” can cause just as much discomfort and difficulty. Furthermore, arthritis and rheumatism between them cover at least 200 different conditions.

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Rheumatism is a medical term once frequently used to describe disorders associated with many different parts of the body. Most often, people associate rheumatism with arthritis, or with rheumatic fever, a complication of strep throat that can result in damage to the heart. However, the term rheumatism might apply to the symptoms of numerous conditions that can cause pain and/or weakness.

Some conditions that were once given the general label of rheumatism or called rheumatic diseases include, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, and tendonitis. Frequently autoimmune disorders, since they remained unnamed but caused pain as well as affecting other organs, were classed as rheumatism. Illnesses like lupus were particularly susceptible to being called rheumatism. Later understanding of the actions of these illnesses show that the problem is not dysfunction of the joints, but rather immune systems that can attack joints, muscles and organs.

Some forms of rheumatism are called non-articular rheumatism and may affect the soft tissues causing pain throughout the body. Conditions like tendonitis and fibromyalgia fall into this category. As well, non-articular rheumatism can be localized to specific areas in the body. Bursitis is a non-articular form of rheumatism that affects and inflames the bursa, which are special sacs that protect joints and overlapping muscles. Bursitis most frequently occurs at the site of one joint that may have been injured through overuse.

Other forms of non-articular rheumatism may also result from repetitive motion. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is classed as non-articular rheumatism and is often caused by poor position when typing, or by positional problems when assembling multiple products of the same type.

Another type of non-articular rheumatism is temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ), which only affects the joints in the jaws. Numerous people are treated yearly, to help prevent the mouth from getting stuck when open or closed, or the painful popping and clicking that may be associated with moving the jaws.

The general term rheumatism is seldom heard now in medical communities because health professionals feel that specific naming of illnesses can better point toward standards or treatment and care. Treating lupus is hugely different from treating bursitis or TMJ. With more specified names comes specified research that can help determine a range of information about an illness. Overly general terms lack the specificity required to define the action of a condition, which best directs effective treatment.

Types
The major rheumatic disorders currently recognised include:

* Ankylosing spondylitis
* Back pain…………….CLICK & SEE
* Bursitis/ Tendinitis, Shoulder pain, wrist, biceps, leg, knee (patellar), ankle, hip, and Achilles……CLICK & SEE
* Capsulitis………..…CLICK & SEE
* Fibromyalgia
* Neck pain
* Osteoarthritis
* Psoriatic arthritis
* Rheumatic fever
* Rheumatic heart disease (a long-term complication of Rheumatic fever)
* Rheumatoid arthritis
* Systemic lupus erythematosus
* Temporal arteritis and Polymyalgia rheumatica
* Tenosynovitis.

Although these disorders probably have little in common in terms of their epidemiology, they do share two characteristics: they cause chronic (though often intermittent) pain, and they are difficult to treat. They are also, collectively, very common.

Rheumatism symptoms:
Fever, pain, intense soreness and stiffness
The onset of the acute variety of rheumatism is characterized by fever, intense soreness, and pain. In the acute muscular type, the area becomes so sensitive that even the weight of bed clothing aggravates the pain. It may settle into a chronic state under a wrong mode of treatment. If the disease is not treated properly in the acute stage, it may become chronic. The symptoms of chronic muscular rheumatism are pain and stiffness of the affected muscles. In the case of chronic articular rheumatism (pain in the joints), pain and stiffness are felt in one or more joints of the body, with swelling in most cases

Rheumatism causes:

Toxic waste products in the blood
The chief cause of rheumatism is the presence of toxic waste products in the blood. The liberal consumption of meat, white bread, sugar, and refined cereals leaves a large residue of toxic wastes in the system. When the vitality is low, the toxic wastes are concentrated around the joints and bony structure, where they form the basis of rheumatism.

“Rheumatism” and weather
There has long been said to be a link between “rheumatic” pain and the weather. There appears to be no firm evidence in favour or against, but a 1995 questionnaire given to 557 people by A. Naser and others at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Pain Management Center concludes that “changes in barometric pressure are the main link between weather and pain. Low pressure is generally associated with cold, wet weather and an increase in pain. Clear, dry conditions signal high pressure and a decrease in pain

Treatment:
A vast number of traditional herbal remedies were recommended for “rheumatism”. Modern medicine, both conventional and complementary, recognises that the different rheumatic disorders have different causes (and several of them have multiple causes) and require different kinds of treatment.

Nevertheless, initial therapy of the major rheumatological diseases is with analgesics, such as paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), members of which are ibuprofen and diclofenac. Often, stronger analgesics are required.

