Month: April 2011

Categories
Health Problems & Solutions

Some Health Quaries & Answers

To walk or not to walk:

Q: I am pregnant with my first child. My relatives tell me not to exercise but rest all day. The doctor, however, has advised walking, morning and evening.

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A: Exercise is important during pregnancy. It’s not harmful; on the contrary it has a positive impact on the health of the mother and baby. It enables both to withstand prolonged labour by increasing endurance. It boosts immunity, reduces stress and depression, and helps the mother to rapidly regain her pre-pregnancy physique.

Walking on level ground at a steady pace for 40 minutes in the morning and evening is safe and adequate. But be sure to wear good, supportive flat footwear and drink lots of water.

Abortion pills :

Q: I induced an abortion with tablets last year. After that my periods became irregular and I have not been able to conceive.

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A: Medical abortion is safe but must be done under a doctor’s supervision. A scan should be undertaken before taking the pills to ensure all the recommended criteria for a safe termination are met. The pregnancy should be less than 49 days, you can’t adopt this method if you’ve had a caesarian previously, the pregnancy should be in the uterus and not the tubes, and it should not be twins. The pills must be taken on two separate occasions, two days apart. After the abortion has occurred, a repeat scan must be done to ensure it has worked. If you have not followed these recommendations and had bought the tablets over the counter, consult a gynaecologist.

Blood in stools

Q: I have abdominal pain and diarrhoea with blood. The doctor did a stool test and said it is amoebic dysentery.

A: Amoebic dysentery occurs in tropical countries like India and causes diarrhoea with abdominal pain and blood in the stools. It can be distinguished from bacterial diarrhoea by the absence of fever. Treatment requires five to seven days of metronidazole. But consult your doctor for duration and dosage of the medicine. Failure to complete the course may result in chronic infection.

All diarrhoeas with blood and mucous are not due to dysentery. There are non-infective causes like polyps, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis as well as cancer. If the results of a complete course of medication isn’t satisfactory, consult a gastroenterologist.

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Hospital bug

Q: My son is admitted to the ICU with pneumonia. I am worried about the “superbug”. I noticed that a great deal of the time, simple hygienic measures like washing hands between patients is not followed by the medical staff. Neither do visiting relatives and friends follow the rules. What’s more, some of them sit on the patient’s bed.

A: Hand washing reduces the spread of infection (and possibly the superbug) in the community and in a hospital setting by 50 per cent. It is proven to be the single most effective method to reduce infection. A sanitising liquid can also be used.

Unfortunately, these simple methods are often not followed by lay people or even the medical fraternity. There is nothing much you can do except keep a bottle of sanitising liquid with you and request visitors to use it. You may offend some people, but at least it will reduce your son’s chances of infection.

Chicken pox :

Q: Is there any way to prevent chicken pox? Or is it one of the inevitable diseases of childhood?

A: Varicella vaccine to prevent chicken pox has been available since 1995. Immunised children do not get the disease. Although in most children, it may be mild and recovery complete in five to seven days, it isn’t possible to predict if your child will be one of the unfortunate 10 per cent that develop complications.

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Diabetic drug

Q: My doctor gives me metformin for diabetes, which I have to take three times a day. My grandmother too was on metformin. I wonder if there isn’t anything better and if I should change my doctor.

A: Metformin is one of the oldest diabetic drugs on the market, and the safest and mildest. It prevents low blood sugars from occurring accidentally and this protects against heart attacks and strokes. Also, since it is taken after food, you are unlikely to take a tablet and then forget to eat.

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If you do not like to take pills thrice a day, you may ask your doctor for the longer acting, sustained release formulations. This will increase your dosage intervals.

Leg cramps :

Q: My son complains of pain in the leg at night. We have tried iron tonics, zinc supplementation and calcium, but nothing works. He wakes up with pain every night.

