Introduction:

Food poisoning is an acute gastroenteritis caused by the consumption of a food material or a drink which contains the pathogenic micro organism or their toxins or poisonous chemicals.Food poisoning is common in hostels,hotels,communal feedings, and festivel seasons.

A group of persons will be affected with same type of symptoms ,and they give a history of consumption of a common food before few hours.

Types of food poisoning

1) Bacterial food poisoning:

Here the micro organisms called bacteria are responsible.The food material may contain the pathogenic bacteriae or their toxin and will be ingested along with the food.

2) Non bacterial food poisoning:

Due to the presence of toxic chemicals like fertilizers,insectisides,heavy metals and ect.

Since bacterial food poisoning is common it is discussed here.

Bacterial food poisoning:

All bacteria are not harmful.There are some pathogenic bacteria which secrete toxins and cause clinical manifestations.These organisms enter the human body through food articles or drinks.

How food poisoning occures:

1) Presence of bacteria in the water.

2) The raw materials for the food may contain toxins.

3) Premises where the food is prepared may contain micro organisms or toxins.

4) Food handlers may have some infectious diseases.

5) Some animals like dogs,rats may contaminate the food.

6) If prepared food is kept in the room temperature for a long time and heated again can make a chance for food poisoning.

7) Purposely some body mixing toxins in the food.


Some common bacterial food poisonings.

1) Salmonella food poisoning:

There are three different varieties of salmonella bacteria.(salmonella typhimurium,salmonella cholera suis,salmonella enteritidis) These bacteria are present in milk, milk products and eggs.  Symptoms of this food poisoning include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.  Fever is also common.

2) Botulism:

This is the dangerous type of food poisoning caused by clostridium botulinum.   The spores of these organisms are seen in the soil and enters the human body through pickles and canned fish ect.Compared to other food poisonings here vomiting and diarrhoea are rare Mainly the nervous system is affected.The symptoms starts with double vision,numbness with weakness.Later there will be paralysis with cardiac and respiratory failure ending in death.

3) Staphylococcal food poisoning:

It is caused by staphylo coccus aureus. These organisms usually cause skin troubles like boils and eruptions.It causes mastitis in cow.Through the milk and milk products it enders and causes gastroenteritis.There will be vomiting,abdominal cramps with diarrhoea.

4) Closteridium food poisoning:

This is caused by closteridium perfringens.They are present in stool,soil and water. They enter the body through,meat,meat dishes and egg ect.If food articles are cooked and kept in room temperature for a long time and heated again before eating can result this food poisoning.Symptoms include vomiting ,diarrhoea and abdominal cramps.

5) Bacillus cereus:

The spores of these organisms can survive cooking and causes enteritis.  Diarrhoea and vomiting is common in this infection.


How to investigate food poisoning?

1) Examine each and every person affected.

2) Water sample should be tested.

3) Kitchen, store room and food samples should be examined.

4) The cook and food handlers should be questioned and examined.

5) Samples of vomitus and stool of all victims should be tested to identify the bacteria.


How to prevent food poisoning:-

1) Only purified water should be used.

2) Hygiene should be maintained by all persons keeping contact with food.

3) Workers should use masks, cap and gloves during cooking and serving.

4) Sick individuals should not come in contact with food materials.

5) Kitchen and premises should be neat and clean.

5) Vessels should be washed with soap and hot water.

6) Should not keep the prepared food for a long time in room temperature.

7) All food materials should be kept in closed containers.

8) Animals like dog, cat, rat ect should not come in contact with food materials.

9) Vegetables should be washed before cooking.

10) Meat should be fresh and should be purchased from recognised slaughter house.

Action on the stomach.
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The action of alcohol on the stomach is extremely dangerous that it becomes unable to produce the natural digestive fluid in sufficient quantity and also fails to absorb the food which it may imperfectly digest. A condition marked by the sense of nausea emptiness, prostration and distention will always be faced by an alcoholic. This results in  a loathing for food and is teased with a craving for more drink. Thus there is engendered a permanent disorder which is called dyspepsia. The disastrous forms of confirmed indigestion originate by this practice.

How the liver gets affected.
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The organic deteriorations caused by the continued use of alcohol are often of a fatal character. The organ which most frequently undergoes structural changes from alcohol, is the liver. Normally, the liver has the capacity to hold active substances in its cellular parts. In instances of poisoning by various poisonous compounds, we analyse liver as if it were the central depot of the foreign matter. It is practically the same in respect to alcohol. The liver of an alcoholic is never free from the influence of alcohol and it is too often saturated with it. The minute membranous or capsular structure of the liver gets affected, preventing proper dialysis and free secretion. The liver becomes large due to the dilatation of its vessels, the surcharge of fluid matter and the thickening of tissue. This follows contraction of membrane and shrinking of the whole  organ in its cellular parts. Then the lower parts of the alcoholic becomes dropsical owing to the obstruction offered to the returning blood by the veins. The structure of the liver may be charged with fatty cells and undergo what is technically designated 'fatty liver'.

How the Kidneys deteriorate.
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The Kidneys also suffer due to the excessive consumption of alcohol. The vessels of Kidneys  lose elasticity and power of contraction. The minute structures in them go through fatty modification. Albumin from the blood easily passes through their membranes. This results in the body losing its power as if it were being run out of blood gradually. 

Congestion of the lungs.
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Alcohol relaxes the vessels of the lungs easily as they are most exposed to the fluctuations of heat and cold. When subjected to the effects of a rapid variation in atmospheric temperature, they get readily congested. During severe winter seasons, the suddenly fatal congestions of lungs easily affects an alcoholic.

Alcohol weakens the heart.
--------------------------

Consumption of alcohol greatly affects the heart. The quality of the membraneous structures which cover and line the heart changes and are thickened, become cartilaginous or calcareous. Then the valves lose their suppleness and what is termed valvular disorder becomes permanent.  The structure of the the coats of the great blood-vessel leading from the heart share in the same changes of structure so that the vessel loses its  elasticity and its power to feed the heart by the recoil from its distention,  after the heart, by its stroke, has filled it with blood.

Again, the muscular structure of the heart fails owing to degenerative changes in its tissue. The elements of the muscular fibre are replaced by fatty cells or, if not so replaced, are themselves transferred into a modified muscular texture in which the power of contraction is greatly reduced.

Those who suffer from these organic deteriorations of the central and governing organ of the circulation of the blood learn the fact so insidiously, it hardly breaks upon them until the mischief is far advanced. They are conscious of a central failure of power from slight causes such as overexertion, trouble, broken rest or too long abstinence from food. They feel what they call a 'sinking' but they know that wine or some other stimulant will at once relieve the sensation. Thus they seek to relieve it until at last they discover that the remedy fails. The jaded, overworked, faithful heart will bear no more. it has run its course and the governor of the blood-streams broken. The current either overflows into the tissues gradually damming up the courses or under some slight shock or excess of motion ceases wholly at the centre.

Introduction:

Tongue is a muscular organ associated with the function of deglutition,taste and speech.It acts as an easily accessible organ for the assessment of  health of an individual and shows the state of hydration of the body.It is said that tongue is the mirror of the gastrointestinal system and any abnormal functioning of the stomach and intestines will be reflected on the tongue.

Some characteristic changes occur in the tongue in some particular diseases.That is why the examination of the tongue is very essential and will give some clues for diagnosis.All doctors examine the tongue and they consider the changes in size,shape,,colour,moisture,coating,nature of papillae and movements ect.

Appearance of tongue in some abnormal conditions:-

1) Movements of the tongue:-

a) In one sided paralysis of the body(hemiplegia)tongue moves towards the parylised side when protruded.   

b) Tremulus movement of the tongue is seen in diseases like thyrotoxicosis,delirium tremens and parkinsonisum.Tremor is also seen in nervous patients.

c) In progressive bulbar palsy there will be wasting and paralysis of the tongue with fibrillation.Eventually the tongue gets shrivelled and lies functionless in the floor of the mouth.This condition is associated with dribbling of saliva and loss of speech.

d) In chorea(involuntary rhythmic movements) the patient may not be able to keep the protruded tongue in rest,it will be moving involuntarily.

