Everything Bugs

Are there any over the counter herbal medicines that can cure an infection?

2011-03-18T15:08:00.001-07:00

A number of herbs have been claimed to cure infections but there is very little scientific evidence to back up these claims. Some of the common herbs reputed to cure infections are turmeric, myrrh, goldenseal, garlic and colloidal silver. However, whether these herbs work for serious body infections is unknown. My best advice is if you think you have an infection, go and see a doctor first. Mucking around with herbs and infections at home can cause many problems including death. No emergency room will deny you care if you really have an infection. If they do, get yourself a lawyer.

My doctor says I have acquired bacterial vaginosis. My friends tell me to take probiotics instead of antibiotics. Is this a good treatment?

2011-03-03T08:53:00.001-08:00

Bacterial vaginosis is a very common infection in sexually active females. The infection presents with extreme discomfort in the genitals. The disorder is not sexually acquired but felt be due to an imbalance of normal bacteria with depletion of lactobacilli. The treatment of bacterial vaginosis is not satisfactory and recurrences are very common. Thus, some doctors recommend taking probiotics to replace the lost normal bacteria. So does this work?

Well studies have shown that just taking probiotics alone does not hep prevent or treat bacterial vaginosis; however, when probiotics are combined with metronidazole the regimen seems to help.

I develop a severe sore throat every time I get a cold. Will any antibiotic help?

2011-02-12T15:51:00.001-08:00

Sore throats are common during winter. The sore throats are often caused by viruses and bacteria. The majority of people recover in a few days but some people may develop a persistent sore throat. If the sore throat is from bacteria, you may benefit from antibiotics. If you have a sore throat from a virus, you will get zero benefit from antibiotics.

Sore throat in general is not treated with antibiotics but with rest, lozenges, salt water gargles and good oral hygiene. Antibiotics only shorten the duration of symptoms by about 12-16 hours. In most cases, common sense remedies at home like drinking ample fluids, rest and acetaminophen will do the trick.

How does one treat H pylori infection?

2011-01-14T08:06:00.001-08:00

The treatment of h. pylori involves a combination of two antibiotics and an acid inhibitor like Prilosec or Zantac. The treatment lasts for 14 days. However, in many cases the acidity may require long term treatment. Experts recommend that the best treatment for h pylori is prevention. Washing hands and maintaining good hygiene are essential in preventing not only h. pylori but a vast number of other infections. One should also not share personal products with other individuals and avoid consumption of contaminated food or water.

How do I know if I have H pylori?

2011-01-14T08:05:00.001-08:00

Today h. pylori is screened for when an individual develops a problem pain in the abdomen. While there are many invasive tests to make a diagnosis of peptic ulcer disease, h. pylori is determined with a non invasive test. The two common tests to detect h. pylori include the breath and antigen test. There are also some blood tests which can detect antibodies that have formed against h.pylori.

The breath test takes advantage of the bacteria’s ability to breakdown urea. One drinks a solution of urea which has been labeled with minute amounts of radioactive carbon. Individuals who have h pylori will break down the urea and the carbon will be released. The carbon is exhaled and captured in a special bag.

The stool antigen test can detect the presence of foreign bacteria in the stools. In some individuals the above tests may suffice but if the symptoms are worse and persistent, endoscopy or some type of radiological study may be warranted.

I have been told I have H pylori. How did I get this bug?

2011-01-14T08:03:00.003-08:00

Why some individuals develop an infection with h. pylori is not known but may be related to different strains of the bacteria and genetic factors. H. pylori is a hardy bacteria and is quite adapted to surviving in the stomach. It protects itself from the high acidity of the stomach by creating a low acid buffer zone. It is believed that the h. pylori is acquired during childhood but some individuals do contract the infection during adulthood. The bacteria can be acquired by contact with other individuals through saliva or sharing utensils with an infected person.

I have been told I have H pylori. Can you please tell me what this bacteria does?

