Inside the Room

Exercise in Pregnancy: the Benefits of Reasonable Physical Exercise to Pregnant Women

2008-11-29T19:17:00.000-08:00

Staying in shape while a woman is pregnant is important. With reasonable physical exercise, pregnant women will find their body always kept in good shape. Studies made on some expectant mothers indicate that being in good shape may even result in a shorter labor. But is it really a good idea to exercise during pregnancy?

Exercise is essential to good health; for as long as exercise is done in moderation, pregnant women will surely derive certain benefits from it. For one, moderate exercise can increase stamina, which will help expectant mothers in coping with the rigors of labor. Regular moderate exercise also makes it easier for pregnant women to return to normal physical tone after childbirth.

Most physicians normally recommend that the form of physical exercise practiced before a woman became pregnant should be continued even during pregnancy. Of course, this is on the assumption that such exercise or physical activity is reasonable or of the "low-impact" type. One of the best forms of exercise for women during pregnancy is walking. Gardening is another form that pregnant women may find beneficial. Certain muscle-building exercises, which are aimed at strengthening those muscles that will be involved in childbirth, are prescribed by some physicians; this will make the process of childbirth less taxing.

Moderation is the key when exercising during pregnancy. One of the dangers pregnant women face when exercising too hard is that blood and nutrients are diverted from the fetus. A good way to test if a pregnant woman is not working out too hard is when she is able to converse while exercising. It is also important for her to consider her physical condition prior to her becoming pregnant. This means, for example, that if she was not active before becoming pregnant, she should just engage in such low-impact activities as walking or short workouts on a treadmill. From the fifth month of pregnancy, pregnant women should refrain from engaging in any activity or sport that requires running.

It is very clear, therefore, that heavy physical work, strenuous physical activities, or high-impact sports (or those that involve a high degree of reflex coordination) should be avoided by women during pregnancy. Lifting is definitely a heavy physical work that must be avoided; so is stooping. Exercises that require lying on one's back, such as sit-ups and some aerobic positions, should be shunned. This is because such exercises can make the weight of the uterus to constrict blood flow through the vena cava, thus interfering with the return of blood to the right atrium of the heart.

Some of the sports that should be avoided during pregnancy are those that can cause expectant mothers to fall, such as skating and skiing. More dangerous ones that should definitely be avoided during this period are horseback riding and mountaineering. Underwater and high-altitude sports should be given up as these can divert too much oxygen from the fetus. Even those activities that involve hopping, such as jogging, should be skipped.

Adequate exercise, even during pregnancy, promotes blood circulation throughout the body and helps to maintain the tissues in good condition. But expectant mothers have to always remember that they should engage only in reasonable physical exercise or avoid extremes of exertion. [Read the Original Article]

Simple Tips for a Healthful Living During Pregnancy

2008-11-29T19:10:00.000-08:00

It is always desirable for parents to lead a healthy life. During pregnancy, living healthfully becomes particularly important for the welfare of both the mother and her child. As a general rule, pregnant women should go on with their usual way of life; however, they should observe a lessening of intensity or avoid extremeness in everything they do. This means avoiding excesses of any kind.

Some of the excesses that pregnant women must avoid include doing heavy work or engaging in strenuous physical activities. Lifting and stooping are two specific actions that should be avoided. Those who are into such strenuous sports as horseback riding or tennis should wait until way after they have given birth before engaging in their favorite game again. And, yes, even excesses of rest should be shunned.

Some pregnant women ask if it is alright to exercise during pregnancy. In reply, most physicians confirm that reasonable exercise is beneficial to pregnant women. Two specific forms of exercise or activity that can definitely benefit pregnant women are gardening and walking. There are also special muscle-building exercises that some physicians recommend which are intended to make stronger those muscles that will be involved in childbirth, hence making the procedure less taxing.

What should a woman wear during pregnancy? Two easy descriptions immediately come to mind: simple and comfortable. Pregnant women should avoid wearing tight-fitting dresses that may interfere with the blood's circulation in the veins. A firmly-made brassiere is ideal since the breasts become larger during pregnancy. As for footwear, low-heeled shoes are always desirable.

It is during pregnancy when taking a bath daily is even more advisable than at any other time in a woman's life. This is because the skin glands are more active during this period. The water should be of the right temperature. During the last month of pregnancy, the woman should no longer be taking tub baths; this is to avoid germs from being introduced into those parts which will help to form the channel through which the fetus will pass during birth. Taking a shower instead is preferable at this stage of pregnancy.

It is natural for a woman to have less desire for sexual intercourse during pregnancy. But, observing moderation, it is proper for a couple to go on with their intimate relations even until the last month of this period. Also during this period, the couple should be able to communicate with each other easily, especially where preferences and problems are concerned. It is likewise advisable for the husband to be with his pregnant wife as much as he could whenever she visits her obstetrician-gynecologist. [Read the Original Article]

Cervical Smear Test: How to Detect Cervical Cancer in Its Earliest Stage

2008-08-30T02:13:00.000-07:00

The cervical smear test (also called Pap test - popularly so termed after its Greek inventor, Georgios N. Papanikolaou) is used to detect cervical cancer in its earliest stage. This medical screening method has achieved quite a success, with statistics indicating that the death rate from cervical cancer has dramatically dropped since the cervical smear test was introduced into the medical field in the late 1940s.

The success of the cervical smear test may be attributed to the fact that cervical cancer develops slowly, as it can take several years for cells to become cancerous. Regular pelvic examinations and screening enable physicians to determine the existence of cervical cancer in its most treatable stage; they likewise keep to a minimum the long-term risks associated with a single false-negative result.

But inspite of the impressive accomplishment of the cervical smear test, the number of cases of deaths in North America alone each year from cervical cancer is still something to be concerned about. Doctors rue this fact, saying that cervical cancer is actually nearly 100 percent curable if detected early. The sad reality is that many women are not being tested, and the ratio is becoming progressively greater. Doctors have other concerns: insufficient testing, the wrong conclusions that are sometimes made on some test results, and the failure of some of those who are tested to follow up on abnormal results.

Perhaps one of the questions that has to be clearly answered is, "when should a woman undergo cervical smear test?" The answer to this question, according to the Well Woman Centre, is that "All women who are, or have been, sexually active should have smear tests done." She should undergo the test within six months of first having sexual intercourse, and again six to 12 months later. She may, thereafter, repeat the test at two to three years' intervals depending on the guidelines set by the doctor who initially performed the test on her.

The cervical smear test is a risk-free procedure and takes only a few seconds to perform. The procedure involves the scraping away of some cervical cells, which are then examined in the medical laboratory for any abnormalities; the test result is later prepared, which may either be negative or positive.

If the test result is negative, it indicates that the cells appear normal. A positive test result, on the other hand, indicates that the cells are abnormal, suggesting the existence of a precancerous or cancerous condition. To confirm the findings, doctors recommend follow-up tests or repeat smears, such as the reexamination of the cervix with the use of a colposcope and the removal of cervical tissue for microscopic analysis, or biopsy.

A cervical smear test result may not always be accurate, which means that it can be a false positive or a false negative. A false positive implies abnormalities even when none really do. This can definitely be frightening but additional testing will most certainly reverse the result. A false negative, on the other hand, suggests that the cells are normal when actually they are not. To avoid the potential risk of a false negative result, regular testing is of utmost importance.

