Monday, November 15, 2010

Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms

Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms
Caffeine withdrawal symptoms are very common sight among many people these days. This is mainly constituted when on an everyday basis, you take in coffee or any other energy drink more than to be recommended for. By constantly drinking large quantities of caffeine everyday, the human body gets ensnared to it.

Caffeine is considered to be highly addictive. Many people face problems when they don't get to enjoy their favorite caffeine for an extended period of time. The results are quite unpleasant. Many people tend to feel very lethargic and experience headaches when they go too long with caffeine.

Ever since the World Health Organization (WHO) announced caffeine withdrawal as an official diagnosis, many people have taken it seriously and started pushing upon themselves major physical distress. Caffeine withdrawal research has mostly been conducted on adults. However, having said this, the research has shown that children too tend to experience these symptoms with no caffeine for a long duration of time.


The most common caffeine withdrawal symptoms list consist of:
  • Frequent headaches
  • Experiencing sleepiness or drowsiness
  • Fatigue, tiredness and dizziness
  • Concentration problems
  • Depressed feeling
  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Nausea

The symptoms usually vary when a caffeine withdrawal symptom takes shape in a person. It can vary from mild to extreme. However, it is noted in recent times that, caffeine withdrawal can create severe depression and even lead to total incapacitation. However, as mentioned before, it occurs only in extreme cases. Headache is the most commonly noted caffeine withdrawal symptom.

The caffeine withdrawal symptoms duration normally takes place after 12 to 24 hours of caffeine. However, recent studies have documented even after 36 hours. Even though longer durations have been observed, recent studies have shown these symptoms ranging from 2 days to 1 week.

Caffeine must be taken in a regulated and regimented format to avoid going through a caffeine withdrawal symptom. Too much of anything is not considered a good thing. The human body will not face any discrepancies or disturbances of caffeine withdrawal symptoms if taken in a controlled manner.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Mold Allergy Symptoms and Treatment

Mold ( which causes mold allergy ) is an organism which can be found in many places, both outdoors and indoors. Mold is well-defined as a form of fungus. It returns nutrients to the environment after breaking down dead materials. It is by the digestion of plant or animal matter, like leaves, wood, paper, dirt, and food that mold is evolved. They are spread in the environment by the dispensation of pint-sized, featherweight spores which travel means of air. It is in wet and dark spaces like basements, garbage cans and piles of rotting leaves that mold grows.
Some of the treatments of mold allergy symptoms are classified as follows:
Immunotherapy:
By undertaking this treatment, almost all allergies are eliminated by the implementation of a series of allergy shots. An example for this by doing an immunotherpay for hay fever. Unfortunately, however, allergy shots are only moderately effective against mold allergy.
Nasal lavage:
The doctor will advise you to wash the nose with salt water to get rid of the aggravating nasal symptoms. For that, you will be needing to develop your own salt or imply a nasal saline spray. You will required to blend 3 teaspoons of salt which doesn't comprise of any iodine with 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a container which you can enclose. After that, you will have to add 1 teaspoon of this blended mixture and combine it with 8 ounces of water to make your saltwater solution. It is best advocated to utilize little salt and baking soda mixture from the next time onwards in case you start to sense any burning or stinging.

Some of the mold allergy symptoms are constituted by sneezing, eyes turning watery, running nose with cold, eyes feeling itchy along with the nose and throat, cough and stomach gas.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Lockjaw Causes


The term tetanus can also be referred to as lockjaw which is caused by a bacterium called Clostridium tetani. The tightening of the jaw muscles is one of the major symptoms of lockjaw, which will eventually make the jaw hard to function, in turn making speech and swallowing very difficult. If left untreated, lockjaw can even lead to death. However, it is not very often that this happens as various vaccinations are employed for tetanus. Hence, vaccination through Tetanus Toxoid will prevent the infection from cuts from old fences or dirty metal objects is always considered a safer option. 
 
