Archive for October, 2008

You could be walking around with gall stones at this very moment without even realizing it. That’s because in many cases these deposits which form in your gallbladder do not cause any symptoms at all. In other cases, however, the patient is not so lucky.

What are Gall Stones?

A gall stone is a deposit, usually made from calcium salts or cholesterol that forms a solid substance in your gallbladder or around the bile ducts. These stones are sometimes very tiny (like a grain of sand) or can be as large as golf balls.

When those stones cause you physical pain and other symptoms, this is called a gallbladder attack and requires treatment. Otherwise, you can become seriously ill and can even die.

What are the Symptoms of a Gallbladder Attack?

While you may not always have symptoms associated with the presence of gall stones, if you have an attack you will probably not be able to ignore the problem. You will suffer from several symptoms. One is pain in the upper abdomen. It comes on sudden and is intense.

You may begin experiencing the pain a couple of hours after eating. Although the pain usually only lasts a couple of hours at most, you could feel sore for days afterward.

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Tinea versicolor is not a severe illness. Caused by a fungal infection, Tinea versicolor can cause changes in the coloration of parts of your skin.

Besides being visually disturbing, there are no other serious complications you need to worry about. However, understanding the nature of the infection and appropriate treatment methods can ease your concern if you suspect you may have this problem.

What is Tinea Versicolor?

Sometimes also known as pityriasis versicolor, Tinea versicolor is a fairly common infection caused by a fungus on the skin. Basically, the fungus affects the skin’s natural pigmentation and, as a result, causes patches of the skin to be discolored.

Most of these patches are fairly small. Even with treatment, the discoloration may remain for weeks and may come back in certain environmental conditions.

What Causes Tinea Versicolor?

The fungus responsible for Tinea versicolor grows in the hair follicles of everyone’s skin, even healthy skin. However, the problems with pigmentation occur when that fungus starts growing rapidly.

This overgrowth can be caused by a number of factors, such as hot and humid weather, sweating a great deal, or having excessively oily skin.

We rely on our feet more than most of us imagine. However, a painful foot-related problem such as bunions can serve to remind us of the importance of good foot health.

Although bunions are not a serious or permanent condition, they can cause quite a bit of discomfort. Here is more information about the cases and treatments for this painful problem.

What are Bunions?

Bunions are bony bumps which develop near the place where your big toe and foot connect. Because of the formation, your big toe actually swells up and presses against the rest of your toes which puts pressure on the joint of that toe, changes your foot’s profile and causes significant pain.

Bunions can also become a problem on the little toe as well. In either case, treatment is normally required or the pain will continue indefinitely.

What Causes Bunions?

When you walk, the forces on the joints of your feet are normally kept in balance. In some cases, however, the balance is disrupted. When that continues for years, bunions are going to develop.

In some cases, bunions can be caused by congenital birth deformities or by neuromuscular disorders, such as cerebral palsy. Most cases of bunions are the result of other causes.

A few years ago, Richard Preston’s best-selling book The Hot Zone had everyone talking about the Ebola virus and its deadly effects.

Today, the disease has again become a hot topic thanks to concerns about bioterrorism and other threats. Knowing the facts about ebola can help you better understand the risks.

What is Ebola?

Ebola, and the related Marburg virus, are very serious and frequently fatal diseases. Typically, they do occur as outbreaks with the virus spreading quickly from one host to another.

Both viruses started in primate populations in African tropical forests. However, they have spread into the human population with devastating results.

Currently, the average person has very little risk of being infected by Ebola or Marburg, especially since most outbreaks have been confided to specific parts of Africa.

What Causes Ebola?

Ebola is caused by a virus that is spread through body fluids, including blood. Once a person has been infected by Ebola, he or she may begin to experience hemorrhagic fevers. These can lead to extensive bleeding throughout the body.

Because the blood can come from anywhere in the body, organ failure and shock are the most common causes of death.

If you have ever considered skipping that Tetanus shot, re-consider your decision.

That shot is your best defense against a life-threatening disease that is hard to prevent and treat.

Even if treatment is successful, the disease itself can be extremely painful and may cause serious damage to your body.

Keep the following information in mind next time when it’s time for your Tetanus shot.

What is Tetanus?

Tetanus is a disease caused by a bacterium known as Clostridium tetani. This bacterium is normally found in soil and animal feces but is also present in other places as well. Normally, you wouldn’t have to worry about the bacterium.

However, if its spores make their way into a wound in your body, they will begin production of a toxin substance known as tetanospasmin that will cause problems in your nerves that are able to control the muscles of your body.

What are the Symptoms of Tetanus?

You may begin to see signs of an infection in a few days or you may have to wait for a couple of weeks.

If your child suffers from seizures or vision problems, you should investigate the possibilities of Batten disease.