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Home Remedies for Rheumatism:

Rheumatism treatment using Potato Juice
The juice of raw potato is regarded as an excellent remedy fur rheumatism. One or two teaspoons of the juice, taken out by pressing mashed raw potatoes, should be taken before meals. This will help to eliminate the toxic condition and relieve rheumatism. The skin of the potato is also an excellent remedy fur rheumatism. The skin is exceptionally rich in vital mineral salts, and the water in which the peelings are boiled is one of the best medicines for ailments caused by excess toxic matter in the system. Approximately thirty grams of the potato peelings should be thoroughly washed and boiled in half a litre of water till it is reduced to half. The decoction should then be strained and a glass of the same should be taken three or four times daily.
Rheumatism treatment using Bitter Gourd
Bitter gourd is considered beneficial in the treatment of rheumatism. A cup of juice, extracted from the vegetable, should be mixed with a teaspoon of honey, and taken daily for treating this condition. This treatment should be continued for at least three months to provide relief
Rheumatism treatment using Celery

Celery is another effective remedy for rheumatism. A fluid extract of the seeds is more powerful than the raw vegetable. This also has a tonic action on the stomach and kidneys. Five to ten drops of this fluid should be taken in hot water before meals. Powdered seeds can be used as a condiment
Rheumatism treatment using Lemon

Lemons are beneficial in the treatment of rheumatism. The patient should take the juice of two or three lemons each day. This will bring good results
Rheumatism treatment using Walnuts

Walnuts are valuable in rheumatism. They should, however, be thoroughly masticated to achieve beneficial results. Half a dozen can be taken daily in the treatment of this condition
Rheumatism treatment using Rhubarb

The herb rhubarb has been found valuable in rheumatism. The green stalks of this herb should be pounded with an equal quantity of sugar. A teaspoonful should be taken three or four times a day. This remedy seldom fails

Other Rheumatism treatment:
Warm-water enema
In the case of acute rheumatism, the bowels should be cleansed daily with a warm-water enema during the first three or four days of the juice fast
Appply heat and hot packs to the affected parts

Other helpful methods in the treatment of rheumatism are application of heat and hot packs to the affected parts, a hot tub bath, a cabinet steam bath, dry friction, and a sponge bath
Hot Epsom salts bath

Hot Epsom salts baths are also beneficial and should be taken twice a week for three months in case of chronic rheumatism and once weekly thereafter. The affected parts should also be bathed twice daily in hot water containing Epsom salts, after which some olive oil should be applied
Fresh air exposure and light outdoor exercises

Fresh air, deep breathing, and light outdoor exercises are also beneficial
Avoid dampness and cold

Dampness and cold should be avoided

Rheumatism diet

Orange juice and water
In the case of acute rheumatism, the patient should be put on a short fast of orange juice and water for three or four days. After the juice fast, the patient should be placed on a restricted diet for fourteen days. In this regimen, orange or grapefruit may be taken for breakfast; lunch may consist of raw salad of seasonal vegetables with raisins, prunes, figs, or dates; and dinner may comprise of one or two steamed vegetables
Well-balanced diet

Thereafter, the patient may gradually adopt a well-balanced diet consisting of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruits. In case of chronic rheumatism, the patient may be placed on an all-fruit diet for four or five days. He may, thereafter, gradually adopt a well-balanced diet. The patient should take ripe fruits, fresh vegetables, and buttermilk in abundance
Avoid meat, indigestible and highly-seasoned foods

He should avoid all meat and fish; white bread, sugar, and refined cereals; rich, indigestible and highly-seasoned foods; tea and coffee; alcohol; sauces, pickles, and condiments.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheumatism
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-rheumatism.htm
http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/remedy/Rheumatism.html

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News on Health & Science

Malaria’s Sticky Secret

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A team of Australian researchers have identified a key mechanism that enables malaria-infected red blood cells to stick to the walls of blood vessels and avoid being destroyed by the body’s immune system.

The discovery highlights an important potential new target for anti-malarial drugs.

Malaria kills up to three million people every year, mostly in tropical parts of the world. The disease is spread by mosquitoes that inject victims with microscopic parasites that infect healthy red blood cells.

There are a number of different species of parasite, but the deadliest is the Plasmodium falciparum parasite.

The malaria parasite infects healthy red blood cells, where it reproduces, and producing up to thirty-two new daughter parasites. “It’s like remodelling a house so you can live in it and raise a family,” said researcher Alan Cowman from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne.