2) Moistness of the tongue:-

The moistness of the tongue gives some indication about the state of hydration of the body.Water volume depletion leads to peripheral circulatory failure characterised by weakness,thirst,restlessness,anorexia,nausea,vomiting ,dry and parched tongue.

Dryness of the tongue is seen in following conditions.

a) Diarrhoea
b) Later stages of severe illness
c) Advanced uraemia
d) Hypovolumic shock
e) Heat exhaustion
f) Hyponatraemia
g) Acute intestinal obstruction
h) Starvation
i) Prlonged fasting.

3) Change in colour of tongue:-

a) Central cyanosis:-

Cyanosis is the bluish discolouration of the mucus membrane due to decrease in the amount of oxygen in the blood.This is seen in heart failure,respiratory failure and in anoxia.In cyanosis tongue,lips ect becomes pale bluish.

b) Jaundice:-

This is the yellowish discolouration of all mucus surfaces of the body (including tongue)due to increase of bilirubin in the blood.Jaundice is seen in hepatitis,bile duct obstruction,increased destruction of RBCs and ect...

c) Advanced uremia:-

This is the increase of urea and other nitrogenous waste products in the blood due to kidney failure.Here the tongue become brown in colour.

d) Keto acidosis:-

This is the acidosis with accumulation of ketone bodies seen mainly in diabetes mellitus.Here the tongue become brown with a typical ketone smell from the mouth.

e) Riboflavin deficiency:-

Deficiency of this vitamin (vitamin B2) produces megenta colour of the tongue with soreness and fissures of lips.     

f) Niacin deficiency:-

Deficiency of niacin (vitamin B3)and some other B complex vitamins results in bright scarlet or beefy red tongue.

g) Anaemia:-

It is the decrease in haemoglobin percentage of the blood.In severe anaemia tongue becomes pale.

4) Coating on the tongue:-

a) Bad breath:-

The main cause for bad breath is formation of a pasty coating(bio film) on the tongue which lodges thousands of anaerobic bacteria resulting in the production of offenssive gases.Those who complain about bad breath may have thick coating on the posterior part of the tongue.

b) Typhoid fever:-

In typhoid fever tongue becomes white coared like a fur.

c) Candidiasis;-

It is a fungal infection which affects the mucus surfaces of the body.On the tongue there will be sloughing white lesions.

d) In diabetes and hypoadrenalism there will be sloughing white lesions.

e) Secondary syphilis:-

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted diseased caused by trepenoma pallidum infection.In secondary stage of this disease we can see mucous patches which are painless,smooth white glystening opalescent plaques which can not be scraped off easily.

f) Leokoplakia:-

Here white keratotic patches are seen on the tongue and oral cavity.This is a precancerous condition.

g) AIDS:-

In these patients hairy leukoplakia is seen.

h) Peritonitis:-

It is the inflammation of the peritonium(inner covering of abdominal cavity which also covers the intestines and keep them in position) in this condition there is white furring of the tongue.

i) Acute illness:-

Furring is also seen in some acute diseases.

5) Papillae:-

These are small projections on the rongue associated with taste.There are different type of papillae on the healthy tongue.In some diseases there are some abnormal changes which are following.

a) Hairy tongue:-

This condition is due to elongation of filiform papillae seen in poor oral hygeine ,general debility and indigestion.

b) Geographic tongue:-

Here irregular red and white patches appear on the tongue.These lesions looks like a geographic map.The excact cause is not known.

c) Median rhomboid glossitis:-

In this condition there is smooth nodular red area in the posterior mid line of the tongue.This is a congenital condition.

d) Nutritional deficiency:-

In nutrional deficiency there is glossitis(inflammation of tongue) leading to papillary hypertrophy followed by atrophy.    

e) Benign migratory glossitis:-

It is an inflamatory condition of the tongue where multiple annular areas of desquamation of papillae appear on the tongue which shift from area to area in few days.

f) Thiamine and riboflavin deficiency:-

Deficiency of these vitamins cause hypertrophied filiform and fungiform papillae.

g) Niacin and iron deficiency:-

In this condition there is atrophy of papillae.Smooth tongue is encountered in iron deficiency.

h) Vitamin A deficiency:-

This causes furrowed tongue.

i) In nutritional megaloblastic anaemia tongue becomes smooth.

j) Folic acid deficiency:-

Here macrocytic megaloblastic anaemia with glossitis is seen.

k) Cyano coblamine deficiency:-

Here glossitis with macrocytic megaloblastic anaemia and peripheral neuropathy is encountered.  

l) Scarlet fever;-

In this streptococcal infection there is bright red papillae standing out of a thick white fur ,later the white coat disappear leaving enlarged papillae on the bright red surface and is called strawberry tongue. 

6) Ulcers on the tongue:--

a) Apthous ulcer:-

These are round painful ulcers appear in stressed individuals frequently. May be associated with food allergy.Usual sites are tongue,lips,oral mucosa and ect.

b) Herpes simplex:-

It is an acute vesicular eruptions produced by herpes simplex virus.When these vesicles rupture it forms ulcers.

c) Ulcer in cancer:-

Cancerous ulcers are having everted edges with hard base.Bleeding is also seen.Cancer of the tongue is common in tobacco chewers.

d) Syphilitic ulcers:-

Syphilitic fissures are longitudinal in direction.In primary syphilis extra genital chancre is seen on the tongue.In secondary syphilis multiple shallow ulcers are seen on the under surface and sides of the tongue.In tertiary syphilis gumma may be seen on the midline of the dorsum of the tongue.

e) Dental ulcers:-

These ulcers are produced by sharp edges of carious teeth.

Introduction:

The nails are present at the end of each finger tip on the dorsal surface.The main function of nail is protection and it also helps for a firm grip for holding articles.It consists of a strong relatively flexible keratinous nail plate originating from the nail matrix. Under the nail plate there is a soft tissue called nail bed.Between the skin and nail plate there is a nail fold or cuticle.Normal healthy nail is slight pink in colour and the surface is convex from side to side.Finger nails grow 1 cm in three months and toe nails take 24 months for the same.

Importance of nails in disease diagnosis:

The colour ,appearance,shape and nature of the nails give some information about the general health and hygiene of a person . Nails are examined as a routine by all doctors to get some clues about underlying diseases.Just looking at nails we can makeout the hygiene of a person.The abnormal nail may be congenital or due to some diseases.The cause for changes in the nail extend from simple reasons to life threatening diseases.Hence the examination by a doctor is essential for diagnosis .Some abnormal findings with probable causes are discussed here for general awareness.

1) Hygiene:-

We can make out an unhygienic nail very easily .Deposition of dirt under the distal end of nail plate can make a chance for ingestion of pathogens while eating.If nail cutting is not done properly it can result in worm troubles in children.When the worms crawl in the anal orifice children will scratch which lodges the ova of worms under the nails and will be taken in while eating.Prominent nail can also complicate a skin disease by habitual scratching.Sharp nails in small kids cause small wounds when they do feet kicking or hand waving.

2) Colour of the nails:-

a) Nails become pale in anaemia.

b) Opaque white discolouration(leuconychia) is seen in chronic renal failure and nephrotic syndrome.

c) Whitening is also seen in hypoalbuminaemia as in cirrhosis and kidney disorders.
                              
d) Drugs like sulpha group,anti malarial and antibiotics ect can produce discolouration in the nails.
                       
e) Fungal infection causes black discolouration.

f) In pseudomonas infection nails become black or green.

g) Nail bed infarction occures in vasculitis especially in SLE and polyarteritis.

h) Red dots are seen in nails due to splinter haemorrhages in subacute bacterial endo carditis, rheumatoid arthritis, trauma, collagen vascular diseases.

i) Blunt injury produces haemorrhage and causes blue/black discolouration.

j) Nails become brown in kidney diseases and in decreased adrenal activity.

k) In wilsons disease blue colour in semicircle appears in the nail.

l) When the blood supply decreases nail become yellow .In jaundice and psoriasis also nail become yellowish.

m) In yellow nail syndrome all nails become yellowish with pleural effusion.