2011-01-14T08:02:00.001-08:00

H. pylori is a bacteria which thrives in the stomach. It is found in about 50-70 percent of individuals in North America. However, many people who have the bacteria in the stomach have no signs or symptoms of infection. H. pylori is now known to be the cause of peptic ulcer disease. This bacteria has the capacity to cause inflammation of the stomach wall lining and cause ulcers, and even stomach cancers.

How H. pylori actually causes ulcers of the stomach is not known but researchers believe that the bacteria releases toxic products which can damage the wall lining. When an ulcer has been established by h. pylori the signs and symptoms may include:

- burning pain in the abdomen

- weight loss

- nausea, vomiting, burping

- bloated feeling

- blood in the stools or black stools

I just had my umbilicus pierced and now have a red rash and the site is quite tender. I am 22. What should I do?

2010-12-26T19:00:00.000-08:00

From your brief history, it looks like you have an infection after piercing. It seems that the infection is moderately severe.

The safest remedy is to get the ring out of the umbilicus and see a doctor. The longer the ring remains, the longer the infection will fester. You may also need antibiotics and hence a visit to a doctor is recommended.

Just wiping with warm water or peroxide usually is not the way to treat an infection from a pierced ring. If you are not sure about the severity of your skin condition, go see a doctor as soon as possible.

These infections can spread rapidly and be quite serious.

I noticed my 4 year old son has small worms on his anus. He has numerous scratch marks on the anal skin and this is how I noticed the worms. How do I get rid of them?

2010-12-23T13:32:00.001-08:00

The only way to get rid of these worms (pinworms) is take a medication known as mebendazole. This drug will kill both the mature worm and any newly hatched eggs.

The treatment has to be repeated a week later to ensure no more worms are present. In the meantime, maintain excellent hygiene at home. Make sure everyone in the family washes the hands frequently. Bathe your son at least twice a day to get rids of the eggs near the anus.

These worms can easily be transmitted to other members of the family. Wash all linen separately and get the treatment as soon as possible. Pinworms by the way are not life threatening.

Is there a vaccine for malaria? I am going to travel to an endemic region

2010-11-17T16:43:00.000-08:00

Well, there is no vaccine available yet. However, if you go to an endemic region and you must exercise a great deal of caution. There are several prophylactic drugs that can be used but you need to consult with your doctor to determine the right drug for you. Different drugs are now used in different parts of the world because of resistance.

Secondly, use the topical insect repellant DEET from dusk to dawn. Everything else on the market is not very effective. Wear long sleeved permethrin coated clothes as long as you are not allergic to permethrin. Before going to sleep, spray DEET under the bed and other nearby furniture.

Scan around the walls and curtains and kill any mosquitoes that you see. Try to make it a habit of sleeping under fine nylon netting impregnated with permethrin. Avoid wearing perfumes and colognes-for some reason mosquitoes love fragrance. With the above precautions, you will be about 99% protected but you should understand that mosquitoes are also very smart and hardy. They will nip you when you least expect it.

Bed Bugs 101: Part 2

2010-11-10T05:44:00.000-08:00

Bed bugs generally do not require any treatment. These creatures are not life threatening. Bed bugs are associated with a certain stigma and are more of a social problem. If the itching is intense, one can apply a cortisone cream or taken an anti histamine. Secondary infected sites may need an antibiotic. In general, bed bugs do not cause any major illness, but are a nuisance.

Once you have bed bugs in your home, getting rid of them is almost impossible. The first thing to do is look for egg cases or fecal stains but to see the actual bug is a rarity Make a thorough search of your home- look under every furniture, couch, mattress, linen and bedspring. Sometimes you may need a pest control specialist to help you search for a bed bug.

If a bed bug is identified, you definitely need a professional. There is no home remedy to get rid of these creatures. There are plenty of over the counter sprays but blind application of these chemicals will only cause you to become sick. If you do intend to treat the problem yourself, there are 100s of sprays and insecticides available and these must be applied to all suspected areas.

Any area with a crevice or crack must be sprayed. If you suspect your mattress is infested, in most cases you need get rid of it. The amount of spraying you will require will be too toxic for you- so just get rid of the mattress.