Blood cells infected by the malaria parasite lose their normal rigid shape and develop knobs on their surface, causing them to stick to blood vessel walls and stop circulating smoothly.

The parasite secretes a ‘glue’, known as PfEMP1, which travels to the surface of the infected red blood cells, leading to the formation of the knobs. The cells become sticky and adhere to the walls of the blood vessels. “This stops the cells from being cleared by the spleen, which is a protective mechanism for the parasite,” Cowman says.

“It’s absolutely essential for the parasite to survive in our bodies.”

Infected cells can also cause blood vessels to clog, a factor in some of the more serious effects of malaria such as cerebral malaria, where the disease affects the brain.

Now, the researchers, led by Cowman, have identified eight new proteins that transport the P falciparum parasite’s ‘glue’ to the surface of the infected red blood cells. They have shown that removing just one of these proteins prevents the infected red blood cells from sticking to the walls of the blood vessels.

“It really is a big step in understanding the parasite itself,” Cowman says. “In the long term it points toward concentrating on some of these proteins so that they don’t work any more, so the parasite would be cleared much more efficiently.”

It is also possible that researchers could use their new understanding to develop weakened forms of the parasite to use in a vaccine against the disease, he says.

Sources: The Times Of India

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Are There Deadly Superbugs in Your Pork?

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Scientists have detected antibiotic-resistant bacteria in pork, pigs and some veterinarians. It is possible that these so-called superbugs could infect farmworkers or even people who eat pork.

Antibiotic-resistant bugs were found in more than 7 percent of over 100 swine veterinarians tested. The same bacterial strains were found in nearly 50 percent of 300 tested pigs.

Perhaps of greatest concern, the bacteria were also found in 10 percent of more than 200 samples of ground pork and pork chops collected from four Canadian provinces.

An estimated 18,650 deaths a year in the U.S. are estimated to be caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.


Sources: Organic Consumers Association June 16, 2008

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Ailmemts & Remedies

Plague

Definition:
The typical sign of the most common form of human plague is a swollen and very tender lymph gland in the neck.This is known as a bubo – hence the alternative name for the disease of bubonic plague.
Plague is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium named Yersinia pestis.People usually become infected after being bitten by a flea which lives on rats and carries the bug.
Bubonic plague is often used synonymously for plague, but it does in fact refer specifically to an infection that enters through the skin and travels through the lymphatics, as is often seen in flea-borne infections. Bubonic Plague kills about 70% of patients in 4-7 days.

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Today plague is uncommon. This is largely due to better living conditions and antibiotics.

There are three forms of plague:

* Bubonic, which causes the tonsils, adenoids, spleen and thymus to become inflamed. Symptoms include fever, aches, chills and tender lymph glands
* Septicemic, in which bacteria multiply in the blood. It causes fever, chills, shock and bleeding under the skin or other organs
* Pneumonic, in which the bacteria enter the lungs and cause pneumonia. People with the infection can spread this form to others. This type could be a bioterror agent

Treatment for plague is a strong antibiotic. There is no vaccine for plague.

Plague was once deadly, but the disease is now curable provided it is caught in its early stages.

Pathology and transmission:
The Bubonic plague is an infection of the lymphatic system, usually resulting from the bite of an infected flea. The bacteria rapidly spreads to the lymph nodes and multiplies. Yersinia pestis can resist phagocytosis and even reproduce inside phagocytes and kill them. As the disease progresses, the lymph nodes can hemorrhage and become necrotic. Bubonic plague can progress to lethal septicemic plague in some cases.

Symptoms:
There are three types of plague: bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic. Signs and symptoms of plague vary depending on the type and on how you contract it. It’s possible to develop more than one type of plague.

Bubonic plague
This is the most common type of plague in humans, accounting for the majority of naturally occurring cases. Bubonic plague is caused by a bite from an infected flea and is characterized by an enlarged, infected lymph node called a bubo.

Signs and symptoms of bubonic plague generally appear within two to eight days after a plague-infected flea bites you. After you’re bitten, the bacteria travel through your lymphatic system, infecting the first lymph node they reach. The resulting bubo is usually 1 to 10 centimeters in diameter, swollen, painful and warm to the touch. It can cause so much pain that you can’t move the affected part of your body. The bubo usually develops in your groin, but may also appear in your armpit or neck, depending on where the flea bit you. More than one bubo can develop, but typically buboes affect only one area of your body.