News about lockjaw first broke when it was found out to be more prevalent around horses that were thought to be injured by cuts and wounds,. Horses are considered as a more frequent victims of tetanus. However, Clostridium tetani is found to be in huge sums in soil all over the world. It has the ability to sustain and survive for about 40 years. Hence, lockjaw causes are clearly considered possible as a result of a cut developing from an old nail. 
 
Both TMJ Lockjaw and Lockjaw incidents are constantly reported high in third world countries where inoculations or vaccinations are not routine or frequent. It is in these countries that many newborns, as many as half of the population are the ones affected who cannot afford the cost of vaccination and do not learn to adhere to standards of hygiene and cleanliness. Exposure to tetanus in these countries is mainly owed to the lack of proper care of the umbilical cord stump as Clostridium tetani infects it. 
 
The death rate for lockjaw is quite a significant one when left untreated taking down almost 30% of the adults and 60% of the infants. Neurotoxin plays a vital role in making tetanus for its treachous nature. The jaw isn't the only part affected as the disease takes its toll on all the facial muscles once it is contracted and eventually progresses. Painless paralysis is also a possibility as a result of a stiff created over the back, stomach, and lower body as these parts also can be affected. Tetany is a side effect of the illness as it causes many violent seizures or muscle spasms. People experienceing tetany will find the disease as extremely painful.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Malaria Causes and its Stages

How malaria disease occur?

The presence of a  parasite called as plasmodium is the main cause for the creation of the disease Malaria in the blood. When an infected mosquito bites a person, this parasite gets transferred to the blood stream. The results could be either moderate or life-threatening at the same time complicated or uncomplicated. Malaria just about is the reason for about 1.5 to 2.7 million deaths resulting from up to 300 to 500 million reported cases of infection every year. It is a overwhelming fact that in specific places up to 40% of little children may die of penetrative malaria.


Malaria symptoms make it simple to find out the infection. A malarial attack usually contains of three stages, the cold stage, the hot stage and the sweating stage.

1. Cold Stage:
In this stage, regardless of the nomal body condition, the infected person goes through a stage of terrible coolness. As a result, the person requests for a blanket or any other material that he could cover himself up in until his shivering stops. consequently, there is severe headache and the skin will also turn cold.

2. Hot Phase:
In this stage, the person starts to feel hot and starts to put aside all the material that he used for covering himself up while feeling cold. This takes place as a result of consequent high fever. This is considered very dangerous in children as it could to serious contractions.

3. Sweating Phase:
As the fever sets to reduce, there is profuse sweating taking place. The level of sweating can be as serious as that the bed may even get soaked at times. You will be wanting to rest and sleep a lot more as you will be feeling very weak.

Malarial attacks may happen once in every 48 hours to 72 hours. The time between each malarial attack varies as the disease caused are by different parasites.

The above-quoted stages or levels are some of the early symptoms of malaria. Another imperative point to be taken into note is the fact that a person who has been infected by malaria before for a prolonged time is almost immune to the disease. However, the same cannot be said about a person who is non-immune. The person will easily fall victim and knuckle under easily to the disease.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Jaundice Disease Diagnosis and Treatment