To increase the chances of getting an error-free test result, a woman should schedule a test for ten to 20 days after her period begins. Note that cast-off cells and blood make it more difficult to spot abnormalities. A woman likewise needs to refrain from sexual intercourse and douching for a couple of days before undergoing a cervical smear test. [Read the Original Article]

Sources: http://www.wellwomancentre.ie/docs/Cervical_Screening. pdf and http://www.phaa.com/cervical-smear-test.htm

The Value of Teaching 5-Month-Old Babies to Drink from a Cup

2008-07-19T23:04:00.000-07:00

Teaching a baby to drink from a cup actually has a more significant worth than it may seem initially. Sucking and swallowing are the only steps required or involved in the incipient pattern of feeding of a baby. A vital process necessary in the modification of a baby's feeding pattern, leading to the adult patterns of eating, is drinking with the use of a cup. Drinking from a cup is decidedly more complicated than the "suck-and-swallow" process. It also requires additional muscle coordination.

Starting as early as five months of age, your baby should be trained to drink from a cup. This is not aiming, at such an early age, to detach your baby from his regular means or pattern of feeding which is by nursing. What is intended here instead is for your baby to have an early start in developing muscle control. Equally important is to prevent from happening your baby at, say, ten months offering resistance should drinking from a cup astonishes him at that stage.

The use of milk, rather than juice (i.e., orange juice), is given emphasis here. It has been proven that drinking juice from a cup does not set forth the habit patterns that will subsequently be useful when the baby is shifted from taking milk from breast or bottle to a cup. Milk is what your baby should learn to drink from a cup.

Initially, a baby is taught to drink from a cup by allowing him to sip an amount of milk equivalent to a single swallow. If your baby resists this, do not try again for the next couple of weeks. After this period, try again; your baby may be more submissive this time. Do not think of your baby as being naughty if he happens to spit out the milk. The reason why he may do this at the early stages of the training is that he has not yet fully learned to control his mouth and tongue muscles well.

Moms should note however that requiring her baby to give up taking milk from a bottle at any certain age won't result to any particular benefit. A bottle of milk after all is always a source of delight to every baby. Permitting your baby to go on with this innocent pleasure is, of course, better than developing in him emotional tensions that may result from making him abandon his bottle and forcing him to drink milk from a cup. [Read the Original Article]

Sources:

"Teaching Your Baby To Use A Cup" - http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/WIC/cards/baby/PPH4881.pdf
"The ABC's Of Teaching Your Baby To Use A Cup" - http://health.state.tn.us/wic/PDFs/Infants/ABCs_teaching_baby.pdf

Osteoporosis: Prevention, Prognostication, and Treatment Options

2008-07-19T22:58:00.000-07:00

One of the most common and serious conditions involving the skeletal bones is osteoporosis. In many cases of this condition, the skeletal bones lose their natural toughness that they break, causing very little trauma or none at all. The bones of the wrist, hip, and spine are those most likely to fracture in osteoporosis.

As it is, the complicated nature of osteoporosis is not completely understood, although it appears that certain factors - or a combination thereof - play an important role in effecting the diminishing by degrees of the robustness of the bones, this being the distinguishing characteristic of osteoporosis.

Many of those who have the disease do not realize that the condition is present in them until the same has become well settled. A break in the bones of the wrist or hip, which occurs as a consequence of a natural tendency, may be an early sign of the existence of the condition. Pain in the lower back, caused by vertebral crush fracture - the collapse of a vertebra - is a typical sign in some cases. But the most perceptible consequence of the disintegration of the vertebrae is widow's hump, a condition characterized by the forward-curving of the spine in the upper back, resulting further to the tapering of the individual's height.

In measuring bone density in the wrist, hip, and spine, doctors use a couple of medical techniques: dual-photon absorptiometry, or DPA, and quantitative CT scanning. As far as high-risk subjects are concerned, these two medical techniques are very useful in assessing the extent of the loss of bodily minerals that has occurred. But in normal subjects, the prognosticative value of these techniques may be limited. It is for this reason that the use of these medical techniques for screening purposes is not deemed cost-effective.

While researchers and medical experts do not fully agree on how best to deal with osteoporosis medically, they are united in one important point: Prevention is a vital prelude to any program of actions necessary to take in keeping osteoporosis in check. Some preventive measures must be mentioned in this regard: ensuring that the body has a sufficient supply of dietary calcium; shunning the two well-identified risk factors - excessive drinking and smoking; and engaging in some moderate bone-stressing exercises as jogging. It must likewise be made clear here that engaging in immoderate exercise or weight loss programs can bring about susceptibility to osteoporosis in the individual concerned.

In high-risk subjects involving post-menopausal women, hormone-replacement therapy is considered an ideal treatment. However, for those with a history of certain conditions, such as uterine cancer, liver disease, or stroke, estrogen therapy may not be appropriate. Also, this therapy has been pointed to as a factor in increasing slightly the occurrence of uterine cancer specifically in women who have not had a hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the uterus. It may help lessen the risk if progestogen is given at the same time, but the combination may present another risk in the form of cyclic bleeding which is much like menstruation.

Other treatment techniques have been tried or used on women who have lost bone sturdiness and are experiencing instances of fracture. For example, a combination vitamin D-calcium-sodium fluoride medication or an injection of calcitonin (a hormone that lowers level of calcium in the blood plasma) has been successfully used in such cases of osteoporosis. [Read the Original Article]

Sources:

http://www.nof.org/osteoporosis/index.htm
http://www.medicinenet.com/osteoporosis/article.htm

Eggs and Cholesterol: Studies Differ on Whether to Limit Egg Consumption

2008-07-09T05:47:00.000-07:00

If we are to enumerate some of the good things about eggs, these three will come out on top of the list: delicious, nourishing, and cost little. Turning to a couple of their drawbacks, eggs are high in cholesterol and can cause certain illnesses if consumed undercooked or, worse, raw. While the latter drawback appears quite easy to address with proper cooking, it is the former, ranged against the mentioned advantages, that causes much uncertainty to many people as to whether they should indulge or limit their intake.

In the late 1960's, the American Heart Association (AHA) advised that people should limit their weekly intake of eggs to three. This medical advisory was the result of several scientific studies which showed that having a continuously high level of blood cholesterol can pave the way for the development of atherosclerosis, the accumulation of cholesterol in the blood vessel walls that causes hardening of the arteries. This condition is a major underlying cause of stroke and heart attack.

But an analysis of more comprehensive studies undertaken much later by epidemiologists proved that healthy people can actually consume an egg every day and this won't likely have any considerable impact on their risk of having stroke or coronary heart disease. Because of this, the AHA withdrew its earlier advisory, declaring almost thirty years later from its issuance thereof that it was "...no longer making any new recommendation as to the number of eggs a person should consume each week..."; it further issued a revised guideline, advising people to "...limit (instead) their intake of cholesterol from foods having a high content of animal fats." In this way, the AHA said that the dietary guidelines for the intake of saturated fat can easily be met even when a person consumes eggs periodically.

On the average, a whole egg has only seventy calories; yet it supplies approximately ten percent of a person's daily protein requirements, on top of providing generous portions of other nourishing substances. An egg's yolk has about two hundred fifteen milligrams of dietary cholesterol, while the whole egg itself has about two grams of saturated fat. As has been established in many studies, high cholesterol levels are caused by saturated fat and not dietary cholesterol. These same studies point to the findings that consuming three eggs daily had virtually no effect on the blood cholesterol of the healthy young people who were tested.

It is evident from all these that our body acts toward cholesterol from eggs in a different way from how it reacts to cholesterol derived from other animal products. It is also possible, according to some health experts, that the other healthful nutrients in eggs - particularly choline (an alkaline compound that acts as a fat emulsifier) - have an opposing effect on what cholesterol does to the body.