A: Add a tablespoon of rock salt in a bucket of hot water. Ask your son to stand in it for 10 minutes every night before sleeping.

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Source : The Telegraph (kolkata, India)

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Ailmemts & Remedies

Erythrasma

Definition:
Erythrasma is a bacterial infection caused by the bacteria Corynebacterium minutissimum. It occurs most often between the third and fourth toes, but it can also frequently be found in the groin, armpits, and under the breasts. Because of it’s color and location, it’s often confused with a fungal infection like jock itch. Erythrasma is more common in the following populations:

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It is prevalent among diabetics, the obese,elderly, and People in warm, moist climates   and is worsened by wearing occlusive clothing.

Symptoms:
The main symptoms are reddish-brown slightly scaly patches with sharp borders. The patches occur in moist areas such as the groin, armpit, and skin folds. They may itch slightly and often look like patches associated with other fungal infections, such as ringworm.

Erythrasmic patches are typically found in intertriginous areas (skin fold areas – e.g. armpit, groin, under breast) – with the toe web-spaces being most commonly involved.

The patient is commonly otherwise asymptomatic.

Causes:
Erythrasma is caused by the bacteria Corynebacterium minutissimum.

Erythrasma is more common in warm climates. You are more likely to develop this condition if you are overweight or have diabetes.

The patches of erythrasma are initially pink, but progress quickly to become brown and scaly (as skin starts to shed).

Diagnosis:
At times, your doctor can diagnose erythrasma based on its typical appearance. But more often, your doctor will need to perform other tests to help make the diagnosis. The best way for your doctor to tell the difference between erythrasma and a fungal infection is to do a Wood’s Lamp examination on the rash. Under the UV light of a Woods Lamp, erythrasma turns a bright coral red, but fungal infections do not.

Other tests that may help include:
*A simple side-room investigation with a Wood’s lamp:It is additionally useful in diagnosing erythrasma. The ultraviolet light of a Wood’s lamp causes the organism to fluoresce a coral red color, differentiating it from fungal infections and other skin conditions.

•Gram Stain: A way to identify bacteria from a sample of the scale. Unfortunately, this bacteria is difficult to get to stick to the slide so it requires a special technique.

•KOH Test: This is a test used to identify fungal elements. This test might be done to confirm that there is no fungus present.

•Skin Biopsy: A sample of tissue is removed and evaluated under a microscope. In erythrasma, the bacteria can be seen in the upper layer of the specimen.

Treatment:
Since this is a bacterial infection, erythrasma is best treated with antibiotics, and fortunately several antibiotics fit the bill.

The following are antibiotics that are typically prescribed for erythrasma:
•Erythromycin 250mg four times a day for 5 days
•Clarithromycin 1gm once
•The antifungal creams miconazole, clotrimazole and econazole, but not ketoconazole
•Topical antibiotics like clindamycin or erythromycin twice a day for 2 weeks

Gently scrubbing the skin patches with antibacterial soap may help them go away.

Prognosis:
Complete recovery is expected following treatment.

Prevention:
These measures may reduce the risk of erythrasma:

•Maintaining good hygiene
•Keeping the skin dry
•Wearing clean, absorbent clothing
•Avoiding excessive heat or moisture
•Maintaining healthy body weight

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.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/erythrasma1.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythrasma
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001470.htm
http://dermatology.about.com/od/infectionbacteria/a/erythrasma.htm

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Ailmemts & Remedies Pediatric

Erythema infectiosum

Alternative Names : Fifth disease,slapped cheek syndrome, slapcheek, slap face or slapped face.

Definition:
Erythema infectiosum  is a peculiar disorder of the skin.  The condition commonly affects children and young adults.  Typically it appears as a red rash on the face that gives a slapped chek appearance.  A few days later a fish net like pattern of redness may appear on the arms and trunk.
.CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

The incubation period is usually four to 20 days and the virus is spread mainly through droplets in the air. It can also be transmitted through blood transfusions and from mother to unborn child.

