Health Wikipedia

The novel H1N1 influenza A virus spreads four times faster than other viruses and creates much panic all over the world. The rising number of cases every day and increase in death rate in some countries made it a serious concern. But experts in influenza and infectious disease are still saying the exact level of danger from the virus is still far from certain.

In most cases, the disease manifestation is just regular influenza. It is something that happens every year. It is self limiting and most people recover soon without any medication. H1N1 is a major concern for people with chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer and also for children and extreme aged.

The scientists who study outbreaks say that A(H1N1) is not the deadliest strain out there. The case-fatality (the percentage of people who got the disease and did not survive) is still very low. While case fatality for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) reached more than 15 percent, bird flu reached higher to 60 percent, but it is only about 1 percent worldwide with a maximum fatality in Mexico is about 10 percent.

Moreover, we have drugs (Oseltamivir and Zanamivir) in our hand now to fight in the initial phase that we did not have in the previous large flu outbreaks.

Although there are positive reasons not to panic, we should be concern deeply with the risk and potential danger of H1N1 that may occur in near future. If we track back to Spanish influenza, we see that it began as a mild strain, and then turned horrifically virulent, killing 20 million to 100 million people in 1918-19.

The risk could be reduced or eliminated by exercising personal control like hygiene practice. It is worth remembering that worry itself is a risk, a stress that can undermine health and happiness. We need not to be panicked but always have to take these things seriously.

In order to protect the crops from the insects, pests etc, chemical pesticide are used. But many producers as well as consumers are not fully aware of the ill effects of the pesticides.

Pesticide has the ability to kill living cell. As it kills the pest, it can kill the human cells as well. Many germs have developed defense or resistance against the pesticides. Some new types of disease have emerged those are very difficult to treat. Peoples are facing uncommon physical disorders as well as mental problems.

Vegetables and fruits sold in the market seems to be very attractive and fresh. People often become biased to purchase theses so called disease free foods. But they do not know that behind the freshness there are potential health consequences.

Due to the consumption of this sorts of food, the chance of developing several disease like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hair fall, skin disease etc. increased. Some pesticide has a long residual effect. In many places in Bangladesh, farmers use pesticide indiscriminately during growing stage of crops. This cause much harm in the long run.

We are very much concerned about our health but we are not properly aware of what are eating and feeding. So we have to have alert about our food and create awareness among the people. We observe that some law enforcers have become active to ensure formalin free fish, stop adulteration of restaurants food, melamine free powder milk etc. But pesticide used during growing vegetables and others agricultural products are under focused.

Instead of chemical pesticide, farmers can grow crops with the help of other methods like pheromone trap, light trap, manually control of pest etc. Government should take initiative to implement other methods to produce pesticides free agricultural commodities that are not harmful to human health.

A huge number of people develop foot pain in their 60s. Usually they think that foot pain is a part of the aging process and accept it walking with pain. But it can start as early as the 20s and 30s as well. With simple measures like proper footwear and regular exercise can play an important role in preventing foot problems.

On an average, healthy people walk the equivalent of three times around the Earth in their lifetime. That is a matter of enormous wear and tear on the 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 tendons, ligaments and muscles that make up the foot.

Excessive weight, diabetes and circulation problems can contribute to foot pain. The most common foot conditions that occur with age are arthritic joints, thinning of the fat pads cushioning the soles, plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the fibrous tissue along the sole), bunions (enlargement of the joint at the base of the big toe), poor circulation and fungal nails. The following questions will help you assess whether you should take more preventive action as you age.

Are you overweight? The force on your feet is about 120 percent of your weight. It can lead to plantar fasciitis and heel pain and can worsen hammertoes and bunions. It is also a risk factor for diabetes, leading to the next question.

Are you diabetic? Being farthest from the heart, the feet can be the first part of the body to manifest complications like poor circulation and loss of feeling, both of which can lead to poor wound healing and amputation. Diabetics should have their feet examined annually by a doctor and avoid shoes that cause abrasions and pressure.

Do you have poor circulation? If you suffer from peripheral artery disease — a narrowing of veins in the legs — your feet are more susceptible to problems. Smoking also contributes to poor circulation.