Most health experts now say that consuming four to five eggs a week is safe for a person whose blood cholesterol is in the normal level. On the other hand, the same experts advise people with high levels of blood cholesterol to limit their consumption of eggs, and that they should focus on lowering saturated fat in their diet and on shedding excess weight. [Read the Original Article]

Sources: http://www.annecollins.com/diet_news/cholesterol-eggs.htm and "The Truth About Eggs" by Sebastien Stefanoy at http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_60/66b_eating_well.html

Breast Milk as Sole Nutrition of Infants is Deficient in Some Respects

2008-07-09T05:43:00.000-07:00

When an infant is born, the umbilical cord still connects the baby with the placenta, which remains joined to the uterine wall. It is important for the umbilical cord to be tied and cut immediately after birth. At this point, the infant is said to be "on its own" as far as food and water supplies are concerned, since these substances are not anymore obtainable from the placenta; the infant now has to take them by mouth.

Mother's milk is the normal food of infants. In fact, pediatricians and dietitians recommend that infants receive only breast milk for the first four to six months. For infants, breast milk is considered an excellent food, as it contains the proper kinds and right proportions of proteins, carbohydrates, fatty acids, lactose, water, trace minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and almost all of the required salts.

Known for having at least a hundred ingredients which even an infant formula cannot provide (some of the ingredients are in fact not possible to replicate), breast milk aids in maintaining the normal functioning of the immune system. It also helps in protecting infants against such disorders as diarrhea, allergies, rashes, and certain infections, as those of the ear, respiratory system, and urinary tract. Breast milk is likewise known to help in tooth development and in improving response to vaccines.

But inspite of all these qualities, breast milk is still deficient in some respects. Unless the infant's breast milk diet is supplemented rather early, dietary deficiencies may develop in infants even before the time of weaning. As a matter of fact, the same pediatricians and dietitians aver that infants may continue receiving breast milk well into their second year of life but only with additional foods.

Being low in iron content is the most notable deficiency in breast milk. Inasmuch as red blood cells are continually destroyed in both infants and adults, and since iron is absolutely necessary for the production of the hemoglobin (iron-containing respiratory pigments) in the red cells replacing those that are normally destroyed in the natural body processes, a sufficient source of iron must be available to the highly-active red bone marrow.

The embryo stores iron in the liver during its intrauterine life provided however that the mother's iron intake is sufficient. In early infancy, these iron reserves provide the requirements of the bone marrow. But unless some rich source of iron is soon added to the iron-deficient breast milk diet, a severe anemia will develop in the infant. Most pediatricians say that egg yolk is the best source of iron for infants; this must be added to the infant's diet at about four months of age.

While breast milk is known to contain both vitamins C and D, in some instances these are inadequate for the needs of growing infants. It is recommended that at one month old, the infant's diet must be supplemented with tomato or orange juice (for vitamin C) and cod-liver oil (for vitamin D). [Read the Original Article]

Rabbit Fever: How Humans Can Contract the Disease Tularemia

2008-07-09T05:37:00.000-07:00

Arriving home from school one afternoon, my youngest daughter, then only 8, asked me if she could take home a rabbit. My answer was a firm "no," knowing fully well that she was referring to that rabbit the parents of one of her classmates were letting go (i.e., turned over to a veterinarian for proper handling or disposition) because the animal was found to be the cause of her classmate's being ill with tularemia. In fact, that incident became the talk in my daughter's school for several days, and some of the children - my daughter included - thought they can make a bid to have the rabbit for them to take care.

Tularemia, or rabbit fever, is an infectious disease having such severe symptoms as chills, fever, vomiting, and prostration, all of which develop about three days after the specific germ has invaded the tissues. A couple of days from the occurrence of these symptoms, an elevated lesion develops at the infection's site which later becomes ulcerous. It is possible that there is more than one lesion, especially in cases when either the eye or mouth is involved.

The lymph nodes adjacent to the ulcer/s form abscesses and become enlarged. Within the next three days, high fever occurs; in a lot of cases, a lung may become involved much like in pneumonia. At this stage, the spleen usually becomes enlarged. This sequence of development of rabbit fever was explained to me by the mother of my daughter's classmate during a conversation I had with her several weeks after her daughter had recovered completely from the illness and resumed attending her classes.

Untreated cases of rabbit fever can cause the body's temperature to remain high for four weeks, declining slowly on the fifth week. The tularemia-causing germs penetrate the body through a break in the skin; in other cases, it may be by contact with the internal membranes. Despite the fact that these germs occur generally in nature, most cases of rabbit fever result from contact with infected rabbits, hence the name given to this infectious disease.

But contact with infected rabbits is not the only cause in many other cases of tularemia; it is also possible for a person to acquire rabbit fever through any of the following: insect bites, eating inadequately-cooked meats of infected animals, or drinking contaminated water. It is important, therefore, to take great caution when handling rabbits or any other rodent; the animals' fur may be carrying the germs. Meats, especially poultry and flesh of wild fowl, should be sufficiently cooked before they are eaten. Drinking water of suspicious purity should be appropriately purified before use.

Cases of rabbit fever in which the lungs are affected are particularly serious. Such cases, if not treated at once, can be fatal. Doctors often prescribe streptomycin for antibiotic, the same one prescribed to my daughter's classmate. The patient should stay in bed, have a liberal diet of foods that can be digested easily, and be given sufficient amounts of fluid. Applying an ice bag over lymph nodes or ulcerated areas for about fifteen to twenty minutes every hour can somehow alleviate the condition. The doctor will prescribe a special medication or treatment in cases when tularemia has affected one or both eyes. [Read the Original Article]

Source: http://www.idph.state.il.us/public/hb/hbtulare.htm

Whitlow is Felon Alright

2008-06-20T03:06:00.000-07:00

In ordinary talk, felon - in the adjective form - describes someone (or something) as being wicked. In the field of pathology, however, felon refers to the painful infection which characteristically affects the tissues of the fingertip. Used either way, the term would not really differ much in meaning.

Felon, also called whitlow, usually begins as an infection of the skin surrounding the fingernails. Certain fungi and bacteria, often the exceedingly pernicious staphylococci, are known to cause whitlow. The infectious germs may enter through a break in the skin from a deep pinprick, splinter, thorn, hangnail, or even from manicuring. Several years back, I experienced having a severe case of whitlow - the result of my habitual pushing back of my cuticles. The oral medication prescribed by my doctor, coupled by the lancing she did on my infected left-hand forefinger, cured me of the condition.

From the skin immediately around the fingernails, the infection may spread into the tissues of the fingertip. When this happens, the inflammation and pus become entrenched among the tendons and tendon sheaths, or even close to the bone. To prevent the tendons from being cast off or the bone from being damaged, lancing must be done promptly. Failing this may result to a deformed or crippled finger or thumb. The pus has to be drained immediately lest the infection spreads to other parts of the hand and cause crippling. In worse cases, the infection may travel to the bloodstream and cause blood poisoning. In lancing, the use of a local or general anesthetic is often necessary.

People whose hands get wet a great deal are extremely susceptible to whitlow. Protecting the hands with rubber gloves is the simplest way of guarding against the infection. A little talcum powder sprinkled in the gloves can be helpful for extra protection. A pair of cotton gloves worn under the rubber gloves can likewise provide additional protection. Cutting or pushing back cuticles should also be avoided; leaving cuticles in place on the nail plate is important in keeping the fingernails and their surrounding areas dry.

Consult a doctor as soon as you notice that whitlow has started; the doctor will most likely prescribe an oral antibiotic which is the standard treatment for such an infection. For chronic whitlow, the doctor will probably prescribe an antifungal lotion. For severe cases, as what I once had, the doctor will prescribe an appropriate oral medication. [Read the Original Article]

Source: http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/w/whitlow/basics.htm

Computer Vision Syndrome: How Regular Computer Users Can Avoid This Condition

2008-06-20T03:01:00.000-07:00

What's a workplace like without the desktop computer? To answer this question, let's go back to the time when typewriters were the dominant pieces of equipment in most offices. Typists constantly pecked away at keys, returned the carriage every so often, erased and corrected errors now and then, inserted new sheets of paper (with a carbon paper in between two sheets to produce duplicate copies) after every completed page, and continuously filed papers for reference. For those born in the present computer age, this may sound too daunting. It is also quite possible that people who are familiar with that scene (the era of typewriters) would not want to remember that time anymore.