3) Shape of nails:-

a) Clubbing: Here tissues at the base of nails are thickened and the angle between the nail base and the skin is obliterated. The nail becomes more convex and the finger tip becomes bulbous and looks like an end of a drumstick. When the condition becomes worse the nail looks like a parrot beak.

Causes of clubbing:-

Congenital Injuries

Severe chronic cyanosis

Lung diseases like empyema,bronchiactesis,carcinoma of bronchus and pulmonary tuberculosis.
Abdominal diseases like crohn's disease,polyposis of colon,ulcerative colitis,liver cirrhosis ect...

Heart diseases like fallot's tetralogy,subacute bacterial endocarditis and ect..
             
b) Koilonychia:-

Here the nails become concave like a spoon.This condition is seen in iron deficiency anaemia.In this condition the nails become thin,soft and brittle.The normal convexity will be replaced by concavity.

c) Longitudinal ridging is seen in raynaud's disease.

d) Cuticle becomes ragged in dermatomyositis.

e) Nail fold telangiectasia is a sign in dermatomyositis ,systemic sclerosis and SLE.

4) Structure and consistancy:-

a) Fungal infection of nail causes discolouration,deformity,hypertrophy and abnormal brittleness.

b) Thimble pitting of nail is charecteristic of psoriasis ,acute eczema and alopecia aereata.
  
c) The inflamation of cuticle or nail fold is called paronychia.

d) Onycholysis is the seperation of nail bed seen in psoriasis,infection and after taking tetracyclines.

e) Destruction of nail is seen in lichen planus,epidermolysis bullosa.

f) Missing nail is seen in nail patella syndrome.It is a hereditary disease.

g) Nails become brittle in raynauds disease and gangrene.

h) Falling of nail is seen in fungal infection,psoriasis and thyroid diseases.

5) Growth:-

Reduction in blood supply affects the growth of nails. Nail growth is also affected in severe ilness. when the disease disappears the growth starts again resulting in formation of transverse ridges.These lines are called Beau's lines and are healpful to date the onset of illness

The physical disasters that follow the continued use of intoxicating beverages are sad enough, and terrible enough; but the surely attendant mental, moral and spiritual disasters are sadder and more terrible still. If you disturb the healthy condition of the brain, which is the physical organ through which the mind acts, you disturb the mind. It will not have the same clearness of perception as before; nor have the same rational control over the impulses and passions.

Heavenly order in the body.:-
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In order to understand a subject clearly, certain general laws, or principles, must be seen and admitted. And here we assume, as a general truth, that health in the human body is normal heavenly order on the physical plane of life, and that any disturbance of that order exposes the man to destructive influences, which are evil and infernal in their character. Above the natural and physical plane, and resting upon it, while man lives in this world, is the mental and spiritual plane, or degree of life. This degree is in heavenly order when the reason is clear, and the appetites and passions under its wise control. But, if, through any cause, this fine equipoise is disturbed, or lost, then a way is opened for the influx of more subtle evil influences than such as invade the body, because they have power to act upon the reason and the passions, obscuring the one and inflaming the others.

We know how surely the loss of bodily health results in mental disturbance. If the seat of disease be remote from the brain, the disturbance is usually slight; but it increases as the trouble comes nearer and nearer to that organ, and shows itself in multiform ways according to character, temperament or inherited disposition; but almost always in a predominance of what is evil instead of good. There will be fretfulness, or ill-nature, or selfish exactions, or mental obscurity, or unreasoning demands, or, it may be, vicious and cruel propensities, where, when the brain was undisturbed by disease, reason held rule with patience and loving kindness. If the disease which has attacked the brain goes on increasing, the mental disease which follows as a consequence of organic disturbance or deterioration, will have increased also, until insanity may be established in some one or more of its many sad and varied forms.

Insanity.
--------

It is, therefore, a very serious thing for a man to take into his body any substance which, on reaching that wonderfully delicate organ the brain, sets up therein a diseased action; for, diseased mental action is sure to follow. A fever is a fever, whether it be light or intensely burning; and so any disturbance of the mind's rational equipoise is insanity, whether it be in the simplest form of temporary obscurity, or in the midnight of a totally darkened intellect.

We are not writing in the interest of any special theory, nor in the spirit of partisanship; but with an earnest desire to make the truth appear. You must not accept anything simply because we say it, but because he sees it to be true. Now, as to this matter of insanity, let him think calmly. The word is one that gives us a shock; and, as we hear it, we almost involuntarily thank God for the good gift of a well-balanced mind. What, if from any cause this beautiful equipoise should be disturbed and the mind lose its power to think clearly, or to hold the lower passions in due control? Shall we exceed the truth if we say that the man in whom this takes place is insane just in the degree that he has lost his rational self-control; and that he is restored when he regains that control?

In this view, the question as to the hurtfulness of alcoholic drinks assumes a new and graver aspect. Do they disturb the brain when they come in contact with its substance; and deteriorate it if the contact be long continued? Fact, observation, experience and scientific investigation all emphatically say yes; and we know that if the brain be disordered the mind, will be disordered, likewise; and a disordered mind is an insane mind. Clearly, then, in the degree that a man impairs or hurts his brain temporarily or continuously in that degree his mind is unbalanced; in that degree he is not a truly rational and sane man.

We are holding your thought just here that you may have time to think, and to look at the question in the light of reason and common sense. So far as he does this, will he be able to feel the force of such evidence as we shall educe in what follows, and to comprehend its true meaning.

Other substances besides alcohol act injuriously on the brain; but there is none that compares with this in the extent, variety and diabolical aspect of the mental aberrations which follow its use. We are not speaking thoughtlessly or wildly; but simply uttering a truth well-known to every man of observation, and which every man, and especially those who take this substance in any form, should, lay deeply to heart. Why it is that such awful and destructive forms of insanity should follow, as they do, the use of alcohol it is not for us to say. That they do follow it, we know, and we hold, up the fact in solemn warning.

Another consideration, which should have weight with every one, is this, that no man can tell what may be the character of the legacy he has received from his ancestors. He may have an inheritance of latent evil forces, transmitted through many generations, which only await some favoring opportunity to spring into life and action. So long as he maintains a rational self-control, and the healthy order of his life be not disturbed, they may continue quiescent; but if his brain loses its equipoise, or is hurt or impaired, then a diseased psychical condition may be induced and the latent evil forces be quickened into life

Cavities can best be described as tooth decay.  As we all know, tooth decay is influenced by what we eat, how we take care of our teeth, and the amount of fluoride in our toothpastes.  If your family has a history of tooth disease or teeth problems, then you may inherit it that way.  This is very common, as many people inherit tooth problems that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Adults who suffer from a dry mouth are more at risk for cavities, as they have a lack of saliva in their mouth.  Dry mouth is very common, and is normally the result of medications, illness, and radiation treatment.  Tobacco users will also suffer from dry mouth, as the tobacco will use up the saliva in the mouth and leave the user with nothing to keep his or her mouth moist.

Cavities are a very serious situation, and if left untreated, can result in the destruction of the tooth.  This can also destroy the nerves as well, resulting in an abscess.  An abscess is very serious, as it infects the root tip.  If left untreated, an abscess can result in death.  Although you may not realize it, cavities are a very serious matter that can quickly spread to something even more serious.

If you visit your dentist on a regular basis, he will check for cavities.  Without visiting the dentist, it is impossible to tell whether or not you have a cavity.  Most cavities develop below the gums, and you won’t be able to see them.  If the cavity exists in the tooth, you will be able to see it, as it will change the color of the affected area.  If you notice a color change or a blackened area in your tooth, you should make an appointment with your dentist immediately.