Buboes may not be noticeable until a day or more after other symptoms appear. Other signs and symptoms of bubonic plague include:

* Sudden onset of fever and chills
* Headache
* Fatigue or malaise
* Muscle aches

Septicemic plague
Septicemic plague occurs when plague bacteria multiply in your bloodstream. You can contract this form of plague when bacteria transmitted by a fleabite enter directly into your bloodstream, or as a complication of bubonic or pneumonic plague. If septicemic plague occurs as a complication of bubonic plague, buboes may be present.

Signs and symptoms of septicemic plague include:

* Fever and chills
* Abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting
* Bleeding from your mouth, nose or rectum, or under your skin
* Shock
* Blackening and death of tissue (gangrene) in your extremities, most commonly your fingers, toes and nose

The gangrene associated with septicemic plague inspired the nickname Black Death for the 14th-century pandemic.

Pneumonic plague
Pneumonic plague is the least common form of plague — accounting for 12 percent of U.S. cases in the last 50 years — but the most rapidly fatal. Primary pneumonic plague can occur when you inhale infectious droplets coughed into the air by a person or animal with pneumonic plague. Early signs and symptoms, which generally occur about two days after inhaling contaminated droplets, include:

* High fever
* Weakness
* Signs of pneumonia, including chest pain, difficulty breathing and a cough with bloody sputum
* Nausea and vomiting

You can also develop pneumonic plague as a complication of bubonic or septicemic plague if the bacteria spread to your lungs. This is called secondary pneumonic plague.

Pneumonic plague progresses rapidly and may cause respiratory failure and shock within two days of infection. If antibiotic treatment isn’t initiated within a day after signs and symptoms first appear, the infection is likely to be fatal.

Plague resulting from a bioterrorist attack
It’s possible that plague bacteria could be turned into an aerosol and then might be spread over large populations as a bioterrorist weapon. An attack of this kind would cause pneumonic plague — the most deadly and most contagious type. In 1970, the World Health Organization estimated that if plague bacteria were sprayed over a city of 5 million people, up to 150,000 people could be infected and 36,000 might die.

According to a consensus statement by a group of scientists published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the incubation period for pneumonic plague following a bioterrorist attack might last from one to six days, but more often from two to four days. Signs and symptoms would mirror those of naturally occurring pneumonic plague, but might also include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Other indications that a bioterrorist event or germ warfare is behind a pneumonic plague outbreak include a high incidence of pneumonic plague in humans in regions of the country that haven’t had outbreaks among animals or rodents, or when plague occurs in people without any known risk factors.

The most famous symptom of bubonic plague is swollen lymph nodes, called buboes. These are commonly found in the armpits, groin or neck. The bubonic plague was the first step of the ongoing plague. The two other forms of the plague, pneumonic and septicemic, resulted after a patient with the bubonic plague developed pneumonia or blood poisoning.

The plague causes fever and a painful swelling of the lymph glands called buboes, which is how it gets its name. The disease also causes symptoms like spots on the skin that are red at first and then turn black, heavy breathing, continuous blood vomiting, aching limbs and terrible pain. The person would not live 24 hours.

.Infection of the lungs with the plague bacterium causes the pneumonic form of plague, a severe respiratory illness.Symptoms include high fever, chills, coughing up blood, and breathing difficulty.

Causes:
Plague has afflicted humans throughout history. The first recorded plague outbreak began in Egypt in A.D. 541.The Black Death pandemic in the 14th century killed one-third of Europe’s population. Europeans living during early pandemics believed the disease was a punishment from the gods or an unlucky confluence of astrological or supernatural elements.

The most recent plague pandemic began in China in the late 1800s and, due to booming international trade and ships with high rat populations, spread quickly throughout Asia and other parts of the world. That outbreak caused more than 12 million deaths in India and China alone.

The cause of plague, the Yersinia pestis bacterium, was discovered in 1894 by Alexandre Yersin. Soon after, scientists realized that fleas transmitted the bacteria.

In World War II, the Japanese army released plague-carrying fleas over a part of China, causing outbreaks of the disease. After World War II, both the United States and the former Soviet Union pursued biological weapons programs that developed means of exposing large populations to plague bacteria. Today, plague is one of a number of feared potential agents of bioterrorism, along with anthrax, smallpox, botulism, tularemia and nerve gases.

Diagnosis:
Your doctor may suspect plague if you live in a high-risk region. With the exception of a visible bubo, signs and symptoms often mimic other, more common infectious diseases.

You’ll likely be asked to describe the type and severity of your symptoms and tell your doctor about your recent history, including whether you’ve been exposed to sick animals or traveled to areas with plague outbreak.