Indeed the desktop computer brought about a radical change in the set-up of workplaces. It substantially shortened the time it takes for one to do and complete a task; work output is increased and deadlines are met. There's a trade-off though. Using personal computers has been pinpointed as the cause of some cases of backache, sore neck, injured wrists, and eyestrain. Optometrists refer to the latter problem as computer vision syndrome.

Spending a long time working in front of a computer screen promotes computer vision syndrome. This condition has the following symptoms: watery and irritated eyes, blurred vision, aching forehead, sensitivity to light, and momentary nearsightedness.

One cause of computer vision syndrome is improper room lighting. A computer screen should be placed in an area where no overhead light or window can create a glare on it. If possible, eliminate glare if it so exists by making the necessary adjustment on the source of light. If total elimination of glare isn't possible, at least reduce it by installing a special cover on the screen (antiglare screen).

The computer screen should be turned as bright as it will go without blurring. Ideally, it should be about three times brighter than the prevailing light around the area. Note that it is much better to use incandescent bulbs than fluorescent lights as they cause less glare. Also, diffuse light is a lot better than direct light.

Proper positioning of the computer screen can help a lot in preventing computer vision syndrome. It should be positioned directly in front of the user at a comfortable height, with its top at about eye level; the angle of viewing should be adjustable. The screen, and any reference material being used, should be kept at a distance of no less than 20 inches (approximately 500 millimeters) from the user's eyes.

The other items in the workplace should also be positioned properly. For example, the computer keyboard and the chair should both be positioned at comfortable heights. For this purpose, it is important that the table height, rather than the chair height, is the one that has to be adjustable.

Optometrists suggest that to avoid having computer vision syndrome, a person - while using a computer - has to blink frequently or use artificial tears every few hours. Every half hour, the computer user has to look at something soothing to the eyes, such as a tree or any green object, 20 meters (6 meters) away. The user also has to take a break for at least 15 minutes after every couple of hours of continuously working in front of a computer screen. [Read the Original Article]

Sources: http://www.allaboutvision.com/cvs/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_vision_syndrome

How to Relieve Foot Pain Caused by Bunions

2008-06-20T02:45:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine complains a lot about her bunions. Her case has become all too familiar for me, as I have heard of similar complaints from so many other people, including two of my cousins. And in all these cases that I've heard of, the common cause was the wearing of ill-fitting shoes. So what exactly are bunions?

Bunions are tender, painful enlargement of joint tissues at the big toe's base. Since the entire big toe is now inclined toward the others, the enlargement seems larger than it really is. Bunions are far more common in women than in men, and usually develop at the same time on both feet. The usual cause is an abnormal alignment or dislocation in part of the bone at the base of the big toe. This is made even worse by high-heeled, tight or pointed shoes.

During walking, a narrow shoe subjects the joint to an increased friction and pressure. Pointy shoes do the same by inclining the end of the big toes toward the others. This makes the joints more protuberant and more subject to pressure irritation. The irritation of the damaged structures stimulates overgrowth of all involved tissues. As the irritation continues, the deformity becomes greater. In severe cases, the big toe is almost entirely dislocated from the corresponding bone of the foot.

My friend and all the others who I know suffer from bunions have good reason to complain. Depending on the severity of the deformity, bunions can make walking both tiring and painful. Swollen bunions may become so large that no shoe will fit over them. There have been indications likewise that bunions can hasten the beginning of osteoarthritis in the joint.

The problem caused by bunions can become irreversible in a fairly brief time. For this reason, bunions have to be treated at such time that they first appear. Consequently, wearing properly-fitting and comfortable shoes at all times is very important. Specifically, wear shoes that will allow the big toes to assume their normal straightforward position. Using soft padding between the big toe and the second toe can also help. Walking barefoot whenever possible can also help a lot; this can ease the pressure on the joint and thus help the inflammation to abate. In mild cases, rest and a hot foot bath will bring relief. Later, the calloused skin may be pared away and the affected area covered by a bunion plaster.

Standard orthopedic surgery is sometimes necessary, especially for an enlarged and chronically inflamed bunion. This is designed to take away the bony protrusion and realign the disfigured joint. However, this surgery, called bunionectomy, may leave the tissues tender and sensitive as before. [Read the Original Article]

Vitamin D Privation: Rickets in Children, Osteomalacia in Adults

2008-06-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

A lot of the nutritional diseases are considered deficiency diseases; they are generally attributable to a shortfall in the body's supply of certain food components, foremost of which are vitamins. To help the body absorb calcium easier, which is vital in one's having strong bones and teeth, a sufficient supply of vitamin D is needed. A good supply of vitamin D likewise helps in preventing, or reversing cases of, osteoporosis, as well as in reducing the risk of colon cancer.

Studies, however, show that many people are vitamin D-deficient. The ideal amounts of vitamin D an individual has to have daily, according to nutritionists and health experts, are: 5 micrograms (200 international units) until the age of fifty; 10 micrograms (400 international units) for ages over fifty to seventy; and 15 micrograms (600 international units) over the age of seventy. Deficiency in vitamin D is the cause of rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.

Young children, usually between the ages of six months and one-and-a half years, who are deficient in vitamin D often develop rickets; their bones fail to harden. Unusual sweating of the head, irritability, and restlessness are the early signs of this condition. The joints situated between bone and cartilage at the ribs' front end then begin to increase in size. This enlargement of the said joints results in the formation of two rows of hard nodules, which are evident in thin children with rickets.

Children with rickets may also suffer from other impairments, such as their fontanel (the soft, pulsating spot in the top of the skull) remaining open long past the infantile stage when they should be closed; the bones that form their joints (especially the wrist joints) are larger - but softer - than they should be; and their abdomen may thrust outward, with their bowels being constipated. Rickets often causes a child to be knock-kneed or bow-legged. A young girl with rickets may suffer from pelvic deformity which may persist until her mature years; normal childbirth becomes difficult in such a case.

In adults, an increased susceptibility to bone fracture is the main symptom of osteomalacia. This condition often develops in adults due to poor diet and not having enough sunlight; or it may be due to impairment in the ability of the person to make use of the nutrients he/she eats and the sunlight he/she gets. Pregnant women are especially at risk from osteomalacia since their increased requirement for calcium (essential for fetal bone development) also increases their vitamin D requirement.

In a lot of cases, skeletal deformity resulting from either rickets or osteomalacia is incurable. Prevention, for this reason, is therefore very important. A diet containing sufficient amount of vitamin D is not difficult to obtain. Whole milk and egg yolks, for example, supply good amounts of vitamin D. Another means by which one can avoid having rickets or osteomalacia is through moderate exposure to sunlight, which aids the body in synthesizing vitamin D. [Read the Original Article]

Source: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp

Understanding the Rh Factor as One of Pregnancy's Many Complications

2008-06-12T06:49:00.000-07:00

At no other time in a woman's life do security and a state of well-being probably mean so much than during pregnancy. This is especially so when we consider that pregnancy carries certain discomforts and complications. Mothers surely have gone through some of them: frequent urination, morning sickness, hemorrhoids, backache, vaginal discharge, fatigue, food cravings, heartburn, muscle cramps, varicose veins, changes in the skin, premature birth, and miscarriage. But of all the many complications of pregnancy, the Rh factor is perhaps the least understood.