What you eat is a big contributor to cavities.  If you eat a lot of sweets or drink a lot of soda, you will be at a higher risk for cavities.  Foods that are rich in sugar or starch are eaten by bacteria found in plaque, which will produce acids that eat through teeth.  This acid is very harmful to teeth, as it can eat through the dentin and enamel in no time at all.  If you don’t do something about it, the acid will continue to eat at the tooth until there is nothing left to say - leaving you no choice but to get the tooth extracted.

Over time, the tooth enamel will start to break down beneath the surface of your tooth, even though the surface will appear to be fine.  Once the acid has managed to eat away enough of the enamel below the surface, the surface will collapse, which results in a cavity.  After this has happened, if you don’t get it treated, the tooth will continue to be eaten and the cavity will continue to spread until all of the tooth has been eaten, after which the enamel will be gone and your root will be exposed - which can be very painful.

Cavities will more than likely develop in the pits of chewing areas around the back teeth, between your teeth, or near the gum line.  No matter where they occur, the easiest way to spot them is to visit your dentist.  Your dentist will be able to do x-rays and find out just how bad they are and tell you what options you have.  If you visit him in time, he will be able to save the tooth and stop the cavity before it spreads throughout your tooth.

If your back pain does not require medical attention, i.e. if you feel you over exerted the muscles you can perform a few actions at home to, perhaps relieve your pain. The common treatments include bed rest, pain remedies, cold or hot pads, massage, relax, and so on.

Sometimes when we pull the muscles pain relievers can help reduce the pain. Common over-the-counter meds include ibuprofen, aspirin, or meds with acetaminophen included. You should avoid taking ibuprofen and aspirin combined to treat common back pain. In addition, if you have asthma, allergies, or polyps, leave ibuprofen and aspirin alone.

Cold packs work well, yet if you have conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or related symptoms you should avoid using cold packs. Cold packs can reduce back pain otherwise if you allow the packs to remain on your back long enough to reduce muscle spasms, pain, or inflammation. Leave the cold pack on the area where your pain is for at least twenty minutes.

Later you can apply hot packs to the area. Avoid placing hot packs over areas where scar tissue is present. In addition, if you have poor circulation, avoid placing hot packs in this area as well. Leave the hot packs on your back for at least twenty minutes as well. Do not use heating pads, since experts believe that the pads are unsafe. You can take a hot, steamy bath or shower, or purchase hydrocollators and place it on the area. You can find hydrocollators at pharmacy, or areas where medical equipment, meds, etc, are sold.

If you muscles are tight, you may benefit from a massage. If someone you know is willing to give you a massage, ask him or her to rub the area gently. Otherwise, you may find local massage therapists in your area, which offer affordable treatment. If the massage increases your pain, ask the person to stop. You may need medical treatment. You should avoid massages if you have fallen and injured your back, or if you were recently in an accident. Seek medical help first.

You can also relax the back if your muscles are tense. Relaxation promotes wellness, since the muscles can rest from over-exertion.

To avoid complicating common back pains you should move around at least 20 minutes each day. Throughout the day we sit, lie on the back, stand, walk, etc, which all applies gravity pressure to the spine. We can learn proper sitting strategies to avoid complicating common back pain.

When sitting you can roll a towel up and situate it at the lower back and on your chair. This will provide the lumbar support. If you have, certain conditions however avoid using such support. Conditions such as spine stenosis or spondylolisthesis can become irritated if you use back supports in such a way.


At what time you sit, try to use a chair that has armrests so that you can use the rests to lower your self in position. Avoid placing the legs directly “in front of you,” and do not bend when you lift your self from the chair. Avoid twisting when rising from a seated position as well.

To minimize back pain you should avoid sitting for long hours. Walk around in intervals if you have a job that requires you to sit for long hours. At what time you sit, try to position your knees so that they are somewhat above the hips.

Common back stress can be reduced, yet if you try remedies at home or at work and the remedies fail, you may need to seek medical advice

An 11-year-old boy in Boston developed a Gastro esophageal reflux Disease (GERD). According to his mother, Cathy, it was the end of June in the year 2005 when his son developed a cough which usually happens during sleep, and even during daytime. It is only a short dry cough symptom. His pediatrician thought it was only allergy, however, when his son was tested, result showed that his son had no allergy. According to her, it was his son’s asthma that relates to GERD.

Studies show that GERD is likewise normal to infants and children like in adults, though this fact is often times being overlooked. The symptoms come in continual sickness, coughing, and other respiratory trouble.

Children are vulnerable to GERD because of their immature digestive system. Truth is majority of the infants grow out of GERD once they reach the age of one year old.

The medical specialists further stated that symptoms for children may come in difficulty in swallowing foods, or failure to grow. The doctors recommended that in situation like this it is best to lessen the amount of acid in the children’s stomach before it could lead to acid reflux, since this disease is not very curable in children.

However, the doctor suggested some approaches to avoid acid reflux on children; an example of these is burping the infant quite a few times during feeding, or letting the infant stay in an erect position for 30 minutes after nourishing.

Although, for a child ages three and up, doctors suggested to keep them off from sodas that includes caffeine like soft drinks, carbonated drinks,  spicy foods like peppermint, acidic foods like citrus fruits, too much chocolate, and fried and fatty foods. Ideally, establishing a healthy eating habit diet can really decrease the acid reflux in children.

It is also suggested that children will eat smaller meals before sleeping, if possible, do not allow them to eat two to three hours before sleeping, also, elevate the head of their bed for at least 30 degrees.

Further treatments include the use of H2 blockers; this is available in any drugs store. Prevacid, proton plump inhibitors, can also be used in treating acid flux for children.

However, if these treatments fail to stop the symptoms, other treatment method needs to be done. It is very atypical, but doctors’ recommends surgery, this is so far the best treatment for relentless symptoms which do not anymore counter to other treatments.

The Esophageal reflux surgery for children is designated for children who have had unsuccessful medical treatments, and continuous surgery is essential as the child grows.

Now, if you get confused whether when is the time to consult a pediatrician regarding acid reflux. The answer is you observe, observe the amounts of vomiting of the child, if it already comes out in green or yellow or appears to be like blood or coffee grounds, there difficulty in breathing after vomiting, and there is pain in swallowing, immediately consult a pediatrician before the symptom gets aggravated.

So to prevent the occurrence of this disease, stay away from the habit of leaning forward after eating, or worse, sleeping after taking a large amount of food.

Take note, advanced acid reflux disease has a great possibility to end serious medical complications, and it may lead to hospitalization.

Be keen of the possible symptoms so will not overlook it. Take care of your kids.

Acid Reflux, another term for heartburn, is a disease which is created by a simple imbalance of chemical make-up in the body--the attack of acid reflux in the esophagus when it is supposed to be in the stomach only.

The fact that Acid Reflux, the acid indigestion, affects not just adults but also infants and children, make it essential for everyone to be aware of its symptoms and how it can be prevented.

Since the Acid Reflux is triggered by various foods like chocolate, citrus fruits, spicy foods, including fried and fatty foods. Together with the time of day the foods are eaten and over eating which causes excessive weight. Therefore, the key to avoid the heartburning uneasiness brought by the Acid reflux also lies on the foods—a manage diet.

Truth in studies show that a specific food can head out acid reflux, so it is vital that everyone must take a careful observation of their eating habits.

Nevertheless, any person who is suffering from Acid Reflux needs a diet that would suit to treat the illness, the foods that should be taken and those which should not be.

Now, you might be wondering what could be the best diet to observe to avoid acid reflux, the heartburn-free recipes that are fitted to an Acid Reflux diet.

It was distinguished that drinking milk can be a speedy cure to alleviate acid reflux trouble. Although, milk produces an action and encourages discharge of more stomach acid, causing then acid reflux.

So, people affected by heartburn should follow a diet wherein they eat a small meal during dinner and follow it up with a small snack before they go to sleep, crackers for instance.

Likewise, they should make sure that they their meal are rich in complex carbohydrates. This includes breads, rice and pasta; this fixes the excessive acid in the stomach, hence, giving it an easy feeling.