Jaundice disease is generally differentiated by the yellow coloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes. This is caused by the increase or gathering of a waste product known as bilirubin in the blood. Jaundice is considered not only as an ailment but, but also as a path to many other related diseases. The yellowish coloring of the skin and the sclera may vary based on the amount of the chemical in the blood. At some situation, if the chemical level is too high, the color of the skin will become brown and not yellow.
Reasons of Jaundice and Symptoms:
Jaundice is caused by high levels of bilirubin in the blood. It is vital that we understand the basic jaundice symptoms and the main factor as to how this material is being despatched into our blood stream. Bilirubin mainly gets along the blood stream with the assistance of the red blood cells. These cells will naturally get botched as they become old. As the blood cells play the role of a mode for haemoglobin, an iron content which carries oxygen to the blood, is then liberated from the spoiled cells. Bilirubin is then formed as a result of the removal of iron.
Jaundice symptoms can also be seen in the liver too. It plays a very imperative role in developing jaundice. The main function of the liver is the removal of waste products from the blood stream. As discussed earlier, bilirubin is a waste product of red blood cells. Similarly, if the functioning of the liver is jeopardized by this bilirubin, jaundice can result. Likewise, the liver must be eradicating bilirubin from the blood stream and excrete it through the faeces. Whenever there is too much of waste products for the liver to remove or when the red blood cells get affected, jaundice occurs. Finally, hindrance in the bile ducts can curtail the flow of bile and bilirubin to decrease.
Some other symptoms of jaundice include itching, which at times can be intense, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, abdominal swelling, as well as by nausea, vomiting, headache, fever, dark-colored urine and light-colored stools.
Jaundice in newborns is very common these days. The yellowing of skin and other tissues of an infant child is known as neonatal jaundice. Appearance of bilirubin level in infants is 85umol/l (5mg/dL). Similarly, jaundice in adults has been usual for a quite long time. In adults , the bilirubin level is nearly 34umol/l (2mg/dL). Jaundice can be detected in newborns is identified by discoloring of the skin with digital pressure so that it exposes the underlying skin and subcutaneous tissue.
Diagnosis and  Treatment of Jaundice to be followed:
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI):
Magnetic resonance imaging scans determines the soft tissues of the abdomen by the employment of magnetization of the body. They are quite comprehensive like CT in the determination of tumors and studying of bile ducts. MRI scans can be altered to locate the bile ducts better than CT scan tests. Thus, they are preferred for determining the cause of bile duct obstruction.
Computerized Tomography (CT or CAT scans):
Computerized Tomography or CT scans are scans that utilize x-rays to analyze the soft tissues of the abdomen. Although they are considered not as effective as ultrasonography in diagnosing gallstones, they do prove efficient in identifying tumors in the liver and the pancreas and dilated bile ducts.
Ultrasonography:
Ultrasonography is an uncomplicated, secure and easily-accessible test which employs sound waves to analyze the organs within the abdomen.
Considering all the above-qouted methods, the treatment of jaundice generally needs a diagnosis of the particular cause of the jaundice and the treatment should be aimed at the particular cause.


Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Malaria Causes, Signs and Diagnosis

Malaria is a fatal disease that accounts for approximately 1.5 to 2.7 million deaths resulting from 300 to 500 million cases of infection every year. In certain regions, up to 40% of toddlers may die of acute malaria.Malaria is an parasitic infection caused by Plasmodium in the blood stream.
The malarial parasite is transferred through the bite of an infected mosquito. It could be mild or severe, complicated or uncomplicated. The infection has signs that make it identifiable. A typical malarial infection consists of three stages with a certain periodicity.
1. Cold Phase - There is a feeling of being cold, irrespective of actual body temperature. The person needs a blanket or other cover and shivers uncontrollably. The skin may feel cold with a severe headache.
2. Hot Phase - There is a high fever and the patient feels hot and may throw off all the blankets. It is particularly dangerous in children because it could lead to contractions.
3. Sweating Phase - There is profuse sweating as the fever ends, the bed may even be soaked. You feel weak and feel to take rest or sleep.
Common Malaria Symptoms are fever, chills, nausea, headaches, sweats, fatigue and vomiting. But the severity of the signs depends on your body's immunity and your overall health. On extreme occasions, malaria can cause problems with the brain and spinal cord i.e., Cerebral Malaria and lead to seizures, or even cause loss of consciousness. Other common symptoms of malaria are dry cough, muscle pain and enlarged spleen. Malaria Symptoms are cyclic and stay for different lengths of time. This is especially true during the initial stages of the disease.
Cyclical attacks - The exact period between attacks differs for the different species that causes malaria. Thus the attacks may occur at anytime between 48 hours to 72 hours.
The appearance of malaria signs depends on the type of plasmodium species. You will get the early symptoms of malaria in 9 to 14 days if you are infected by Plasmodium falciparum; 12 to 18 days for Plasmodium vivax or Plasmodium ovale; 18 to 40 days for Plasmodium malariae. Among all the malarial infections, the infection caused by P. falciparum is the most fatal.
Note that humans who have been exposed to malarial paraistes or infections for a long time and are now partially immune may not exhibit all the symptoms of malaria. But a non immune person will succumb very quickly. The diagnosis of malaria is based on a combination of risk assessment, observing symptoms and medical tests.
Laboratory examinations involve the demonstration of the parasite in a film of blood. It could be a thin film in case of identifying the particular type of parasite causing the disease or a thick film if you need more reliability in finding the parasite. Though the medicinal tests are easy to carry out, they may not be available in all locations, Therefore presumptive treatment, which is treatment based on risk assessment is the most practical approach.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Thalassemia Types, Signs and Cure