Understanding the different human blood types has gained much progress in recent years. We know, for example, that in a blood transfusion, the blood type to be used must be compatible with the blood type of the transfusion's recipient. The Rh factor is present in the blood of some persons; it isn't in others'. Because of this, persons are identified as either Rh-positive or Rh-negative.

Medical statistics indicate that approximately eighty percent of women are Rh-positive. It has likewise been scientifically proven that an Rh-negative woman who is married to an Rh-positive man usually has children who possess Rh-positive blood. What happens during pregnancy in this case is that an indeterminately small number of blood cells from the fetus may move to the placenta, and then enter the blood of the mother. Subsequently, the mother's tissues develop antibodies that have the ability of destroying this type of blood cells - considered as being "hostile."

The first pregnancy is usually uneventful. The second or third pregnancy, however, may be marked by the presence of enough antibodies in the blood of the mother; when these antibodies pass through the placenta to enter the blood of the fetus, they start to destroy the fetus's blood cells, resulting to anemia. To suppress the tendency of an Rh-negative mother from producing the antibodies that put in peril the babies she may bear after the first, doctors may use an injection of Rh immunoglobulin. This injection is administered within the first seventy-two hours after the conclusion of every pregnancy, whether the said pregnancy's conclusion is by childbirth, miscarriage, or abortion.

The danger in an Rh-negative mother not receiving this preventive treatment at precisely the right time can result to her tissues producing the antibodies that can endanger the babies she may bear later. What's worse, the danger increases with each subsequent pregnancy. Thus, we have heard numerous times of babies dying soon after being born. In some cases, doctors were successful in saving babies with the prompt use of a method called exchange transfusion. In this medical procedure, the baby's blood is replaced with blood free from the "unfriendly" antibodies.

This stresses the significance of the supervision of a doctor during pregnancy. The importance of such supervision is that the Rh-negative blood of a woman is ascertained and appropriate steps are taken to properly deal with the condition. [Read the Original Article]

Source: http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/rhfactor/a/aa050601a.htm

Hirsutism: What Causes Superfluous Hair Growth in Women

2008-06-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

Men seldom, or do not at all, object to a tendency to excessive hair growth. But for women, hirsutism - the growth of superfluous hair - is something they naturally regard with extreme repugnance. A friend of mine is particularly indignant at the mess the cream she uses to remove unwanted hair from her face creates, not to mention the mild irritation she experiences each time she applies it. She's hoping she'll be able to afford an electrolysis soon enough.

What exactly causes hirsutism? Why does it seem to be more common in brunettes than in blondes? And why is it not unusual for women to develop superfluous hair on the face at puberty, during pregnancy, and during menopause?

A major factor in hirsutism is heredity, with hormone activity often working as the trigger. The superfluous hair often appears during pregnancy and gets more pronounced with each successive pregnancy. But in other cases, the excess hair growth becomes stable instead of steadily increasing.

In a few instances, hirsutism is caused by a systemic disorder, such as by a disturbance of the endocrine glands or by the development of certain male traits. When this happens, it is likely that other conditions - such as menstrual irregularities and acne - are also present. To ascertain the cause of every case of hirsutism, an exhaustive laboratory and medical examination is necessary. A doctor experienced in this condition (ideally an endocrinologist) will then outline the options available for the treatment of each examined case.

Superfluous hair growth may also be the result of having used certain medications, an example of which is prednisone which is used either as an immunosuppressant or as an anti-inflammatory agent. Since the effect to the body of this type of medication cannot be eliminated, the solution in this particular case may be the removal of the extra hair on a regular basis by means of any one of the known hair-removal methods.

Plucking and shaving are the most practical and safest methods for a woman to get rid of unwanted hair. In another method, a depilatory cream (as that used by my friend) is applied to dissolve surface hair. Such creams however, while effective, can be messy and may irritate the skin. Waxing, on the other hand, is a tedious and painful process; it can also irritate the skin.

A safe alternative for the permanent removal of superfluous hair is electrolysis. However, this method is both time-consuming and expensive. The procedure makes use of a needle to run an electric current to the hair root. The resulting damage allows for the easy removal of the unwanted hair with the use of tweezers. One very important aspect of this hair-removal method is that it inhibits new hair growth. [Read the Original Article]

Source: http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/hormone/210.html

How to Avoid Getting a Disease from Your Dog

2008-06-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

At 49, I still have to hear someone oppose the oft-repeated line that "dogs are man's best friend." I probably will never get that chance ever, especially when I think about all the good things I've heard or read about having a pet dog at home. Of course, I know I'm not alone here. Many people recognize the fact that caring for an animal - especially a dog - provides some health benefits to its owner. Some studies concluded that dogs improve the health of their owners because of two things their owners get from having them around: companionship and exercise.

But there is a third "something" that dog owners may get from their well-loved pets, although this has nothing to do with bettering their health; on the contrary, it is something they should guard against from contact with their ever-loyal guards - disease. As a matter of fact, dogs can cause a number of human diseases.

Brucellosis, or undulant fever, is a disease caused by a particular germ - brucella - which occurs in the blood and in certain organs, most especially the spleen. This disease, which may be acquired through contact with an infected dog, has the following initial symptoms: loss of appetite, weakness, headache, night sweats, constipation, and fever that increases irregularly. In many cases, there is a mild bronchitis accompanied by coughing. Waves of fever occur and the sufferer gradually becomes weak and anemic, with his joints often painful and swollen. This disease may last for about four months, although in some cases it can continue for years. While brucellosis is not considered a serious disease as it seldom ends in one's death, it can physically impair the sufferer for a very long time.

Leptospirosis, or spirochetal jaundice, is another disease a person may get from contact with an infected dog. This disease is caused by Leptospira interrogans (icterohaemorrhagiae), a member of a family of parasites. In the early stages of the disease, these parasites are present in the patient's blood or in his liver. In the course of the disease, the parasites may be found in the patient's urine. Contact of broken skin with an infected dog is the usual way through which this disease may be acquired. The incubation period takes place in seven to twelve days. Early symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, and chills; these are followed by muscle and abdominal pains, severely aching limbs, rising fever, and thirst. Cases of leptospirosis may differ widely in their symptoms; often, the disease may easily be mistaken for another one.

Trypanosomiasis, or Chagas' disease, is caused by the blood-dwelling organism Trypanosoma cruzi, which enters the body through contact of scratches or wounds with an infected dog. The disease is usually more severe in children than in adults. A common feature of this disease is high fever that lasts for some time. In almost all cases, there are edema of one side of the face and inflammation of the corresponding eye. Swelling of local lymph nodes and enlarged liver are two of the early signs of this disease. Acute symptoms include rapid pulse, enlargement and irregular beating of the heart, and convulsions. While these acute symptoms do not last very long, they often end fatally for young children. In adults, heart damage is the most prominent feature of trypanosomiasis.

We hear a lot about rabies (caused by a virus belonging to the rhabdovirus group), ringworm (caused by several species of pathogenic dermatophytes), and salmonellosis (caused by the bacteria salmonella) being caused by bites of or contact with infected dogs. It is important to see your doctor at once at the first signs of any of these diseases. [Read the Original Article]

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dog_diseases

Acute Mastitis: How to Alleviate Symptoms of This Breast Disorder

2008-06-12T06:24:00.000-07:00

Acute inflammation, or acute mastitis in the medical field, is considered the most common breast disorder. This condition, which is usually caused by infection, almost always occurs during the early stages of breast-feeding. Small injuries or fissures of the nipple often precede mastitis and facilitate entry of disease germs. Usually the nipple and the skin surrounding it are the only areas of the breast affected by mastitis.