Do your parents complain about their feet? Family history is probably your biggest clue to potential problems.

Do your shoes fit? Feet flatten and lengthen with age, so if you are clinging to the shoe size you wore at age 21, get your feet measured (especially mothers — pregnancy expands feet).

Do your feet ever see the light of day? Fungus thrives in a warm, moist environment. Choose moisture-wicking socks (not cotton), use antifungal powders and air out your toes at home.

Do you walk? Putting more mileage on your feet is the best way to exercise the muscles and keep them healthy.

– Dr Md Rajib Hossain –

Knowing the symptoms of a heart attack can save your life, the life of a loved one, or even the life of a complete stranger. When it comes to a heart attack, time is everything. The sooner you get medical treatment, the better your chances of surviving a heart attack.

According to the American Heart Association, the classic warning signs are:

* An uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, then disappears and returns.

* Pain that radiates to the shoulders, stomach, back, arms, neck, or jaw.

* Chest discomfort with dizziness, fainting, nausea, sweating, fluttering heartbeat, or shortness of breath

Women may also have these warning signs, which are less common:

* Unusual chest pain, stomach, or abdominal pain, which may feel like indigestion or the need to belch.

* Difficulty breathing and shortness of breath.

* Unexplained weakness, fatigue, or anxiety.

* Palpitations (an irregular heart beat), rapid heart beat, paleness, or breaking into a cold sweat.

* Pain in the jaw or back.

If you or anyone you know is having these symptoms, get to a hospital immediately. Not all the symptoms show up in every attack. Do not wait, because the heart muscle starts to die during an attack and every minute counts. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Childlessness may be a tragedy for the married couple and a of marital upset, personal unhappiness and ill health. Infertility often plays a major role in breaking the marital bridge and important cause of separation between partners.

According to the experts, infertility is considered when a couple is unable to achieve conception after one year of unprotected coitus. If you have been trying to conceive for more than a year, there is a chance that something may be interfering with your efforts to have a child.

Infertility may be due to a single cause in either you or your partner or a combination of factors that may prevent a pregnancy from occurring or continuing.

In any series of infertile marriage, the main etiological factor is found in the female in about 40 percent of cases; about 35 percent of the husbands concerned have some degree of infertility. In 10-20 per cent of cases a combination of factors operates and rest has unexplained infertility.

In majority of cases female infertility is due to the obstruction in fallopian tube, loss of motility of tube, polycystic ovarian syndrome diabetes, thyroid disorder etc. Whereas in case of male, factor implies a lack of sufficient numbers of competent sperm, resulting in failure to fertilise the normal ovum. Other important causes are varicocele, genetic predisposition, occupational and environmental factor.

Sexual inadequacy is one of the important factors contributing to infertility. It is important to realise that the age of a woman is a factor to be considered and there should not be any delay in offering suitable treatment for the couple.

Over the past decades, there has been much improvement in the treatment of both infertile female as well as the male. Assisted conception is one of them. It is the facilitation of natural conception by some form of scientific interventions.

In Bangladesh assisted reproduction technology has become a promising one. Technologies available in the country include IUI (Intrauterine Insemination), IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) and ICSI (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection).

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is the most effective ART technique. IVF involves retrieving mature eggs from a woman, fertilising them with a man’s sperm in a dish in a laboratory and implanting the embryos in the uterus three to five days after fertilisation. IVF often is recommended when both fallopian tubes are blocked. It is also widely used for a number of other conditions, such as endometriosis, unexplained infertility, cervical factor infertility, male factor infertility and ovulation disorders.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) technique consists of a microscopic technique (micro-manipulation) in which a single sperm is injected directly into an egg to achieve fertilisation in conjunction with the standard IVF procedure. ICSI has been especially helpful in couples who have previously failed to achieve conception with standard techniques. For men with low sperm concentrations, ICSI dramatically improves the likelihood of fertilisation.

IUI technique attempts to assist the implantation of the embryo into the lining of the uterus. With this advancement it is possible to treat the vast majority of subfertile couple successfully and give them the child they so desire.