Chew your foods well, do not rush on eating, 20 minutes for each meal will do. Extract all the nourishment that you can get in your food.

Along with the diet, it is also advisable to keep yourself in a straight position during and after eating, for least 45 minutes.

Remove from your diet high-fat foods, this will tend to stay in the stomach longer, with this, the stomach will be forced to produce more acids for digestion.

In addition, avoid eating large meals; this will also stimulate the stomach to produce more acids to digest them.

One the medical specialists’ recommendations is to add more plant protein in your diet, like beans and lentils, in this process the animal protein that you have taken will be replaced.

Also, try to observe in your diet the time you spend for eating, the amount of your meal, your relaxation when you eat, and how thorough you chew your food. It is advisable that you take several small meals in a day, than you take large meals regularly, for instance six small meals a day will do than having three large ones. The procedure is simply breaking up the meal.

If you want additional information regarding proper diet to battle Acid Reflux, you can visit a nutrition-oriented health care practitioner like a dietician, naturopathic physician, or nutritionist. They can give you accurate dietary schemes that will fit your private health needs and objectives.

Everyone desires to have a great smile. For a killer smile, one should have sparkling, bright, and shiny teeth.

Today, a lot of people are spending more money just to have their teeth whiter. They make use of the best teeth whitening treatments and undergo procedures to achieve the brilliant white teeth.

Teeth whitening had been an effective procedure to lighten the color of the teeth, without taking away any of the tooth surface. It will not completely whiten the whole set of teeth; it will just lighten the existing color of the teeth.

Only a few are blessed with pearly white teeth, and our teeth normally become discolored as we grow up.

Our teeth can also be stained on the outer part because of the food and drink. Coffee, tea, blackcurrant and red wine have effect on the discoloration of our teeth. Smoking is another cause of teeth discoloration. Most people may encounter staining beneath the surface which is caused by tiny cracks in the teeth or certain antibiotics that absorb the stains.

But what are these teeth whitening treatments and procedures? And are these done?

Bleaching. This is most common form of teeth whitening procedure. Your dentist will advice you if this is the best teeth whitening treatment suitable for you.

Bleaching is done by placing a gel or rubber to shield the soft tissue of your gums. Then, the whitening product will be applied on your teeth by using a special tray which shapes into your mouth like a gum shell.

The teeth whitening product usually contains carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide as the 'active ingredients'. When these ingredients break down, the oxygen enters the enamel of your teeth thus, making the color lighter. The entire treatment can be completed in three to four weeks time.

For those who wish to undergo to this treatment, you will need at least three visits to the dentist. On your first visit, the dentist will create a mouth-guard and take a caricature or impressions of it. Once the treatment has started, it is recommended that you continue it at home. You have to regularly apply the teeth whitening product over four weeks, for at least 30 minutes at a time.

Most of the known and best teeth whitening products can be applied for up to several hours at a time. The treatment can be done even while you're sleeping. Ideally, a good result can be attained in as little as one week.

Laser Whitening. This is also called the "power whitening". Though expensive, a lot of people especially artists consider it as the best teeth whitening method.

During this process, a rubber dam is placed over your teeth to shield the gums, and the whitening product is then painted on your teeth. A laser will be used to stimulate the chemical. The light will help boost the chemical reaction of the bleaching product, thus the color change can be attained more rapidly.

Dentists believe that the result of laser whitening treatment is good. It can make your teeth up to six shades lighter.

Unfortunately, not everyone can get a chance to undergo laser treatment. The dentist will have to check your teeth and ensure that you are fit for the treatment. The total procedure is usually done in an hour.

The effects of this power whitening is said to last up to three years depending on the person. The dentist still advice not to smoke, eat and drink products that may cause a stain in your teeth. Others may find their teeth vulnerable to cold after the treatment. But these symptoms usually vanish within a few days.

These are just two of the famous and best teeth whitening methods available. Despite the fact that they may cost a lot, the effect is still worth it. Through these methods, you'll surely flash everyone a perfect smile.

                                           Your thyroid dictates much of your metabolism, any malfunction or disease afflicting this area may cause you to have problems in metabolism leading to a drastic problem with your weight – you may either gain weight, lose weight, or may find that losing weight is harder than usual.

Those that plan diets do not take into consideration how their thyroids and metabolism may affect their weight loss program. Most experts and even the media pitch in and recommend that the best way to lose weight is cut calories.

Those with a condition called hyperthyroidism suffer from an overactive thyroid leading to one having his or her metabolism skyrocket. If this is the case, then you will probably lose weight fast. This is a nice proposition for some who wish to lose weight. However, this is actually hazardous to the health.

Aside from the medical difficulties such a disease brings, one will also notice weight problems as a result. These people have trouble keeping on weight and may notice weakness and bulging of the eyes. This disease may need special treatment from doctors.

Hypothyroidism on the other hand works in the other direction – slowing metabolism until the body gains weight at an incredible rate. Like hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism causes a general weakness in the body. It too may need special treatment and may cause serious health problems if left unattended.

While cutting calories in itself can be very hard for most people – imagine, the people involved in life and death struggles at the supermarket regarding whether to buy that extra box of sweets, some have exactly the opposite problem.

Instead of eating too much calories – which is a problem in itself, they eat too little calories instead.

Problem? What Problem
The problem with some is that they believe that since the experts say that they have to cut calories, cutting calories to an inordinate amount will reap greater results. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. While cutting calories helps diets, consuming too little calories pushed the body into a hoard mode, the body’s metabolism slow to adapt to the lesser amount of available energy.

If your body enters this mode, your body will work at such slow metabolism that losing weight becomes impossible.  The technique here should be to reduce calories without the body slowing its metabolism. Only then can losing weight become easier.

Another problem that can arise from decreased metabolism is that when your metabolism slows due to a drastic reduction in metabolism, and then you suddenly eat a good, hearty, calorie-filled meal, you are bound to gain more weight owing to the increased surplus of energy.

This is why an imbalanced meal is highly discouraged among those that seek to lose weight. The sudden loss and increase of calories will cause an imbalance in one’s energy consumption directly affecting fat deposit.

Here is a simple computation to help you get to the right amount of calories you will need per day so that you get your nutrients in the right balance.

First of all, multiply your weight in kilograms by 30. If you only know your weight in pounds, divide it by 2.2 to get to its English equivalent. We divide this number by 30 because that is the number of calories you need to maintain your weight per pound of weight.

For example if your weight in pounds is 150, divide it by 2.2. That will give you a figure of 68.18. This is your weight in kilograms. Multiply this by 30 and you will arrive at the amount of calories you will need per day to maintain 150 lbs.

You may consult a nutritionist to help you come lose weight. In the end it all comes down to math. If you consume more that your body needs, it stores it as fat. Now is probably a good time to start studying the back of those grocery cartons.

Try to keep your diet at a 40% protein, 25% fat, and 35% carbohydrate meals at 300 calories per meal. Spread out these meals in a day for optimum results.

While it may be simple computation to get at numbers, do not forget the earlier mentioned fact that the body adapts to its condition. Expose it to extreme ones and you may find yourself getting results you never wanted. Consult a nutritionist for more advice.

As people age, they begin to complain more of pains in their muscles and joints. They seem to stiffen up with age, and such commonplace activities as bending over for the morning paper can make them wince.

Such pain can grip so fiercely that they are sure it begins deep in their bones. But the real cause of stiffness and soreness lies not in the joints or bones, according to research at the Johns Hopkins Medical School, but in the muscles and connective tissues that move the joints.

The frictional resistance generated by the two rubbing surfaces of bones in the joints is negligible, even in joints damaged by arthritis.

Flexibility is the medical term used to describe the range of a joint’s motion from full movement in one direction to full movement in the other. The greater the range of movement, the more flexible the joint.

If you bend forward at the hips and touch your toes with your fingertips, you have good flexibility, or range of motion of the hip joints. But can you bend over easily with a minimal expenditure of energy and force? The exertion required to flex a joint is just as important as its range of possible motion.

