LUPUS – AN AUTOIMMUNE DISORDER .

Lupus is an autoimmune disease. For reasons unknown our body’s immune system starts attacking the tissues, organs including the joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, brain, blood and skin.

Lupus predominantly affects women between the age group of 15 to 45.

Lupus is far more common than leukemia and multiple sclerosis, yet awareness about this disease is less than other less commonly occurring autoimmune diseases.

Without early diagnosis and treatment, lupus can be severely debilitating or deadly. If ignored or left untreated Lupus can lead to multi-organ failure or damage and prove fatal.

Symptoms of Lupus:

·         Fever

·         Fatigue

·         Loss of appetite

·         Hair loss

·         Rashes

·         Swollen glands

·         Sensitivity to light

·         Chest, muscle  and  joint pain

·         Ulcers in the mouth

Treatments include steroids, painkillers and autoimmune suppressants. Dietary regulations and change in ones behavioral pattern also seem to help.

While living a full life is possible, early diagnosis and consistent treatment are critical. A complete cure remains elusive.

HEPATITIS AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

Guess what the role of the liver in the human body is?

Your liver helps your body digest food, store energy and removes poisons.

What Is HEPATITIS?

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, most commonly caused by a viral infection which causes scarring of the liver (Liver Cirrhosis) or Liver Cancer.

The five main hepatitis viruses are, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E. Besides these Hepatitis is also caused by consumption of alcohol and drugs.

You can help prevent some viral forms of Hepatitis by getting a vaccine. Sometimes hepatitis goes away by itself and if it does not, it can be treated with drugs. But sometimes hepatitis lasts a lifetime.

Hepatitis A and E are typically caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water.

Hepatitis B, C and D usually occur as a result of contact with infected body fluids. Common modes of transmission for these viruses include receipt of contaminated blood or blood products, invasive medical procedures using contaminated equipment and for hepatitis B transmission from mother to baby at birth, from family member to child, and also by sexual contact.

Types B and C in particular can lead to chronic disease and, together, are the most common causes of liver cirrhosis and cancer.

Signs 

A physical examination may show an enlarged and tender liver, fluid in the abdomen and yellowing of skin.

Symptoms

Some people exhibit no symptoms while some others may have loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, general itching, dark colored urine, stomach pain, development of breasts in males and/or yellowing of skin and eyes.

Tests

Doctors may prescribe one or a combination of the tests mentioned below to ascertain and treat the viral infection.

·         Abdominal Ultrasound

·         Auto immune blood markers

·         Hepatitis Virus Serology

·         Liver Function Test

·         Liver Biopsy(to check liver damage)

·         And/or Paracentesis (if he/she suspects fluid collection in your abdomen)

You can protect yourself against hepatitis B by being vaccinated. The vaccine is 95% effective in preventing chronic infections. Protection lasts for at least 20 years at least and no booster is recommended by WHO as of today.

Have you heard of a disease called the Lymes Disease?

If not this is a good time to learn about it.

The month of May is associated with awareness of a few common and not so common diseases that afflict us, namely Hepatitis, Asthma, Dystonia, Lupus, CFS, Brain Injury, Multiple Sclerosis and Lymes Disease.

AWARENESS helps gain knowledge and understanding and increases our alertness and responsiveness in approaching an illness in an educated manner and seeking medical help.

LYMES DISEASE

A disorder caused by a tick bite.

Most people who get Lyme’s disease do not become seriously ill. It is named after Lyme, Connecticut, USA, where it was first described.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Stage 1:

• A rash that starts as a small red spot. The spot expands and becomes round or oval in shape with a clear center. It resembles a bulls-eye.
• Mild flu-like symptoms may occur (fever, headache, stiff neck, fatigue, muscle and joint pain).

Stage 2:

• Rash develops in other places of the body.
• Single-joint pain or body pain.
• Central nervous system symptoms that may range from headache to loss of consciousness.

Stage 3: (may occur months to years after first stage):

• The nerves, joints, heart, and brain may be seriously affected, causing a number of new symptoms.

CAUSES

An infection transmitted by an infected deer tick bite. The rash may occur 3 to 30 days after the tick bite.

The infection does not spread from one person to another.

RISK INCREASES WITH

Work, play, or recreational activities in places like grassy, brushy, or wooded areas which are high risk for ticks.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

• Wear protective clothing with tight collars and cuffs.
• Use effective insect repellents when visiting areas with ticks.
• Check skin carefully and remove ticks if any. If the tick is removed from the skin within 36 hours, there is usually no infection.
• No vaccine is currently available.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

The severity differs from one person to another. Mild cases clear up on their own without treatment. Most other cases can be treated successfully with antibiotics. In a few cases, symptoms may not respond to antibiotics. Additional treatment may or may not help.

POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS

• Various degrees of persistent joint or nervous system pain, fatigue, memory problems
• Rarely, death may occur.

DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

• A physical examination and medical tests that may include blood studies to confirm the diagnosis.
• Early treatment with antibiotic drugs to prevent symptoms from getting worse.
• Crutches may be used to to keep weight off affected joints, if necessary.

·         Warm baths or showers, or the use of heating pads to relieve joint pain.

MEDICATIONS

• An oral antibiotic for 14 to 21 days for early stage of the disease.
• Antibiotics given through a vein (IV) for later stages.
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
• Steroid drugs to reduce the inflammatory response in the heart or central nervous system.

ACTIVITY

Bed rest until symptoms get better. Gradual resumption of normal activities.

DIET

No special diet.

WORLD MALARIA DAY - 1st MAY.

 Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which when transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells.Symptoms of malaria include fever, headache, and vomiting, and usually appear between 10 and 15 days after the mosquito bite. If left untreated, malaria can quickly become life-threatening by disrupting the blood supply to vital organs. In many parts of the world, the parasites have developed resistance to a number of malaria medicines.



WHAT IS MALARIA?· Malaria a disease of "High fever" is caused by the infection of a tiny organism known as the       Malarial parasite.  · A single-celled parasite known as a sporozoan causes malaria.
· Characteristic signs of malaria infection are fever and flu-like symptoms, including headaches and muscle or joint pain. These usually begin after an incubation period of 10 to 14 days after the infective bite, during which the malaria parasite first inhabits the liver and then quietly multiplies in the blood.·All mosquitoes are not capable of transmitting malaria. 

SYMPTOM OF MALARIA

A typical attack of malaria comprises of three distinct stages.

1.COLDSTAGE:Begins with a feeling of cold, accompanied by shivering and headache. The patient covers himself with blankets. Fingers and lips become bluish with dry skin.  Hairs on skin are raised.  Each spell may continue for 15 minutes to 1 hour.2.HOTSTAGE:The fever rises very high so the patient feels burning heat.  He takes off the covers.   He also feels intense headache with nausea and vomiting.  This stage lasts from 2-6 hours.  Pulse is heavy and pounding, feels intense thirst.3.SWEATINGSTAGE: In this stage, fever comes down with profuse sweating.  Patient normally goes into deep sleep. On waking he feels weak.  This stage lasts 2-4 hours.HOW TO TREAT MALARIA ?·         According to National Anti Malaria Programme, all fever cases should be considered as Malarial cases unless otherwise diagnosed by medical person.
·         Light microscopy of thick and thin stained blood smears remains the standard method for diagnosing malaria.
·         Drugs to treat malaria are available in all Hospitals, Dispensaries, Primary Health Centres and Sub-centres throughout the country.
·         Malaria can be cured through proper treatment.