All furniture, bedposts and tables need to be deeply cleaned and scrubbed with special wire brushes to get rid of the sticky eggs. The furniture may need to be taken apart and all the cracks and crevices need to be examined. You may even need an industrial vacuum to suck out all the crevices.

Unfortunately, there is no way to avoid bed bugs except being aware. If you have a bed bug problem, you need continual professional assistance from pest control. To prevent bed bugs examine your beds regularly and check up on all your home visitors. Do not allow any personal items from outside, unless you have checked them thoroughly.

Final point. If you have bed bugs, stop mucking around with over the counter remedies. Call pest control and let them take care of the problem. Just spraying a can of insecticide is not the answer. The whole house has to be turned upside down and thoroughly checked- and the problem may still persist.

Bed Bugs 101: Part 1

2010-11-10T05:43:00.001-08:00

Bed bugs are small oval shaped insects that do not have the ability to fly. They look like miniature cockroaches. When fully grown they measure about 5-7 mm, appear reddish brown and they do bite humans. Bed bugs feed by sucking on humans and animals.

Bed bugs were quite rare until recently. With the use of insecticides and pesticides, bed bugs were almost eradicated but these creatures are hardy. Bed bugs have made a comeback in the USA to an unusual extent, chiefly due to mass migration of people. Even though bed bugs are associated with poor hygiene and sanitation, this is not altogether true. These creatures can be found in clean environments and have even been reported in the most luxurious hotels. Of course, crowded living quarters make it easy for them to spread.

Bed bugs live anywhere in the home such as furniture, bed, mattresses and chairs. Anywhere where humans sleep, bed bugs can be found. In general, bed bugs are not found in open spaces but usually in the crevices and cracks. Bed bugs are also found along the carpet edges, curtains, inside dressers, cupboards and food cabinets.

Bed bugs can go without food for months and hence they are found in many empty homes and isolated furniture.

Recently bed bugs have been reported in hotels and cinemas. These bed bugs most likely arrived in visitor luggages or clothing. Bed bugs are easily transferred in luggages, clothes, boxes and bags.

Bed bugs generally tend to bite at night. In most cases, the bites occur on the face, neck, arms and legs. The bite is not painful but one may see small raised areas on skin- the site may itch and become swollen. Often the scratched areas do become infected. Bed bugs tend to bite in linear rows. Many times, these bite marks are mistaken for a mosquito or an insect bite. To date, bed bugs have-not been shown to transmit other infections. However, in tropical countries they are suspected of passing on certain parasitic infections.

How can I prevent MRSA?

2010-10-23T08:55:00.002-07:00

At present, we have no magic bullet to rid of MRSA. All the novel antibiotics available to fight off this organism are designed only for hospital use. However, one can fight and control this infection by adopting the following defense methods:

- washing your hands is the best defense against not only MRSA but all germs

- Do not share personal items with anyone. MRSA can rapidly spread from contaminated clothing and equipments well as through direct contact

- If you have a wound, keep it clean and covered. If you are active in sports and have a wound, take a break and let the wound heal

- regularly wash your linen, esp. gym clothes

- when you are prescribed antibiotics, finish the course and do not stop half way and share your antibiotics with other people

For the moment, there is no need to get one’s self tested for MRSA. The most cost effective way to control the spread MRSA is washing hands. If these basic hygiene precautions are undertaken, the risks of developing an infection and/or transmission of MRSA are significantly minimized.

Does everyone who gets MRSA become sick?

2010-10-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

No, many healthy individuals have been found to carry staphylococcus in their nose or skin at any given time. While the bacteria do not cause infections, it does become colonized. Once colonized, these bacteria only cause an infection if the individual becomes sick, cuts himself or is involved in a traumatic incident. The majority of healthy individuals who are colonized with MRSA do not become sick but are quite capable of transferring the organism to others by sharing personal care items or by coming in close contact.