Different factors limit the flexibility and ease of movement in different joints and muscles. In the elbow and knee, the bony structure itself sets a definite limit. In other joints, such as the ankle, hip, and back, the soft tissue—muscle and connective tissue—limit the motion range.

The problem of inflexible joints and muscles is similar to the difficulty of opening and closing a gate because of a rarely used and rusty hinge that has become balky.

Hence, if people do not regularly move their muscles and joints through their full ranges of motion, they lose some of their potential. That is why when these people will try to move a joint after a long period of inactivity, they feel pain, and that discourages further use

What happens next is that the muscles become shortened with prolonged disuse and produces spasms and cramps that can be irritating and extremely painful. The immobilization of muscles, as researchers have demonstrated with laboratory animals, brings about biochemical changes in the tissue.

However, other factors trigger sore muscles. Here are some of them:

1. Too much exercise

Have you always believed on the saying, “No pain, no gain?” If you do, then, it is not so surprising if you have already experienced sore muscles.

The problem with most people is that they exercise too much thinking that it is the fastest and the surest way to lose weight. Until they ache, they tend to ignore their muscles and connective tissue, even though they are what quite literally holds the body together.

2. Aging and inactivity

Connective tissue binds muscle to bone by tendons, binds bone to bone by ligaments, and covers and unites muscles with sheaths called fasciae. With age, the tendons, ligaments, and fasciae become less extensible. The tendons, with their densely packed fibers, are the most difficult to stretch. The easiest are the fasciae. But if they are not stretched to improve joint mobility, the fasciae shorten, placing undue pressure on the nerve pathways in the muscle fasciae. Many aches and pains are the result of nerve impulses traveling along these pressured pathways.

3. Immobility

Sore muscles or muscle pain can be excruciating, owing to the body’s reaction to a cramp or ache. In this reaction, called the splinting reflex, the body automatically immobilizes a sore muscle by making it contract. Thus, a sore muscle can set off a vicious cycle pain.

First, an unused muscle becomes sore from exercise or being held in an unusual position. The body then responds with the splinting reflex, shortening the connective tissue around the muscle. This cause more pain, and eventually the whole area is aching. One of the most common sites for this problem is the lower back.

4. Spasm theory

In the physiology laboratory at the University of Southern California, some people have set out to learn more about this cycle of pain.

Using some device, they measured electrical activity in the muscles. The researchers knew that normal, well-relaxed muscles produce no electrical activity, whereas, muscles that are not fully relaxed show considerable activity.

In one experiment, the researchers measured these electrical signals in the muscles of persons with athletic injuries, first with the muscle immobilized, and then, after the muscle had been stretched.

In almost every case, exercises that stretched or lengthened the muscle diminished electrical activity and relieved pain, either totally or partially.

These experiments led to the “spasm theory,” an explanation of the development and persistence of muscle pain in the absence of any obvious cause, such as traumatic injury.

According to this theory, a muscle that is overworked or used in a strange position becomes fatigued and as a result, sore muscles.
Hence, it is extremely important to know the limitations and capacity of the muscles in order to avoid sore muscles. This goes to show that there is no truth in the saying, “No pain, no gain.” What matters most is on how people stay fit by exercising regularly at a normal range than once rarely but on a rigid routine.

All Vitamins

  What are Vitamins ?

A vitamin is one of a group of organic substances, present in minute amounts in natural foodstuffs, that are essential to normal metabolism; insufficient amounts in the diet may cause deficiency diseases.

Put simply, a vitamin is both:

• An organic compound (contains carbon).
• An essential nutrient the body cannot produce enough of on its own, so it has to get it (tiny amounts) from food.

There are currently 13 recognized vitamins.

Fat soluble and water soluble vitamins

There are fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins.

Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the fat tissues of our bodies, as well as the liver. Fat-soluble vitamins are easier to store than water-soluble ones, and can stay in the body as reserves for days, some of them for months.¹

Fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed through the intestinal tract with the help of fats (lipids).

Water-soluble vitamins do not get stored in the body for long - they soon get expelled through urine.

Water-soluble vitamins need to be replaced more often than fat-soluble ones.

Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble.

Vitamins C and all the B vitamins are water-soluble.

• Total List of Vitamins:-

 

• Vitamin A
  - Chemical names (vita miner) - retinol, retinal, and four carotenoids (including beta carotene).
  - Fat soluble
  - Deficiency may cause night-blindness and keratomalacia (eye disorder that results in a dry cornea)
  - Good sources include: liver, cod liver oil, carrot, broccoli, sweet potato, butter, kale, spinach, pumpkin, collard greens, some cheeses, egg, apricot, cantaloupe melon, milk.
• Vitamin B₁
  - Chemical name (vita miner) - thiamine
  - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause beriberi, Wernicke-Korsakoffsyndrome
  - Good sources include: yeast, pork, cereal grains, sunflower seeds, brown rice, whole grain rye, asparagus, kale, cauliflower, potatoes, oranges, liver, and eggs.
• Vitamin B₂
  - Chemical name (vita miner) - riboflavin
  - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause ariboflavinosis
  - Good sources include: asparagus, bananas, persimmons, okra, chard, cottage cheese, milk, yogurt, meat, eggs, fish, and green beans.
• Vitamin B₃
  - Chemical names (vita miner) - niacin, niacinamide - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause pellagra
  - Good sources include: liver, heart, kidney, chicken, beef, fish (tuna, salmon), milk, eggs, avocados, dates, tomatoes, leafy vegetables, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, asparagus, nuts, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, and brewer's yeast.
• Vitamin B₅
  - Chemical name (vita miner) - pantothenic acid
  - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause paresthesia
  - Good sources include: meats, whole grains (milling may remove it), broccoli, avocados, royal jelly, fish ovaries.
• Vitamin B₆
  - Chemical names (vita miner) - pyridoxine, pyridoxamine, pyridoxal
  - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause anemia, peripheral neuropathy
  - Good sources include: meats, bananas, whole grains, vegetables, and nuts. When milk is dried it loses about half of its B₆. Freezing and canning can also reduce content.
• Vitamin B₇
  - Chemical name (vita miner) - biotin
  - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause dermatitis, enteritis
  - Good sources include: egg yolk, liver, some vegetables.
• Vitamin B₉
  - Chemical names (vita miner) - folic acid, folinic acid
  - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause pregnancy deficiency linked to birth defects
  - Good sources include: leafy vegetables, legumes, liver, baker's yeast, some fortified grain products, sunflower seeds. Several fruits have moderate amounts, as does beer.
• Vitamin B₁₂
  - Chemical names (vita miner) - cyanocobalamin, hydroxycobalamin, methylcobalamin
  - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause megaloblastic anemia
  - Good sources include: fish, shellfish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and dairy products. Some fortified cereals and soy products, as well as fortified nutritional yeast.
  Vegans are advised to take B₁₂ supplements.⁴
• Vitamin C
  - Chemical names (vita miner) - ascorbic acid
  - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause megaloblastic anemia
  - Good sources include: fruit and vegetables. The Kakadu plum and the camu camu fruit have the highest vitamin C contents of all foods. Liver also has vitamin C.
• Vitamin D
  - Chemical names (vita miner) - ergocalciferol, cholecalciferol
  - Fat soluble
  - Deficiency may cause rickets, osteomalacia
  - Good sources: produced in the skin after exposure to ultraviolet B light from the sun or artificial sources. Also found in fatty fish, eggs, beef liver, and mushrooms.
• Vitamin E
  - Chemical names (vita miner) - tocopherols, tocotrienols
  - Fat soluble
  - Deficiency is uncommon. May cause mild hemolytic anemia in newborns
  - Good sources include: kiwi fruit, almonds, avocado, eggs, milk, nuts, leafy green vegetables, unheated vegetable oils, wheat germ, and wholegrains.
• Vitamin K
  - Chemical names (vita miner) - phylloquinone, menaquinones
  - Fat soluble
  - Deficiency may cause bleeding diathesis
  - Good sources include: leafy green vegetables, avocado, kiwi fruit. Parsley contain a lot of vitamin K.