A simple cleansing of the nipple by means of frequently applying a saturated solution of boric acid can ease the inflammation. Of course, the solution should not be applied while the baby is being nursed, except when it is then washed off with boiled water that has been cooled. Using a nipple shield when breast-feeding can be helpful, especially in cases when only the nipple or nipple area is affected by the inflammation. Tiny cracks that develop in the nipple can be covered over with tincture of benzoin, a skin-protecting agent.

In acute mastitis, only one breast is usually involved. Here, the inflammation covers considerable extent, acting upon inner and deeper parts of the breast. Pain, tenderness, and swelling in the breast are the usual first signs of acute mastitis; these may be accompanied by a chill and moderate to high fever. In more severe cases, a rapid pulse, coupled with headache, can occur.

Acute mastitis may not exhibit favorable reaction to simple treatment. Consult a doctor at once at the first signs of the condition. The doctor will most likely prescribe an antibiotic to prevent the buildup of an abscess. If an abscess does develop, the doctor may consider an appropriate surgical method to drain it.

On her own, the patient needs to observe some measures to alleviate her condition. Foremost is that the baby should be taken off breast-feeding. The inflamed breast should be supported with a binder or a brassiere; take care that this is not worn too tight. The patient may also cover the inflamed breast with a dry towel, laying an ice bag over it, and keeping both the towel and the ice bag in place for about a couple of hours. This procedure may be repeated every four hours.

Except when the condition called engorgement (the presence of too much milk in the mother's breasts that causes pain) is present, the patient should not attempt to pump milk out of the breast. If such is the case however, a doctor must supervise the use of a breast pump.

It is vital for mothers suffering from acute mastitis to have sufficient bed rest. She should drink water as much as she wants. And for as long as fever lasts, her diet should consist only of liquid and soft foods. [Read the Original Article]

Source: http://www.internethealthlibrary.com/Health-problems/Mastitis.htm

Contact Lenses: Their Advantages and Disadvantages Vs. Conventional Eyeglasses

2008-06-12T06:03:00.000-07:00

When my daughter pressed earnestly for me to switch to contact lenses from my regular eyeglasses about a year ago, I was rather hesitant. This should be quite understandable for me as well as for the many other people who grew up prior to the advent of contact lenses, when these became widely prescribed and accepted alternatives to the conventional eyeglasses.

My hesitation then was mainly because I still had in mind the complaints of discomfort from wearers of the early forms of contact lenses which were made of hard plastic. My daughter had to do a brief discourse, telling me that what's retained in my mind is no longer true considering that the newer forms of contact lenses are more comfortable and less irritating to wear. The newer forms of contact lenses include those with soft lenses, which are more easily tolerated when worn. There are also the types that are made of gas-permeable hard lenses, which permit oxygen to reach the eye's cornea; these are what I'm using today.

The popularity of contact lenses is due to several advantages they have over using conventional eyeglasses. To begin with, many people prefer the way they look wearing contact lenses than when they have their eyeglasses on. Unlike eyeglasses which tend to form steam easily, contact lenses stay clear even with long, uninterrupted use. Again unlike eyeglasses which are "fixed," contact lenses move with the eyes and offer a broader field of clear vision. A significant advantage of contact lenses is that they remedy many vision problems more effectively than regular eyeglasses do.

But as in most other things, contact lenses have their own disadvantages, too. Foremost of these is that it takes some time to adapt to contact lenses; learning how to properly insert and remove them takes a considerable amount of practice. Compared to regular eyeglasses, contact lenses need to be handled more carefully, especially those made of soft lenses which tear easily. With the nature and size of contact lenses, they are much easier to be mislaid. Of course, contact lenses command a price higher than the regular eyeglasses'; on top of the price of the lenses, you will have to spend for the cost of the necessary adjustments, accessories or fittings, and cleaning materials.

Now for the cleaning part. It is decidedly more difficult to care for contact lenses. Whether you are using daily-wear soft lenses or gas-permeable hard lenses, you must remove and clean them every day. In fact, most optometrists suggest that even extended-wear contact lenses - those that have been certified for use for up to four weeks without interruption - should be removed for cleaning at least once a week.

The difficulty in cleaning contact lenses lies in carefully following certain hygienic procedures. For my contact lenses which, by the way, are the easiest to care for, the optometrist recommended the following series of cleaning steps after every use: wash them with a cleaning solution; using saline solution, rinse them off; finally, store them in soaking solution. Before reusing contact lenses, a wetting solution should be applied to moisten them.

In the case of soft lenses, mere washing and rinsing with solution are often not enough; they need to be sterilized after each use. Sterilizing soft lenses can be done either by immersing them for several hours in a sterilizing solution, or by placing them in a small piece of heating apparatus for an hour. Deviating from the cleaning method recommended by your optometrist can damage your contact lenses. Optometrists also require that you replace soft lenses every year. This is because soft lenses lose their clarity, as well as their ability to admit the passage of oxygen to the cornea, as they age.

If you are considering switching from eyeglasses to contact lenses, ask your optometrist to make plain to you all the advantages and disadvantages in greater detail. [Read the Original Article]

Deformities: Circumstances that Cause a Deformed Child to be Born

2008-06-12T05:42:00.000-07:00

Very often, we refer to the birth of an infant as the beginning of life. With due consideration, however, we realize that in some respects the series of occurrences that happen prior to birth are even more important than the postnatal happenings. This is so because if any one of those events that occur before birth takes place improperly, the child may, from then on, go through life physically disadvantaged; or the child's life may even be cut short.

Conception is that time when the characteristics of a child are determined, such as the color of his eyes and hair, the type of body build, and his mental capabilities. But it is during the next thirty-eight weeks or so of pregnancy when the body of a child goes through a series of development. Leading the process is the brain's development, with the nerve cells transmitting their fibers to all parts of the body. The heart undergoes an intricate plan of formation; starting with the second week, it pumps the child's own blood to all parts of his growing body. The lungs develop next; they, however, don't function until they fill with air (with the infant's first cry) and begin providing the child's requirements for oxygen.

Years ago, it was supposed that most infant deformities are caused by faulty heredity. That assumption has changed, and it is now known that the circumstances during those thirty-eight weeks before birth cause many deformities. It has been discovered that certain illnesses can cause deformed infants to be born. For example, a mother who, during the first thirteen weeks of pregnancy, contracts rubella (German measles) will most likely give birth to a baby with some physical imperfections.

Of course, there are inherited deformities, too. These happen when the gene that controls the development of any particular part of the body is faulty. It is fortunate that the defective genes in the cells of one person are usually not the defective ones in another person's cells. If the husband and wife are from family lines that are not related, the faulty genes contributed by one in that couple when their baby is conceived do not usually match the defective genes contributed by the other partner. But if husband and wife are related to each other (as in they're first or second cousins, for example), then the probability that their defective genes will correspond becomes greater. On occasion, a congenital deformity is caused by dominant genes so that the deformity will appear in the child despite one's union with a partner with normal genes.

The cells which make up the early embryo are so actively involved in growth and development that they require substantial amounts of oxygen, vitamins, and food materials. Insufficiencies in diet can therefore handicap the growing cells during their crucial periods of development. Likewise, a reduction in the amount of oxygen supplied to the cells can have a similar effect. An example of this is when certain kinds of anesthetics are used during the early stage of pregnancy.

Obstetricians and gynecologists alike are cognizant of the ways by which an expectant mom can avoid the circumstances that might harm the development of her unborn child which may lead to certain deformities. Apart from supervising any medicines that may be necessary so as to avoid those that might harm the mother or handicap the unborn child, these physicians will also counsel on a way of life that is marked by moderation, giving emphasis on overall physical fitness. [Read the Original Article]

Three Ways to Get Quick-Budding Plants: Propagating Techniques

2008-06-12T05:34:00.000-07:00

Rising early one Saturday morning, I sauntered around my garden while "talking to the plants" and admiring most of them for having grown full and well a few months since my husband and I planted them. Some plants take only a few months to be fully grown, while others take years to grow to their potential size. Actually, garden plants can be grown to flowering stage in a short period of time. How? By using cuttings in three easy ways.