A rare inherited disorder of the nervous system which usually manifests in childhood, early signs usually appear between 5 to 10 years of age.

In some cases, early signs are very subtle and take the form of personality and behavior changes, slow learning and also ineptness in kids.

Over time, affected children may suffer with mental impairment, progressive loss of sight and motor skills, worsening seizures. Gradually they can become completely disabled and eventually die.

However, it is very rare and it is estimated that almost 4 of every 100,000 births are diagnosed with this form of genetic disorder. It is neither contagious nor preventable.

Is there any way to save child from Batten disease?

So far, no specific treatment that can stop or reverse the symptoms of Batten disease has been identified. However, seizures can be reduced and they can be controlled with anticonvulsant drugs. Physical and occupational therapy can help your kid to maintain function as long as possible.

Do you have Scleroderma? It is an auto-immune disorder that causes fibrosis.

When you suffer from this particular auto-immune disorder, you can experience several associated symptoms and conditions, which are collectively known as CREST syndrome.

CREST syndrome, commonly know as limited Scleroderma, mainly affects the connective tissue of your body, which in turn causes various other health disorders.

It affects any tissue along the digestive tract and also causes serious lung and heart disorders. It is a major contributor of blood vessel and skin damage.

If you want to know how it will affect your entire body, here are a few serious complications associated with CREST syndrome. As there is no perfect cure to treat CREST syndrome, it would be better for you to be aware of its harmful effects and take necessary measures to avoid them.

Be aware of serious health disorders

Most visible signs of CREST syndrome like tight, thick skin on your fingers and face can change the appearance of your skin. It can even make your everyday tasks such as shaving or opening a jar difficult.

While these problems are manageable, the most serious complications associated with CREST syndrome are beneath your skin. Some of those serious health problems include:

While itchy skin is common during pregnancy and usually causes no harm to you or your unborn baby, it doesn’t mean that you should ignore it.

Itchy skin is also a common symptom of a liver condition, known as Obstetric Cholestasis. It usually takes place during the second or third trimester of your pregnancy and leads to stillbirth.

However, Obstetric Cholestasis is not a common complication of pregnancy [pregnancy complications] and usually affects only 1 in 100 pregnancies. Even though it is rare, it is important for you to have a nagging itch checked out immediately.

Obstetric Cholestasis (OC) causes a build-up of bile acids in the bloodstream and increases the complications of your pregnancy. The symptoms associated with Obstetric Cholestasis gradually disappear when you have a baby.

Role of hormones and genes

The exact cause of Obstetric Cholestasis is unclear, but it is believed that hormones and inherited genes are responsible for the abnormal build-up of bile acids in the bloodstream.

Normally, pregnancy causes an increase in the levels of estrogen and progesterone in your body. This increased level of female hormones slows down the rate of bile passing out along the tiny bile ducts. When you become more sensitive to the effects of these hormones, you’ll probably experience more itching.

When the motion of the tendon that opens and closes the finger is limited and locks the movement of your finger, it usually results in trigger finger.

A common problem, it causes pain and snapping of tendons.

Tendons are rope-like structures that are attached to the ends of fingers. When you contract your forearm muscles, the tendons help to clench the fingers into a fist.

When this movement is not smooth, you will feel the pain and snapping of the tendons.

Is there any specific cause?

No-one knows the exact cause of trigger finger, but it can occur in one or more fingers of your hand. Trigger finger results from the discrepancy between the size of the tendon and the entrance to the tendon sheath. The reason for the discrepancy can be any localized inflammation or nodular swelling on the tendon itself.

So, when this difference in the size of tendon and the tendon sheath reaches critical point, the tendon will experience resistance from the tendon sheath. Initially, you can feel this discomfort in the tendon as a snapping of the trigger finger when relaxing the fist.

Blood vessels in our body are generally referred to as the vascular system and any inflammation in this system is called vasculitis.

Vasculitis changes the walls of blood vessels and interrupts the exchange of blood between heart and body tissues.

Any change to the walls of blood vessels including weakening, thickening, scarring and narrowing is generally due to inflammation of blood vessels.

The signs and symptoms of vasculitis vary according to which organs of the body are affected.  However, a few common symptoms you may experience with any inflammation of blood vessels include weight loss, fatigue, loss of appetite, nerve problems, fever as well as muscle and joint pains.

Is vasculitis a serious health condition?

Vasculitis can be very serious and in an extreme situation, if a segment of your blood vessel becomes weak, it may stretch and bulge. This condition is known as aneurysm. The wall of the blood vessel becomes so weak that at some point it ruptures and bleeds, and occasionally results in death.

If the condition is severe, the tissues and organs which receive blood from the affected blood vessels don’t get enough blood. If alternate blood vessels fail to supply blood to those specific organs, organ and tissue damage can cause serious complications, and in rare instances, to death.