It is highly contagious to those who have not had a previous infection. Unfortunately Erythema infectiosum is contagious before the rash appears, not after.  There is no way to prevent exposure.   Because it is such a mild infection no special precautions need to be taken, and children do not need to be kept home from school as they are not contagious once the rash appears.

Any age may be affected although it is most common in children aged five to fifteen years. By the time adulthood is reached about half the population will have become immune following infection at some time in their past. Outbreaks can arise especially in nursery schools, preschools, and elementary schools.

Erythema Infectiosum can also cause serious illness in those with leukemia or cancer, in those who have received an organ transplant, and in those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Fifth disease causes the majority of episodes of transient aplastic crisis (TAC) in persons with chronic hemolytic anemia. Occasionally, serious complications may develop from parvovirus B 19 infection during pregnancy.

Symptoms:
In many cases the early symptoms are so mild they go unnoticed, but they may include a runny nose, headache, mild fever, sore throat and lethargy.

Some children also experience nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and painful joints.

After a few days, a bright red rash may appear on the cheeks, but not on the nose or around the eyes or mouth.

After two to four days the rash, which looks a little like sunburn, usually disappears but another, non-itchy rash may appear on the extremities, including the palms and soles. This fades over a couple of weeks but may recur if the skin is exposed to heat, such as when in the bath, or physical stimuli such as friction.

Teenagers and adults may present with a self-limited arthritis. It manifests in painful swelling of the joints that feels similar to arthritis. Older children and adults with Fifth Disease may have difficulty in walking and in bending joints such as wrists, knees, ankles, fingers, and shoulders.

The disease is usually mild, but in certain risk groups it can have serious consequences:-

*In pregnant women, infection in the first trimester has been linked to hydrops fetalis, causing spontaneous abortion.

*In people with sickle-cell disease or other forms of chronic hemolytic anemia such as hereditary spherocytosis, infection can precipitate an aplastic crisis.

Transmission:
Erythema infectiosum  is transmitted primarily by respiratory secretions (saliva, mucus etc.) but can also be spread by contact with infected blood. The incubation period (the time between the initial infection and the onset of symptoms) is usually between 4 and 21 days. Individuals with fifth disease are most infectious before the onset of symptoms. Typically, school children, day-care workers, teachers and mothers are most likely to be exposed to the virus. When symptoms are evident, there is little risk of transmission; therefore, symptomatic individuals need not be isolated

Causes:
Erythema infectiosum is one of several possible manifestations of infection by erythrovirus previously called parvovirus B19.  The virus is a parvovirus, but not related to the parvovirus that pets may get.  You cannot get this parvovirus from an animal. This is a mild virus, and most people feel well when infected.  A few people may have minor itching, tiredness, a sore throat, or a slight fever. Outbreaks tend to occur in late winter or early spring, in cycles of every four to seven years.

Diagnosis:
The symptoms, especially the typical rash on the face, are a good guide to the diagnosis. Blood tests can be used to confirm it, but are rarely necessary.

Treatment:
It needs no specific treatment, but paracetamol or ibuprofen may be used for fever and discomfort.

It will gradually fade over about one month.  It commonly fades and reappears several times during the month.  Excessive exposure to sun, temperature changes and emotional upsets may stimulate a reappearance.

Most children suffer no long-term effects, but adults, pregnant women and children who are immunocompromised or have anaemia may develop more serious complications and should get medical advice.

Prevention:
*Follow standard precautions. Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after any contact with patients.

*Patients with TAC or chronic B 19 infection should be considered infectious and placed on isolation precautions in private rooms for the duration of their illness or until the infection has cleared. B 19-infected patients may share a room if there are no other contraindications. Persons in close contact with these individuals should wear masks, gowns if soiling is likely, and gloves.

*To avoid the risk of fetal loss and other complications of parvovirus infection, pregnant health care workers should consult their health care professional if there is an outbreak in the workplace.