Kidney stone is one of the most painful disorders that lead a person to expensive and unpleasant emergency visits, hospitalisations and undergo surgical procedures.

Half of all untreated people will form additional stones and some will form stones chronically. Preventing kidney stones is the primary goal and we have peer-reviewed clinical data for last 20 years proving that the treatment guideline can help reducing kidney stone formation rates up to 80 percent.

Kidney stones form when urine has too many crystal-forming chemicals and/or not enough substances that protect against crystal formation. If the crystals do not rapidly pass through the urinary tract, they can accumulate and form stones. When the volume of urine is too low, stone-forming materials become concentrated helping to promote stones.

Kidney stones can be prevented if measures taken properly. During the last 30 years, treatment plans incorporating diet, fluids and medications have been developed to prevent or stall the formation of new stones.

The primary treatment have been proven in controlled clinical trials. Your preventive treatment may consist of fluid, diet, and/or medications. Diet changes are just as essential as any medications your urologist may prescribe.

General kidney stone prevention guidelines
Increase fluid intake: A very common question is how much water should I drink each day? You should be producing at least 2.5 liters of urine a day. How much you need to produce that much urine will vary depending on many things.

1. Activity level (The more active you are the more you perspire and need to replenish your body with fluids)

2. Living/working in a hot/dry environment

3. Frequent flying (Pilots, flight attendants, business travelers etc.) and flying all day can cause dehydration

4. Salt intake (High salt intakes increases water retention)

Increasing your fluid intake keeps urine diluted and helps keep crystals from forming.

Low oxalate diet: Unfortunately, oxalate is found in healthy plant foods. High oxalate containing foods are tea, beans, nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, soybean curd (tofu), sunflower seeds, chocolate milk, pepper, ginger, soy sauce, blackberries, grapes, lemon peel, bread, whole wheat etc.

If you have other medical conditions like heart related problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. you may have been advised by another physician to eat a diet low in fat and sugar but rich in vegetables that may contain high oxalate.

Then your key to diet should be everything in moderation. Cut on the portion size of the high oxalate containing foods and the number of times a day or week you are eating these foods.

Here and there you will indulge and when you do, make sure you flush out the extra oxalate with an added 8 ounce glass of water – before and after your treat.

Low salt diet: Your sodium intake should be between 2300-3300 mg per day.

Sodium is added to many of our foods that we buy in restaurants or at the store. A single restaurant meal can contain anywhere from 1000 to 4000 milligrams of sodium! It is important to read the nutrition labels on all packaged foods and to look at the ingredients listed. As a rule, if salt and several sodium compounds are listed as ingredients, the product contains more salt than is advisable on a low-sodium diet.

Low purine diet: Purine is a compound that is mainly found in animal protein and when metabolised, breaks down into uric acid. When you eat a diet that is high in protein (beef, poultry, pork and chicken), you have higher uric acid levels.

The normal diet contains from 600 to 1000 milligrams of purines daily. A low-purine diet is restricted to approximately 100 to 150 milligrams daily.

Current treatments
The current treatments available for kidney and ureteric stones include conservative management (waiting for spontaneous passage), extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL), endoscopic techniques (rigid and flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy), and percutaneous treatments.

The American Urologic Association Stone Guidelines Panel has identified ESWL as a potential first-line treatment for both proximal and distal ureteric stones and for Kidney stones smaller than 2 cm.

ESWL is a noninvasive procedure that uses shock waves to break up the kidney stone into small pieces that can more easily travel through the urinary tract and excreted from body. However, complex presentations frequently are treated best endoscopically.

Following its introduction in 1980, ESWL dramatically changed the management of Kidney stone disease. ESWL is a procedure in which kidney and ureteric stones are pulverised into smaller fragments by shock waves. These small fragments then can pass spontaneously in urine.

ESWL can not be performed in patients with acute urinary tract infection, uncorrected bleeding disorders, pregnancy, sepsis, and uncorrected obstruction distal to the stone. Otherwise, this noninvasive approach allows patients to be rendered stone-free without surgical intervention or endoscopic procedures.