  Posted By:- thecarehealth.blogspot.com

CEREBRAL PALSY

It is a non progressive neuromuscular disorder causing mild to severe disabilities throughout life.This condition is manifested as a group of persisting qualitative motor disorders which appear in young children due to damage to the brain during delivery or due to some pathological conditions in the intrauterine life.The neuroligical problems are multiple but non progressive in nature.Approximately 2 per 100 live birth is having this problem.This disease is having no hereditary tendency.

Causes of cerebral palsy:

1) Injury to the brain during delivery.

2) As a complication of forceps delivery.

3) Lack of oxygen supply to the baby during delivery.

4) Infections during delivery.

Signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy:--

The signs and symptoms may not be similar in all babies affected.Depending upon the damage to the brain there may be mild to severe lesions.

Mild cases:- 20% children will have mild disability.

Moderate cases:-50% cases are having moderate disability.The affected children require self help for assisting their impaired ambulation capacity.

Severe cases:-About 30% of the affected children are totally incapacited and bedridden and they allways need care from others.

Abnormal findings in cerebral palsy:-

1,Abnormal neonatal reflexes.

2,Stiffness of all muscles with awkward motion.
3,Extention of extremities on vertical suspension of the infant.

4,Scissoring of the lower limbs due to spasm of the adductor muscles of the thigh.

5,In severe cases the back bend backwards like and arch.

6,May have total or partial paralysis.

7,Arrest of neurological and behavioral developement.

8,Swallowing may be difficult in some cases.

9,Drooling of saliva.

10,Mild to severe mental retardations.

11,Abnormal movements are seen in some cases.

12,Tremors with typical movements.

13,If cerebellum is affected there will be loss of muscle tone with difficulty in walking.

14,Complete or partial loss of hearing.

15,Speech may be affected.

16,Squint and other visual problems may be associated.

17,Convulsions may be seen in some children.

Cerebral palsy is diagnosed by detailed clinical examination and by eliminating other similar diseases like brain tumour, progressive atrophy ect.All investigations like CT scan,MRI and routine investigations are needed to ruleout other diseases.

Management of carebral palsy:--

General management:

This includes proper nutrition and personal care.  Symptomatic medicines are needed to reduce convulsions and muscle stiffness.  Diazepam can reduce spasticity and athetosis.
Dantrolene sodium helps to relax skeletal muscles.Physiotherapy:

Here massage,exercise, hydrotherapy and ect are needed.Special training is given to train walking,swallowing and talking.The affected children are also trained to hold articles for routine activities.

Rehabilitation:

Moral and social support should be given to these children.They should be send to special schools where special training can be given by trained staff.Mentally retarded children need special training.Depending up on the disabitity special instruments and machines are given for locomotion and to assist their daytoday activities.

Occupational therapy:

This is given by occupational therapists.They train the disabled people to do some suitable works so that these people can have their own income.

Posted By:- thecarehealth.blogspot.com

CAUSES OF LOW BACK PAIN

Low back pain is a usual symptom amoung the modern civilised people.It affects mainly the middle aged and young adults of both sexes.People who work on the chair with out exercise and those who carry heavy loads regularly are prone to get this complaint.We can hardly find a person who has not suffered from back pain atleast once in life.The causes of  low backpain ranges from simple reasons like muscular strain to cancer of spine and hence backache should not be ignored.The pain is felt in lumbar and sacral region and may radiate to nearby sites.

The following are some causes for backache.

1) Backache due to diseases in the back.

2) Backache due to gynaecological problems.

3) Backache due to problems in other parts of the body.

1) Backache due to diseases in the back:--

                            

a) Injuries :-

     1) Compression fracture of the vertebral column.

     2) Rupture of intervertebral discs.

     3) Injuries to ligaments and muscles of back.

     4) Lumbosacral strain.

     5) Intervertebral joint injuries. 

     6) Fracture of processes of vertebra.

b) Functional backache due to imbalance:-

     1) During pregnancy.

     2) Pot belly.

     3) Diseases of the hip joint.

     4) Curvature in the spine due to congenital defect.

     5) Short leg in one side.

 

c) Backache due to inflammatory conditions:-

     1) Infection of the bone due to bacteria.

     2) Tuberculosis of the spine.

     3) Arthritis.

     4) Brucellosis.

     5) Lumbago or fibrositis.

     6) Inflamation of the muscles.

     7) Anchylosing spondylitis.

d) Backache due to degenerative diseases in the back.

     1) Osteoarthritis.

     2) Osteoporosis in old people.

     3) Degenaration of the intervertebral disc.

e) Tumour in the spine:--

     1) Primory tumour of the bones in the spine.

     2) Metastatic tumours from other sites like prostate,lungs,kidneys,intestine ect.

2) Backache due to gynaecological problems:-

     a) After childbirth.

     b) After gynaecological operations.

     c) Prolapse of the uterus.

     d) Pelvic inflammatory diseases.

     e) Cancerous lesions of the pelvic organs.

     f) Endometriosis.

3) Backache due to problems in other parts of the body.

     a) Renal stones.

     b) Ureteric stone.

     c) Cancer of prostate.

     d) Pancreatitis.

     e) Biliary stones.

     f) Peptic ulcer.

     g) Inflammations of pelvic organs.

     h) Occlusion of aorta and illiac arteries.

Investigation of a case of backache:-

1) Complete blood count.

2) Routine urine examination.

3) Ultrasonography of the abdomen and pelvis.

4) X-ray of the lumbar and sacral region.

5) MRI of the spine.

5) CT scan of abdomen and pelvic region.

6) Examination of rectum,prostate,genito urinary organs.

Treatment of back ache:-

1) Removing the cause for backache.

2) Symptomatic treatement.

2) Back exercises.

3) Traction.

3) Yoga.

5) Surgery.

7) Homoeopathy.

Posted By:- thecarehealth.blogspot.com

Smoking is Injuries to Health

• Why Is Smoking Bad For You?

   Smoking is responsible for several diseases, such as cancer, long-term (chronic) respiratory diseases, and heart disease, as well as premature death. Over 440,000 people in the USA and 100,000 in the UK die because of smoking each year. According the US CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), $92 billion are lost each year from lost productivity resulting from smoking-related deaths.

  Of the more than 2.4 million deaths in the USA annually, over 440,000 are caused by smoking.
  
  Smoking is the largest cause of preventable death in the world. Recent studies have found that smokers can undermine the health of non-smokers in some environments.
  
  In an article published online in Medical News Today on 30 May 2013, we presented data demonstrating that, on average, smokers die ten years sooner than non-smokers. 

  • Smoking causes cancer

    
    
    

    90% of lung cancer patients developed their disease because of smoking. Lung cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer deaths in the world. Smokers also have a significantly higher risk of developing: 

     

                                                                

    • Bladder cancer
    • Kidney cancer
    • Cancers of the pharynx and larynx (throat cancer)
    • Mouth cancer
    • Esophagus cancer
    • Cancer of the pancreas
    • Stomach cancer
    • Some types of leukemia
    • Cancer of the nose and sinuses
    • Cervical cancer
    • Bowel cancer
    • Ovarian cancer
    • In some cases, also breast cancer

   According to Cancer Research UK, one person dies every 15 minutes in Great Britain from lung cancer.
  
  Smoking also raises the risk of cancer recurrences (the cancer coming back).

  •  Why does smoking raise cancer risk?

    

     Scientists say there are over 4,000 compounds in cigarette smoke. A sizable number of them are toxic - they are bad for us and damage our cells. Some of them cause cancer - they are carcinogenic.

    Tobacco smoke consists mainly of:

    • Nicotine - this is not carcinogenic. However, it is highly addictive. Smokers find it very hard to quit because they are hooked on the nicotine. Nicotine is an extremely fast-acting drug. It reaches the brain within 15 seconds of being inhaled. If cigarettes and other tobacco products had no nicotine, the number of people who smoke every day would drop drastically. Without nicotine, the tobacco industry would collapse.
      