*Because persons with fifth disease were already contagious before their rash appeared, it is not necessary to exclude them from work, school, or child care centers.

*Instruct patients with chronic hemolytic diseases to be aware of the risk of aplastic crisis if exposed to erythema infectiosum.

*Teach patients that frequent and proper hand washing helps reduce the risk of becoming infected with fifth disease.

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.orlandoskindoc.com/erythema_infectiosum.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/erythema2.shtml
http://www.health-care-tips.org/diseases/erythema-infectiosum.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_disease

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000815/804.html

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Herbs & Plants

Fomes fomentarius

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Botanical Name : Fomes fomentarius
Family: Polyporaceae
Genus: Fomes
Species: F. fomentarius
Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Polyporales

Common Names:  Amadou,Tinder Fungus, Hoof Fungus, Tinder Polypore or Ice Man Fungus

Habitat : Fomes fomentarius is a species of fungal plant pathogen found in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. It grows on the side of various species of tree, which it infects through broken bark, causing rot. The species typically continues to live on trees long after they have died, changing from a parasite to a detritivore.

F. fomentarius has a circumboreal distribution, being found in both northern and southern Africa, throughout Asia and into eastern North America, and throughout Europe, and is frequently encountered. The optimal temperature for the species’s growth is between 27 and 30 °C (81 and 86 °F) and the maximum is between 34 and 38 °C (93 and 100 °F). F. fomentarius typically grows alone, but multiple fruit bodies can sometimes be found upon the same host trunk. The species most typically grows upon hardwoods. In northern areas, it is most common on birch, while, in the south, beech is more typical. In the Mediterranean, oak is the typical host. The species has also been known to grow upon maple, cherry, hickory, lime tree, poplar, willow, alder, hornbeam, sycamore, and even, exceptionally, softwoods, such as conifers

Description:
Fomes fomentarius is a tough perennial polypore that usually becomes hoof-shaped with age; it is found on standing and fallen hardwoods.

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Fomes fomentarius has a fruit body of between 5 and 45 centimetres (2.0 and 18 in) across, 3 and 25 cm (1.2 and 9.8 in) wide and 2 and 25 cm (0.8 and 9.8 in) thick, which attaches broadly to the tree on which the fungus is growing. While typically shaped like a horse’s hoof, it can also be more bracket-like with an umbonate attachment to the substrate. The species typically has broad, concentric ridges, with a blunt and rounded margin. The flesh is hard and fibrous, and a cinnamon brown colour. The upper surface is tough, bumpy, hard and woody, varying in colour, usually a light brown or grey. The margin is whitish during periods of growth. The hard crust is from 1 to 2 mm (0.04 to 0.08 in) thick, and covers the tough flesh. The underside has round pores of a cream colour when new, maturing to brown, though they darken when handled. The pores are circular, and there are 2–3 per millimetre. The tubes are 2 to 7 mm (0.08 to 0.28 in) long and a rusty brown colour.


The colouration and size of the fruit body can vary based on where the specimen has grown. Silvery-white, greyish and nearly black specimens have been known. The darkest fruit bodies were previously classified as Fomes nigricans, but this is now recognised as a synonym of Fomes fomentarius. The colour is typically lighter at lower latitudes and altitudes, as well as on fruit bodies in the Northern Hemisphere that grow on the south side of trees. However, studies have concluded that there is no reliable way to differentiate varieties; instead, the phenotypic differences can “be attributed either to different ecotypes or to interactions between the genotype and its environment”

Ecology: Parasitic and saprobic on the wood of hardwoods (especially birches and beech); causing a white rot; growing alone or gregariously; perennial; fairly widely distributed in northern and north-temperate North America

Cap: Up to about 20 cm across; shell-shaped to hoof-shaped; with a dull, woody upper surface that is zoned with gray and brownish gray.