If your doctor suspects plague, he or she may confirm the diagnosis through microscopic examination of fluid extracted from your bubo, bronchi or trachea. Needle aspiration is used to obtain fluid from your bubo. Fluid is extracted from your airways using endoscopy. In this procedure, a thin, flexible tube is inserted through your nose or mouth and down your throat. A suction device is sent down the tube to extract a fluid sample from your airways.

Your doctor may also test blood drawn from your veins to diagnose plague. Y. pestis bacteria generally are present in your bloodstream only if you have septicemic plague.

Treatment:
In the modern era, several classes of antibiotics are effective in treating bubonic plague. These include the aminoglycosides streptomycin and gentamicin, the tetracyclines tetracycline and doxycycline and the fluoroquinolone ciprofloxacin. Patients with plague in the modern era usually recover completely with prompt treatment, although the disease is rarely seen in the industrialized world.

However, there is concern about growing levels of resistance to the drugs.People suspected of having the plague should be hospitalised and medically isolated.
It is also important to test people who have been in close contact with sufferers.

Risk Factors:
The World Health Organization reports 1,000 to 3,000 cases of plague world-wide every year.It is found across south Asia, southern Africa and Central America.

Naturally occurring plague outbreaks are most common in rural areas and in urban areas characterized by overcrowding, poor sanitation and a high rat population. Outbreaks can happen at any time of year.

In the United States, plague outbreaks occur most often between April and November. Most U.S. cases occur in Western states, including New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and California.

Rock squirrels and ground squirrels are the most common sources of infection in the United States. Other rodents, including chipmunks and prairie dogs, may host plague-carrying fleas. Animals that may be infected and pose a transmission risk to humans include wild rabbits and domestic cats that have contact with wild rodents.

The disease usually spreads through fleabites, but you can also contract plague after being exposed to an infected animal that may have coughed infectious droplets into the air or through a break in your skin after handling an animal with plague. Groups at increased risk include veterinarians, cat owners, hunters, campers and hikers in areas with recent plague outbreaks among animals.

Prevention:
Previously, a vaccine was available for bubonic plague, but its efficacy was never well studied and the manufacturer stopped producing it in 1999. Clinical trials on a new plague vaccine are in the earliest stages.

Although no effective vaccine is available, antibiotics offer effective preventive therapy if you’re at risk or have been exposed to plague. Ask your doctor immediately about preventive antibiotics if you:

* Have had close contact with a person or animal with known or suspected pneumonic plague
* Have been bitten by a flea or unknown insect in an area known to have recent plague cases
* Are planning to spend time in a region with recent plague outbreak

Take the following precautions if you live or spend time in regions where plague outbreaks occur:

* Avoid contact with sick or dead animals. If you hunt, wear gloves when handling dead animals.
* Rodent-proof your home. Remove potential nesting areas, such as piles of brush, rock, firewood and junk. Don’t leave pet food or any other foods in areas that rodents can easily access.
* Prevent your pets from contracting fleas. Use flea-control products and don’t allow pets to wander unsupervised. Ask your veterinarian for recommended flea-control brands and guidelines.
* Take precautions when outdoors. Closely supervise your children and pets when spending time outside in areas with large rodent populations. Use insect repellent on your skin and clothing.

Know the risk factors and the symptoms of plague so that you can identify it early and contact your doctor immediately. If you know of recent plague cases in your area, report sick or dead animals to your local health department or to police.

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://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/medical_notes/n-p/1834332.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubonic_plague
http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/plague/DS00493/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print

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Why is a Dog’s Nose Black and Wet?

 

Most dogs have black noses, not all. The noses of Vizslas and Weimaraners, for example, are closer to their coat colours. And it’s not unusual for puppies to start out with pink noses that darken as they mature.

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In all likelihood, dogs have developed black noses as a protection against sunburn. While the rest of the animal’s body is protected by fur, the noses are exposed to the sun’s rays. Pink-nosed dogs and breeds that are hairless or have very thin hair on their ears need to be protected with sunscreen when they go outdoors, or they risk the same sort of cancers and burns that humans do.

The canine nose — or nasal planum — is normally cool and moist, but not always wet. It has no sweat glands. The mucus lining causes the moisture. The evaporation of moisture from the nose helps to cool the dog. This moisture also makes the dog more sensitive to odours. Generally a happy dog continually licks his nose. When the dog isn’t feeling well, he tends not to lick his nose. And this makes the nose dry. But this is not a direct correlation. The brachycephalic breeds (bulldogs, Bostons, pugs, etc.) have noses set so high on their muzzles that they can’t reach them with their tongues and thus the noses tend to become cracked and dry on the top.

Sources: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

 

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