      Nicotine is used as a highly controlled insecticide. Exposure to sufficient amounts can lead to vomiting, seizures, depression of the CNS (central nervous system), and growth retardation. It can also undermine a fetus' proper development.
    • Carbon Monoxide - this is a poisonous gas. It has no smell or taste. The body finds it hard to differentiate carbon monoxide from oxygen and absorbs it into the bloodstream. Faulty boilers emit dangerous carbon monoxide, as do car exhausts.
      
      If there is enough carbon monoxide around you and you inhale it, you can go into a coma and die. Carbon monoxide decreases muscle and heart function, it causes fatigue, weakness, and dizziness. It is especially toxic for babies still in the womb, infants and indifividuals with heart or lung disease.
    • Tar - consists of several cancer-causing chemicals. When a smoker inhales cigarette smoke, 70% of the tar remains in the lungs. Try the handkerchief test. Fill the mouth with smoke, don't inhale, and blow the smoke through the handkerchief. There will be a sticky, brown stain on the cloth. Do this again, but this time inhale and the blow the smoke through the cloth, there will only be a very faint light brown stain.
    •  A longer list of harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke and how they can harm you. 

                             

• Smoking and heart/cardiovascular disease

  

  Smoking causes an accumulation of fatty substances in the arteries, known as atherosclerosis, the main contributor to smoking-related deaths. Smoking is also a significant contributory factor in coronary heart disease risk. People with coronary heart disease are much more likely to have a heart attack.
  
  Tobacco smoke raises the risk of coronary heart disease by itself. When combined with other risk factors, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity, physical inactivity, or diabetes, the risk of serious, chronic illness and death is huge.
  
  Smoking also worsens heart disease risk factors. It raises blood pressure, makes it harder to do exercise, makes the blood clot more easily than it should. People who have undergone bypass surgery and smoke have a higher risk of recurrent coronary heart disease.

   According to the American Heart Association:

  "Cigarette smoking is the most important risk factor for young men and women. It produces a greater relative risk in persons under age 50 than in those over 50."

  
  A female smoker who is also on the contraceptive pill has a considerably higher risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke compared to women using oral contraceptives who don't smoke.
  
  If you smoke your levels of HDL, also known as good cholesterol will drop.
  
  If you have a history of heart disease and smoke, your risk of having such a disease yourself is extremely high.
  
  A much higher percentage of regular smokers have strokes compared to other non-smokers of the same age. The cardiovascular system is damaged when we inhale smoke regularly.
  
  Those who smoke run a higher risk of developing aortic aneurysm and arterial disease.

Written By:-Syed Aakhter Hashmi .

EFFECT OF ALCOHOL ON THE BLOOD. 

Dr. Richardson, in his lectures on alcohol, given both in England and America, speaking of the action of this substance on the blood after passing from the stomach, says:

"Suppose, then, a certain measure of alcohol be taken into the stomach, it will be absorbed there, but, previous to absorption, it will have to undergo a proper degree of dilution with water, for there is this peculiarity respecting alcohol when it is separated by an animal membrane from a watery fluid like the blood, that it will not pass through the membrane until it has become charged, to a given point of dilution, with water. It is itself, in fact,  so greedy for water, it will pick it up from watery textures, and deprive them of it until, by its saturation, its power of reception is exhausted , after which it will diffuse into the current of circulating fluid."

It is this power of absorbing water from every texture with which alcoholic spirits comes in contact, that creates the burning thirst of those who freely indulge in its use. Its effect, when it reaches the circulation, is thus described by Dr. Richardson:

"As it passes through the circulation of the lungs it is exposed to the air, and some little of it, raised into vapor by the natural heat, is thrown off in expiration. If the quantity of it be large, this loss may be considerable, and the odor of the spirit may be detected in the expired breath. If the quantity be small, the loss will be comparatively little, as the spirit will be held in solution by the water in the blood. After it has passed through the lungs, and has been driven by the left heart over the arterial circuit, it passes into what is called the minute circulation, or the structural circulation of the organism. The arteries here extend into very small vessels, which are called arterioles, and from these infinitely small vessels spring the equally minute radicals or roots of the veins, which are ultimately to become the great rivers bearing the blood back to the heart. In its passage through this minute circulation the alcohol finds its way to every organ. To this brain, to these muscles, to these secreting or excreting organs, nay, even into this bony structure itself, it moves with the blood. In some of these parts which are not excreting, it remains for a time diffused, and in those parts where there is a large percentage of water, it remains longer than in other parts. From some organs which have an open tube for conveying fluids away, as the liver and kidneys, it is thrown out or eliminated, and in this way a portion of it is ultimately removed from the body. The rest passing round and round with the circulation, is probably decomposed and carried off in new forms of matter.

"When we know the course which the alcohol takes in its passage through the body, from the period of its absorption to that of its elimination, we are the better able to judge what physical changes it induces in the different organs and structures with which it comes in contact. It first reaches the blood; but, as a rule, the quantity of it that enters is insufficient to produce any material effect on that fluid. If, however, the dose taken be poisonous or semi-poisonous, then even the blood, rich as it is in water and it contains seven hundred and ninety parts in a thousand is affected. The alcohol is diffused through this water, and there it comes in contact with the other constituent parts, with the fibrine, that plastic substance which, when blood is drawn, clots and coagulates, and which is present in the proportion of from two to three parts in a thousand; with the albumen which exists in the proportion of seventy parts; with the salts which yield about ten parts; with the fatty matters; and lastly, with those minute, round bodies which float in myriads in the blood (which were discovered by the Dutch philosopher, Leuwenhock, as one of the first results of microscopical observation, about the middle of the seventeenth century), and which are called the blood globules or corpuscles. These last-named bodies are, in fact, cells; their discs, when natural, have a smooth outline, they are depressed in the centre, and they are red in color; the color of the blood being derived from them. We have discovered that there exist other corpuscles or cells in the blood in much smaller quantity, which are called white cells, and these different cells float in the blood-stream within the vessels. The red take the centre of the stream; the white lie externally near the sides of the vessels, moving less quickly. Our business is mainly with the red corpuscles. They perform the most important functions in the economy; they absorb, in great part, the oxygen which we inhale in breathing, and carry it to the extreme tissues of the body; they absorb, in great part, the carbonic acid gas which is produced in the combustion of the body in the extreme tissues, and bring that gas back to the lungs to be exchanged for oxygen there; in short, they are the vital instruments of the circulation.

"With all these parts of the blood, with the water, fibrine, albumen, salts, fatty matter and corpuscles, the alcohol comes in contact when it enters the blood, and, if it be in sufficient quantity, it produces disturbing action. I have watched this disturbance very carefully on the blood corpuscles; for, in some animals we can see these floating along during life, and we can also observe them from men who are under the effects of alcohol, by removing a speck of blood, and examining it with the microscope. The action of the alcohol, when it is observable, is varied. It may cause the corpuscles to run too closely together, and to adhere in rolls; it may modify their outline, making the clear-defined, smooth, outer edge irregular or crenate, or even starlike; it may change the round corpuscle into the oval form, or, in very extreme cases, it may produce what I may call a truncated form of corpuscles, in which the change is so great that if we did not trace it through all its stages, we should be puzzled to know whether the object looked at were indeed a blood-cell. All these changes are due to the action of the spirit upon the water contained in the corpuscles; upon the capacity of the spirit to extract water from them. During every stage of modification of corpuscles thus described, their function to absorb and fix gases is impaired, and when the aggregation of the cells, in masses, is great, other difficulties arise, for the cells, united together, pass less easily than they should through the minute vessels of the lungs and of the general circulation, and impede the current, by which local injury is produced.

"A further action upon the blood, instituted by alcohol in excess, is upon the fibrine or the plastic colloidal matter. On this the spirit may act in two different ways, according to the degree in which it affects the water that holds the fibrine in solution. It may fix the water with the fibrine, and thus destroy the power of coagulation; or it may extract the water so determinately as to produce coagulation.