Pore Surface: Brownish; 2-5 round pores per mm; tube layers indistinct, brown, becoming stuffed with whitish material.

Stem: Absent.

Flesh: Brownish; thin; hard.

Microscopic features:
The spores are lemon-yellow in colour, and oblong-ellipsoid in shape. They measure 15–20 by 5–7 ?m. The species has a trimitic hyphal structure (meaning that it has generative, skeletal and binding hyphae), with generative hyphae (hyphae that are relatively undifferentiated and can develop reproductive structures) with clamp connections.

Similar species:
Fomes fomentarius can easily be confused with Phellinus igniarius, species from the genus Ganoderma and Fomitopsis pinicola. An easy way to differentiate F. fomentarius is by adding a drop of potassium hydroxide onto a small piece of the fruit body from the upper surface. The solution will turn a dark blood red if the specimen is F. fomentarius, due to the presence of the chemical fomentariol.

Amadou:
Amadou is a spongy, flammable substance prepared from bracket fungi. The species generally used is Fomes fomentarius (formerly Ungulina fomentaria or Polyporus fomentarius) which in English is also called horse’s hoof fungus or tinder fungus. The amadou layer can be found on top of the fungus just below the outer skin and above the pores. It is used as tinder (especially after being pounded flat, and boiled or soaked in a solution of nitre) and also used when smouldering as a portable firelighter.

It is also used in fly fishing for drying out artificial flies. It is sometimes also used to form a felt-like fabric used in the making of hats and other items. It has great water-absorbing abilities. Amadou for dry flies can be prepared by soaking the amadou layer in washing soda for a week beating it gently from time to time. After that it has to be dried and when dry it has to be pounded with a blunt object to soften it up and flatten it out.

Amadou was a precious resource to ancient people, allowing them to start a fire by catching sparks from flint struck against iron pyrites. Remarkable evidence for this is provided by the discovery of the 5000-year-old remains of “Ötzi the Iceman“, who carried it on a cross-alpine excursion before his murder and subsequent ice-entombment.

Medicinal Uses:
Amadou has been used for arresting hemorrhages, being applied with pressure to the affected part; and for treating ingrown toenails, by inserting between the nail and flesh.  Way back in history someone discovered that the upper sterile part of the basidiocarps could be used both as a blood-stopping agent and as a leather substitute. If the sterile part of the basidiocarp is removed and shredded properly it will make a brown cottony like material.  If this material is placed over bleeding wounds the blood is immediately soaked up and rapidly coagulates  in contact with oxygen over a large surface, and the bleeding successively terminates.

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Other Uses:
Though inedible, F. fomentarius has traditionally seen use as the main ingredient of amadou, a material used primarily as tinder, but also used to make clothing and other items. The 5,000-year-old Ötzi the Iceman carried four pieces of F. fomentarius, concluded to be for use as tinder. It also has medicinal and other uses. The species is both a pest and useful in timber production.

A cap made from amadou

The species is not considered edible; the flesh has an acrid taste, with a slightly fruity smell. The fungus has economic significance as it removes any timber value of infected trees. As Fomes fomentarius infects trees through damaged bark, it will often infect trees already weakened from beech bark disease. However, it is too weakly parasitic to infect healthy trees, and so can be regarded merely as an aspect of the ecosystem, with the important and useful role of decomposing unusable timber

The species Amadou is well known for its uses in making fire. This species, as well as others, such as Phellinus igniarius, can be used to make amadou, a tinder. Amadou is produced from the flesh of the fruit bodies. The young fruit bodies are soaked in water before being cut into strips, and are then beaten and stretched, separating the fibres. The resulting material is referred to as “red amadou”. The addition of gunpowder or nitre produced an even more potent tinder. The flesh was further used to produce clothing, including caps, gloves and breeches. Amadou was used medicinally by dentists, who used it to dry teeth, and surgeons, who used it as a styptic. It is still used today in fly fishing for drying the flies. Other items of clothing and even picture frames and ornaments have been known to be made from the fungus in Europe, particularly Bohemia. The fungus is known to have been used as a firestarter in Hedeby, and it is known that the fungus was used as early as 3000 BCE. When found, the 5,000-year-old Ötzi the Iceman was carrying four pieces of F. fomentarius fruit body. Chemical tests led to the conclusion that he carried it for use as tinder.