Even though several newer antibiotics have been developed to fight off MRSA, experts believe that it is only a matter of time before the staphylococcus develops resistance to these new drugs.

While the vast majority of MRSA are found in the hospital, the community based MRSA has been found in clusters among athletes, law enforcement and military personnel, children and many minority ethnic groups.

Can you tell me what is MRSA?

2010-10-23T08:54:00.001-07:00

In the last decade, there has been almost daily news about MRSA or methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus outbreaks all over the country. The media hype about this infection has created hysteria among both health care professionals and the public. There have been reports that his bug has caused deaths in other wise healthy individuals and many hospitals have had to close down operating rooms. If so, what is this Superbug; is it that bad and how does one acquire it?

MRSA is caused by the bacteria, staphylococcus or sometimes called staph. About 2 decades ago, a strain of staphylococcus surfaced in hospitals that was very resistant to many antibiotics that were designed to kill it. This led to its name- methicillin resistant staphylococcus or MRSA. MRSA is generally a harmless organism but can also cause serious infections in individuals who are hospitalized. It is also very resistant to most antibiotics, except vancomycin. In the last 7 years, many strains of staphylococcus have also started to show resistance to vancomycin.

For the better part of the past two decades, MRSA was predominantly a hospital based organism; this is not true anymore. MRSA is now widely found in the community. These community associated MRSA do differ slightly from the hospitals strains but can also cause serious skin, soft tissue infections and pneumonias. Most patients who do acquire MRSA in the community have no idea how they acquired the organism.

A new drug for head lice

2010-03-10T17:10:00.000-08:00

Head lice are a very common problem in North America and affect many children each year. For years, toxic prescription drugs have been available but now there is a study showing that benzyl alcohol lotion (BAL 5%) is non toxic to the human and can kill lice by suffocating them. This formula may be excellent for use in babies as young as 6 months.

To date lindane has been used but the drug is very toxic and there are always problems with potential brain side effects. Moreover, lice have developed resistance to many other permethrin related compounds.

Other alternatives for head lice which are widely used include mayonnaise, olive oil or petroleum jelly. These homemade remedies all act by suffocating the lice but do not always work as lice are hardy and go into hibernation. As soon as these oils are rinsed, the lice come alive.

In the latest study, BAL 5% applied twice a day for 10 minutes, was well tolerated and without toxicity. The only side effects were mild skin and eye irritation. This is marked contrast to drugs like lindane which cause stinging on skin areas which have been scratched.

So far all experts agree that BAL 5% is a great alternative. The only problem is how much to apply on the head and at what frequency. Researchers say the chemical should be used twice as some eggs may still be viable after the first application.

BAL 5% is only available with a prescription and may not be covered by health insurance or Medicare.

Zanamivir (Relenza) for HINI flu!

2010-02-16T18:31:00.000-08:00

Zanamivir (Relenza) is an antiviral drug which is available an inhaler. The product is used with a device called a diskhaler. Relenza is also used to treat swine flu. Like Tamiflu is it only effective when given in the first 48 hours after the symptoms occur. At this time the virus is multiplying fast and once the drug is taken within the first 48 hours, the virus growth can be controlled. For the acute infection, Relenza should be taken for 5 days.

In North America the majority of people who have been infected with HINI have been treated with Tamiflu. However, few individuals with kidney disease and women who are pregnant have been treated with Relenza.

So far the data on the effectiveness of Relenza are lacking. From the few studies that have looked at the effects on Relenza on seasonal flu, it appears that the drug is working fine.

Relenza does not cure HNI but helps to:

- Reduce the intensity of the illness
- Decrease the number of sick days by about 1 day
- May reduce chances of developing complications

In children the benefits of Relenza have not been established. One study did show that Relenza did not prevent children from getting complications like ear infections nor did it reduce the duration of infection.

Zanamivir does have a few side effects, the most common is diarrhea. Moreover, Relenza can also worsen wheezing in asthmatics and should be used with great caution in smokers and people with COPD. Other reported side effects of Relenza include mental confusion, lack of concentration or unusual behavior. It appears that these behavior problems disappear once the drug has been discontinued.