Using, as a tangible example, the roots growing from a flowering plant's stem that has remained in a vase for some time, it is easy to understand how one can grow her garden plants faster by doing any of the three ways of using cuttings; one therefore doesn't really have to wait for the seeds to sprout and grow.

Of the three, stem cuttings is the most commonly used way of propagating garden plants. Here, the gardener begins by selecting a healthy growing plant; she then makes the cut from the thickest, green non-flowering stems of the plant. The best cutting is the area near the nodes, or the spot where a leaf is attached to the stem, as it is in this stem area where the growth hormones of a plant is concentrated.

Two cuts are made, one just below a node and the other, done slanted, about 10 centimeters farther up. These cuts should produce a cutting that is about 10 centimeters in length and with at least two nodes, one of which should be just below the upper tip. The side shoots of the cutting are trimmed off and its leaves, except for a few, are removed; the cutting is stressed and its rooting slowed down by the wilting of the leaves.

To bring rooting back to speed, the lower part of the cutting is dipped in hormone powder. The cutting is then inserted in a hole made in the moist potting soil in the planter that has been prepared earlier, making sure that the cutting remains firmly upright while the powder stays on it. The planter, with cuttings planted about half a foot apart from each other, is then placed on a brightly-lit spot in the garden; the soil is kept moist.

An indication that the cuttings have grown roots is when they resist being pulled out. This is when they should be transplanted into individual pots and allowed to continue growing under bright light. When the pots are filled with roots, the cuttings (now new plants) are ready to be transferred to the garden plot.

In propagating some overgrown, leggy plants with thick stems, cane cuttings is preferred. In this method, the gardener cuts leafless stem sections, each about 5 centimeters long, from older stems of a plant. Each of the cut stem sections (cane) should have at least one node. With a bud facing upward, the cane cuttings are planted horizontally just beneath the ground. The appearance of shoots indicates that the cane cuttings are ready to be moved to individual pots.

Leaf cuttings is the third way and is seldom used. This method may be used in propagating some ornamental plants. Here, the gardener makes use only of the leaf blade and about a centimeter portion of the petiole (the footstalk of a leaf). The rest of the procedure follows those in the first two ways.

One good thing about propagating plants using any of the three ways of cuttings is that a greenhouse is not really required. Of course, the gardener's success depends largely on her maintaining a high humidity around the plants. [Read the Original Article]

Sources: http://www.ces.nesu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8702.htm/ and http://www.anbg.gov.au/PROPAGATE/propagat.htm

5 Kinds of Bacteria Your Cat Can Drag Into Your Home

2008-06-12T05:27:00.000-07:00

Pets are said to benefit their owners' health in many ways. Some of the mentioned health benefits of caring for pet animals include decreased levels of blood fats and cholesterol in the bloodstream, slowing of heart rate, lowering of blood pressure, and stress reduction. But the health of pet owners also faces certain risks that can emanate from their furry friends. Allergies caused by pet animals have been shown to affect almost half of all the patients who see allergy specialists.

Of all the animals fondly cared for by pet owners, cats, especially males that have not been neutered, probably provoke allergic reactions the most. Studies show that dander and saliva, not fur, are the culprits. Dander (loose bits of dead skin) in particular can carry allergy-inducing substances, circulate with household particles or dust, and cause skin itching, sneezing, and watery eyes.

They are generally cuddly and gentle, but cats are known to carry a variety of bacteria that can cause diseases to humans ranging from the less severe to life-threatening ones. Five of these bacteria are identified here, each briefly discussed.

The bacterium Toxoplasma gondii, which causes the infection toxoplasmosis, can infect humans through contact with cat discharges or excrement, often from cleaning a litter box. The infection may present no symptoms; in pregnant women, however, it can cause birth deformities or defects or even miscarriage.

Bartonella henselae is the bacterium that causes cat scratch fever. The first symptom of this infection is swelling of the lymph nodes near the area of a cat scratch; pain in the joint may follow. Antibiotics are usually prescribed to treat this infection.

The cat-borne bacteria Bacillary angiomatosis and Rochalimaea henselae are transmitted either by eating contaminated food or through blood (penetrating through untreated cuts or wounds). The former causes skin and bone lesions, while the latter can serve as the inciting cause of chills and fever.

Cats are also known to carry salmonella. These bacteria can cause nausea, gastrointestinal inflammation, cramps, typhoid fever, and septicemia (blood poisoning). Salmonella is risky, at times even fatal, for three specific groups of people: young children, the elderly, and those who are immunodeficient. Extra caution should be taken, especially since, aside from cats, salmonella can also be carried by other pet animals like dogs and birds.

The essential point is that owners of pet animals must wash their hands thoroughly after handling their cats (or other pet animals) or cleaning a litter box, and especially before touching food or holding a baby. [Read the Original Article]

Sources: http://www.petstation.com/cat-zoonoses.html and http:baystatehealth.com/

Causes of Primary and Secondary Amenorrhea: Missing Periods

2008-05-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

When my daughter turned sixteen without still having periods, I decided to accompany her to the family doctor to find out what was wrong. Several possible causes of my daughter's condition, called primary amenorrhea, were mentioned by the doctor. After the examination, the doctor advised that my daughter should give attention to her program of study, especially since it was obvious (from the results of the examination) that this was affecting her general health condition.

I had my own experience of a related condition when, for about three months at age thirty-nine, I missed having my regular periods. I thought then that I had reached menopause too early. But a visit to the doctor revealed that I was actually going through the condition known as secondary amenorrhea. Two months later, I became pregnant with my third child.

Both types of amenorrhea are symptoms rather than diseases. A teenage girl who has not started having periods past the age of fifteen is said to be experiencing primary amenorrhea. This condition occurs most often due to any of these factors: excessive study or overwork, emotional tension, infectious disease, or heart disease. In my daughter's case, it was determined that the first in the list of reasons was causing her primary amenorrhea; because of this, her particular condition was not considered a cause for alarm.

On the other hand, a woman, who has had regular periods, is said to have secondary amenorrhea if her normal menstrual flow fails to come for one or more months for reasons other than, of course, pregnancy or normal menopause. Factors that may cause this condition include strenuous exercise, stress, weight changes, or certain drugs, the latter having been identified as the cause for my having had secondary amenorrhea. This condition does not rule out pregnancy; inasmuch as ovulation comes ahead of menstruation, a woman with secondary amenorrhea can go through ovulation and become pregnant even without having a period.

For some women who had put on weight, menstrual flow may be diminished, or it may stop for one or several months. In more serious cases, the absence of periods may be due to some irregular or faulty formation of the female organs, or to an impediment in the cervical canal. In rare instances, the uterus continues to be at an infantile stage. Surgery can correct most cases of cervical obstruction and some cases of abnormal organ formation. However, most cases of primary amenorrhea and secondary amenorrhea can be corrected by remedying their underlying causes through methods other than surgery. [Read the Original Article]

Dilatation and Curettage: Treatment for Continuous Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

2008-05-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

There was a point in the past, not too long ago, when my niece developed heavy menstrual bleeding, lasting up to twelve days. Upon her doctor's advice, she underwent a surgical procedure called dilatation and curettage. The operation was quite successful in that it was able to correct her condition at once.

A variety of factors can cause heavy menstrual bleeding. One example is abnormality in either the timing or amount of hormones produced by the ovaries. Under such condition, it may be necessary for your doctor to do various tests, each of which is aimed at measuring the hormone output of your ovaries. If the doctor determines that the amount of hormones produced is abnormal, thus creating imbalances, he may prescribe hormones to remedy the situation.