 

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.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_AB.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amadou
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fomes_fomentarius
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/fomes_fomentarius.html

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Ailmemts & Remedies

Episcleritis

Definition:
Episcleritis is irritation and inflammation of the episclera, a thin layer of tissue covering the white part (sclera) of the eye. It occurs without an infection.
click  for  photo
Episcleritis is an inflammatory condition affecting the episcleral tissue between the conjunctiva (the clear mucous membrane lining the inner eyelids and sclera) and the sclera (the white part of the eye) that occurs in the absence of an infection. The red appearance caused by this condition looks similar to conjunctivitis, but there is no discharge. There is no apparent cause, but it can be associated with an underlying systemic inflammatory or rheumatologic condition such as rosacea, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

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It may also be associated with conditions such as gout and herpes simplex infection, so when episcleritis occurs it’s important to make sure these conditions aren’t a factor.

On rare occasions, it may become apparent that external substances, such as chemicals, are responsible for an attack.

Episcleritis is more likely to affect people in their 30s and 40s, and women are more likely to be affected than men.

Symptoms:
Typical symptoms include generalized or local redness of the eyes that may be accompanied by mild soreness or discomfort but no visual problems.

In general the symptoms are:
•A pink or purple color to the normally white part of the eye
•Eye pain
•Eye tenderness
•Sensitivity to light
•Tearing of the eye

When someone develops episcleritis, their eye (or eyes) appears red and may feel sore, tender and uncomfortable. In this respect, it’s similar to conjunctivitis (inflammation of the conjunctiva, which covers the episclera). But unlike conjunctivitis, episcleritis doesn’t cause a discharge, although watering may occur. Those affected may also find they become sensitive to bright light.

It comes in two forms: simple and nodular.

Simple episcleritis is characterised by intermittent bouts of inflammation that occur every couple of months and last between one and two weeks.

Some people report that these bouts are more likely to affect them in the spring and autumn, and although triggers often remain unidentified, some people find that stress or hormonal changes kick off the process.

Click to see the picture

Nodular episcleritis causes longer bouts of inflammation that are more painful than simple episcleritis. This type is more often associated with underlying medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Causes:
Episcleritis is a common condition that is usually mild.

The cause is usually unknown, but it may occur with certain diseases, such as:

*Herpes zoster
*Rheumatoid arthritis
*Gout
*Sjogren syndrome
*Syphilis
*Tuberculosis
*Herpes simplex infection
*Inflammatory bowel disease and Lupus.

Diagnosis:
Diagnosis of episcleritis is made clinically. A work-up may be needed in some cases to uncover a possible underlying medical condition.

Treatment:
The condition usually disappears without treatment in 1 – 2 weeks,  but topical or oral anti-inflammatory agents maybe prescribed to relieve pain or in chronic/recurrent cases. Corticosteroid eye drops may relieve the symptoms faster.
You may Click to see:Alternative Treatment of  Episcleritis

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Prognosis: Episcleritis usually improves without treatment. However, treatment may make symptoms go away sooner.

Possible Completions:
In some cases, the condition may return. Rarely, irritation and inflammation of the white part of the eye may develop. This is called scleritis. Episcleritis, is associated with an underlying disorder about 70% of the time, and Scleritis can produce serious damage to the Eye; Episcleritis never does.

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.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/episcleritis1.shtml
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001019.htm
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/wilmer/conditions/episcleritis.html
http://lmk23.tripod.com/episcleritis.html

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