Does Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) work for HINI?

2010-02-16T17:49:00.000-08:00

There is some evidence that Tamiflu reduces the chances of acquiring swine flu. However, to prevent swine flu one needs to take the drug for 10 days. The drug is available both as a capsule and a liquid. However, oseltamivir is not frequently used to prevent flu in healthy individuals. The drug is only used to prevent swine flu in high risk individuals who may be at risk for developing complications from the infection after being exposed to someone who definitely has been diagnosed with swine flu. There are some individuals like asthmatics or those with AIDS who can develop serious complications after acquiring swine flu and in only these individuals is Tamiflu given for prevention.

To date, there is no good evidence to show that anti viral drugs like Tamiflu can prevent the infection in the long run. For example, if you take Tamiflu for 10 days, no one knows how long its protective effects last. Unlike a vaccine, these drugs are prohibitively expensive and one needs to take repeated courses to prevent the virus from causing an infection.

Moreover, there is always the possibility that the virus may mutate and change its shape and no longer be sensitive to the drug. Already cases of the mutated swine flu virus have been reported and these strains are resistant to Tamiflu.

Like all drugs, developing resistance to Tamiflu is a major concern.

Finally, Tamiflu also has side effects like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Thus, long term use may make the individual more prone to drug induced complications.

End point: Tamiflu is not 100 percent effective in prevention of the swine flu. From the few studies published the drug may reduce your chances of acquiring swine flu by 50-70 percent. One should also remember that many studies on Tamiflu are being conducted by people who are being paid by the makers of the drug- so there is always a bias in reporting.

What is best treatment for my warts? part 2

2009-04-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

Over the last few years, several clinical trials have been done comparing salicylic acid, a sugar pill and cryotherapy. Surprisingly, application of salicylic acid was much better than a sugar pill and even better than cryotherapy.

Several studies showed that cryotherapy was crap- it did nothing. Two studies showed that duct tape with cryotherapy was no good either. So for anyone with warts, at least you know what to avoid.

What is also surprising that when the wart was left alone or treated with a sugar pill, the results were comparable to duct tape and cryotherapy. This means that anyone who pays for cryotherapy is a fool.

Even though many new compounds have been released into the market to treat warts, the evidence for 5 fluorouracil, bleomycin, interferon, photodynamic therapy or dinitrochlorobenzene is still not available. In addition, these treatments are also expensive. Just because a drug is new does not mean it will work. Health care workers who always write the latest prescriptions generally do not think logically when it comes to effectiveness. Some health care workers simply write prescriptions for new drugs because they get a paid holidays/gifts by the drug companies.

So what should a consumer do?

There is ample evidence that topical use of salicylic acid is better than most treatments. The warts do take time to disappear, but treatment is readily available and cheap. When it comes to use of cryotherapy, one should rethink about going for more treatment. Evidence currently shows that it does not work, is expensive, and painful. And what about duct tape? – well, use it to seal air leaks in your home.

http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab001781.html

What is best treatment for my warts?

2009-04-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

Skin warts on the hand/feet can be a real nuisance. These skin lesions are not life threatening but appear ugly and unsightly. All warts are caused by the human papilloma virus. The virus can cause warts either on hands or feet. In most cases, warts do disappear on their own. While they are not painful, they can itch and sometime do get nicked, scrapped and start to bleed. In most cases treatment of warts is keeping the skin clean and maintaining good hygiene- over time the majority of warts will disappear, especially if they are small.

But what if the warts does not disappear! What is the best treatment for a wart?.

There are hundreds of treatments for warts so what should a consumer use. Fact one- whenever there are many treatments for any particular disorder, it basically means that there is no ideal treatment. The internet is full of bogus treatments and should be avoided.

Besides painting the wart with salicylic acid, there is cryotherapy, and a whole bunch of newer drugs. Since many physicians charge a lot of money to paint warts with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy).

But is this therapy effective?