Thalassemias are  genetic blood disorders that are inherited and are later passed down the family tree.

Thalassemias obstructs the hemoglobin production in the body which indirectly affects the RBCs. Hemoglobin is the iron rich protein that is found in the RBCs. Haemoglobin is essential for the supply of oxygen to the different regions of the body. It also empties out the carbon dioxide, by carrying it to the lungs from where it is exhaled out.


Kinds of Thalassemia disease:

Hemoglobin A, is a composition of 4 protein chains: Two alpha globin chains and two beta globin chains. The defects in these protein chains lead to two major kinds of thalassemia, called alpha and beta.

1. Alpha Thalassemia:

The alpha thalassemia includess the HBA1 and HBA2 genes, which is inherited in a mendelian recessive type. Alpha thalassemias would end up reducing the production of alpha-globin which results in the decrease in the production of alpha-globin chains, thereby resulting in an excess of β chains among adults and excess γ chains among the newborns.

2. Beta thalassemia:

Beta thalassemias are due to mutations in the HBB gene on chromosome 11 that inherited in an autosomal-recessive fashion. The severity depends on the type of the mutation. The mutation is either a Thalassemia major when any formation of beta chains is prevented or the  thalassemia intermedia if the formation of some beta chain is allowed.



Thalassemia symptoms:

The intensity of the symptoms depends on the severity of the disorder. Lack of oxygen prevails due to insufficient hemoglobin and red blood cells content.

Some of the major signs are:

Headaches
Respiratory disorders
Enlargement of spleen
Fatigue
Jaundice


Thalassemia symptoms are classified based on the mutation:


Alpha thalassemia symptoms:

Alpha thalassemia are silent carriers. The symptoms of the disorder are subtle and are hardly noticed. Lack of alpha globin protein doesn’t affect the hemoglobin and its functionalities.


Beta thalassemia symptoms:

1. Victims of beta thalassemia intermedia have a varied mild to moderate anemia symptoms. The disorder has symptoms similar to sickle cell anemia.  Therefore the diagnosis steps are confused while using the symptom checker.

2. Delayed puberty and slow growth: The anemia can affect a child's growth and     development very much and also affects the puberty

3. Bone related problems. Thalassemia may cause expansion of bone marrow. Bone marrow is the spongy filling inside bones that is made up of blood cells. During the expansion of bone marrows, the bones become wider than usual. Chances are that they become brittle and break easily.

4. An enlarged spleen: Spleen is an organ that helps in fighting infection     and removing unwanted material. For a person with thalassemia, the spleen works very hard resulting in an enlargement spleen thus worsening anemia. Spleen has to be removed when it becomes too large.


Thalassemia Treatment:

Blood transfusion therapy, one of the ways to treat thalassemia major involves blood examination for diagnosis. Splenectomy, iron chelation (as thalassemia minor causes iron deficiency), and allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation therapy is practiced to treat the patients with thalassemia major. Whereas, patients suffering from minor thalassemia have no specific treatments. Folic acid is used to treat certain pregnancy related problems caused by anemia.