Additionally, your doctor may perform other examinations to determine the existence of either of two conditions that may be causing your heavy menstrual bleeding: an infection in any of your reproductive organs or the presence of fibroids, benign growths that usually develop in the wall of the uterus.

If heavy menstrual bleeding goes on inspite of all that your doctor has done, dilatation and curettage may finally solve the problem. This relatively simple surgical procedure makes use of two instruments from which its name, dilatation and curettage, was derived: a dilator is used to open the entrance to the uterus (cervix); and then, the surgeon scrapes the lining of the uterus (endometrium) with the use of a curette. The scrapings are collected and scrutinized under a microscope. This procedure enables the doctor to discover the source of the problem, making it easy for him to deal with it using a treatment he deems appropriate for the condition.

In a lot of cases, heavy menstrual bleeding appears to be remedied by the mere scraping part of the operation; this was very true in my niece's case. For this reason, a dilatation and curettage surgery can be considered a medical procedure that is both diagnostic and curative.

A dilatation and curettage operation is a brief medical procedure. It requires that the patient be under a general anesthetic and, in general, for her to stay overnight in the hospital. According to my niece, patients may experience pain, as well as some bleeding, for a few days. Like all other surgeries, a dilatation and curettage operation carries some risks. These, along with its benefits, should be thoroughly discussed with your doctor before deciding on going through with the operation. [Read the Original Article]

Hernia is Actually a Muscle Problem

2008-05-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine, who is really overweight, was recently found to have a small bulge just below the groin crease. A further examination confirmed that she has femoral hernia, one of the common types of hernia to which women, particularly those who are overweight, are prone. Doctors say that a hernia, regardless of the type, is actually a muscle problem; it is a bulging of a part (or even all) of an organ through a debilitated area in the muscle or other tissue in which it is contained.

How a hernia develops was explained by my friend's doctor. A portion of the intestine, or some of the fat that envelops it, presses through a deficient area - as in a gap - in the abdominal wall's muscles. In inguinal hernia (the type to which men are more prone), for example, the abdominal organs press through the abdominal wall just above the groin crease (notice that the area of occurrence of this type of hernia is opposite to that in my friend's case), creating a large protrusion. Another type of hernia, called hiatus hernia, takes place in the diaphragm.

According to my friend's doctor, heredity may be a factor in the muscle weakness that causes a hernia. In the case of my friend, however, her doctor emphasized that it is due to poor muscle tone. The only indication of the existence of a hernia in its early stages may be a protrusion. In some cases - and this is true in my friend's condition - tenderness at the protrusion's area and a feeling of heaviness accompany hernia.

My friend's doctor made it clear that a hernia, no matter what type it is, can be very dangerous if not remedied at once. For one, the proper clearing of bowel may be prevented by the herniated muscle's trapping of a portion of the intestine. In a severe hernia, the passage of blood to the affected area of the intestine may be cut off; such a case may result to gangrene, or the local death of soft tissues.

Because of her doctor's warning on the serious effects to health a hernia can cause, my friend agreed to go through a surgery to have hers remedied. Surgery, after all, is still the best means by which a hernia can be remedied. The procedure, according to my friend's doctor, is rather simple, and takes only about an hour to perform. Here, the bulging tissue is pushed back to its normal position; the muscle wall is then mended. [Read the Original Article]

Surgery is the Only Certified Treatment for Cataracts

2008-05-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

At age 79 in March last year, my mother underwent surgery on her left eye to remove the cataract that has been impairing her sight. Amidst my and my sister's apprehension because of her age, my mom had to go through a similar operation on her right eye four months later. Her eye surgeon explained to us that both operations were necessary as it is only through surgery that a cataract can be treated.

Another doctor, with whom I had a conversation a few days after my mom's second operation, confirmed that surgery is indeed the only way through which a cataract, which has reached the stage where it is hindering vision, can be treated. The operation for a cataract is a safe, simple, and painless (as my mom affirmed) procedure, lasting an hour or even less; about ninety-five percent of all cataract surgeries are successful.

Depending on the patient's health and on the condition of the lenses of the eyes, the eye surgeon can choose from among the different surgical procedures available to him. In my mom's first surgery, for example, the eye surgeon opted for the technique in which he extracted the opaque portion of the lens of my mom's left eye with the use of a suction device. But in the second operation, the same eye surgeon, using a freezing probe, removed the entire lens of my mom's right eye.

Another technique makes use of a high-speed vibrator to break up the cataract, which is then drawn by suction through a hollow needle. I used to think, as many other people may have too, that using laser is another method for removing cataract. My mom's eye surgeon made it clear that lasers are never used in cataract surgeries.

The eye's power to refract light is almost entirely lost with the removal of its lens. The lens, therefore, must be replaced if the patient is to have a clear vision again. To restore the focusing power of my mom's eyes, she is now using a pair of thick eyeglasses as prescribed by her eye surgeon. In other cases, contact lenses are recommended as these cover the eyes completely; cataract patients likewise seem to tolerate contact lenses well as these have improved in quality over the years.

There are a few simple instructions to observe strictly when recovering from a cataract surgery. The set of orders from my mom's eye surgeon includes avoiding bending over, rubbing her eyes, lifting heavy objects, and taking aspirin (at least one week after each of her two operations). She was also instructed to take it easy during her convalescing period to give her eyes the chance to heal quickly. [Read the Original Article]

How to Get Relief for Labor Pains

2008-05-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

For a woman having her first baby, the period involving certain internal physical activities prior to the actual giving of birth - called labor - can last for as long as a day or even longer. Labor has three stages. The initial stage begins with the onset of labor pains. This stage continues up to the time that the cervix (the narrow outer end of the uterus through which the baby must pass) is completely dilated.

The next stage involves the actual moving or passing of the baby through the birth canal, the channel that runs from the cervix to the vaginal opening. This stage ends when the baby is born. The last stage of labor takes place as the placenta, amnion, and other tissues are forced out. In subsequent childbirths, the duration of labor is considerably reduced.

In natural childbirth classes, expectant moms learn how to handle labor pains without the aid of anesthesia or other medications - by performing different relaxation and breathing exercises. Not all women, however, have the same capacity for enduring pain; some are more sensitive than others. This makes the use of any of the various methods for relieving labor pains inevitable.

A safe and simple method for relieving labor pains is with the use of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, usually through a face mask. In this method, the woman, while holding the mask herself, breathes through it during each contraction. Nitrous oxide is safe for both the mother and her baby, and has a very short duration. In some cases, however, this pain relief method may not be sufficient. In such cases, the obstetrician may administer pain-relieving compounds orally or by injection; the obstetrician may also use any of the different local or regional anesthetic techniques.

Pudendal block is one example of a local anesthetic technique, so called "because a local anesthetic such as, lidocaine or chloroprocaine, is injected into the pudendal canal where the pudendal nerve is located" (www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/pudendalblock.htm). This technique is often used in combination with episiotomy, a surgical procedure done to enlarge the vaginal opening for obstetric purposes.

In epidural anesthesia, a local anesthetic is injected (in a single dose or continuously) into the area outside the protective covering (dura mater) of the spinal cord in the lower back. This pain relief method voids the body - from the waist down - of any sensation without affecting the ability to cooperate and move.

We know for a fact that no drug is completely risk-free, and avoiding them is most ideal. Of course, there can be instances - as when labor pains become too severe to endure - when a woman can't help but turn to any one of these medications for relief. Others try hypnosis or acupuncture to ease labor pains. Neither of these alternative methods, however, is necessarily suitable or effective for all women. [Read the Original Article]

Sources: http://www.aafp.org/afp/20030915/1121ph.html and http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/pudendalblock.htm