disease

Ongoing exposure to asbestos fibres leaves a permanent mark on the lungs of a person. It causes scarring of the lung tissue. Exposure is exposure; it is not that less exposure is acceptable – asbestos exposure in any measure can cause lung cancer. Illnesses do not always happen with our knowledge. There are many kinds of illnesses that catch us off-guard; most of them often air-borne, resulting from the air we inhale.

The importance of fresh, pure air is indeed often underestimated. Interestingly, even the presence of a relatively small (not to mention, invisible) mineral fibre in the air that we breathe is sufficient to render damage to our health. Asbestos is one such mineral. Asbestos, which is known for its heat and acid resistance and is very strong, can dangerously affect us. When it ages, asbestos begins to break and the fibres find their way into the air that we inhale, thereby making it deadly.

The fibres enter the lungs and stay there for the life of him. This disease is called asbestosis or mesothelioma. It takes about 20 to 40 years for asbestos symptoms to surface. Sadly, all those who get asbestosis die – the death rate is 100% - there is no cure to it.

All kinds of asbestos are carcinogens. Children are particularly prone to get asbestosis or mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos. Products like floor tiles, ceiling tiles, sprayed on texture ceilings, pipe wrappings, boiler insulation, fire proofing, roof tiles, roof tar and heaters have asbestos in them.

Since it is extensively used in building constructions, people working in the mining, pipefitting, shipbuilding etc are likely to be infected. In the beginning, the individual may only experience a chronic dry cough which may eventually lead to shortness of breath and chest pain. Mesothelioma affects the lining of the lungs and abdomen. An estimated 80% of mesothelioma patients have a long history of asbestos exposure. Importance should be given on the identification of genetic risk factors for harmful mesothelioma. The toxic fibres that lead to cancer can be a result of mechanical effects such as interference during chromosome segregation, generation of reaction, oxygen species and local and systemic immunosuppression.

The patient may also feel severe stabbing pains in the chest or abdomen. Its symptoms often occur after 35-50 years of contact with asbestos. If an individual displays any symptoms of mesothelioma, they should see a doctor immediately. It is diagnosed through a chest X-ray, complete blood count, biopsy or a thoracotomy. Sadly, asbestosis or mesothelioma is incurable. It is always best to keep a trace of your detailed history of work activities or any other exposure to toxic dusts as it could be years before that one is affected by it. Wearing clothes of a person who has worked with asbestos is not advisable as you could inhale it through the clothes.

Everyone who comes in contact with asbestos does not get lung disease and cancer. It is diagnosed only when your history of exposure fits into it or an indicative chest X-ray and physical findings or symptoms of debilitating lung fibrosis are observed. If you work in an environment which requires you to work with asbestos, it is very essential to take as many recommended safety precautions as possible. Make sure you wear approved face masks and breathing instruments because they filter out the asbestos fibres. Be very careful when working with asbestos – it can take away your life.

See to it that all the area of your body is covered. Sometimes work place may not only be the means through which the disease develops in you. It could even happen in your home or on the street. You could also be exposing yourself to asbestos without knowing. Since most buildings are products of this fibre, you never know when you are coming into contact with this deadly mineral. Though there is no permanent cure to it, there are treatments done for asbestos-related diseases. They include infection treatment, vaccination and standard cancer treatments.

A demyelinating disease is any disease of the nervous system in which the myelin sheath of neurons is damaged. This impairs the conduction of signals in the affected nerves, causing impairment in sensation, movement, cognition, or other functions depending on which nerves are involved.

The term describes the effect of the disease, rather than its cause; some demyelinating diseases are caused by genetics, some by infectious agents, some by autoimmune reactions, and some by unknown factors. Organophosphates, a class of chemicals which are the active ingredients in commercial insecticides such as sheep dip, weed-killers, and flea treatment preparations for pets, etc, will also demyelinate nerves.

You sure may have heard about ‘blue babies.’ But please don’t get it wrong. The ‘blue’ should not be in any way taken as a reference to their bloodline. Blue babies are not descendants of royal families and noble clans. Well, at least, not necessarily. Blue babies are actually infants inflicted with one of the many possible inborn heart defects. To your surprise, there are even cases of ‘pink babies.’

Congenital heart disease is the abnormal formation of the heart, usually of the large blood vessel. The word congenital means being present at birth. So congenital heart disease means a heart’s defect already present at the onset of birth. Since this kind of defect is already present the moment a human life is born, the condition is most prevalent, if not exclusive, among new born babies. Defects affecting the heart are actually the most ordinary birth defects, causing most of the inborn abnormality-related death cases. Just like most defects affecting the heart, inborn heart disorder is an abnormality to the flow of the blood. It may be in the form of obstruction or incorrect flow pattern.

Of all possible inborn abnormalities, inborn heart defect accounts for eight in every 1,000 cases, close to 1% of newborn babies. A major factor of this disease being congenital is genetic predisposition. Genetic influence accounts for the 5 percent of all babies with inborn heart defects. Genetic diseases such as Apert syndrome, Conradi syndrome, Crouzon syndrome, Carpenter syndrome, Cornelia de Lange syndrome, and cutis laxa are identified by medical research and studies to increase the risk of having inborn heart defects. Mothers having diabetes mellitus, specifically those who have deficient glucose level in the blood during pregnancy, are very likely to give birth to babies with inborn heart defects. Also, pregnant women with phenylketonuria (PKU)and poor diet have high chances of having babies with inborn heart defects. Many pregnant women having retinoic acid treatment for acne increases the risk of their babies having inborn heart disorders. Anticonvulsant drugs (hydantoins or Dilantin) and valproate taken during pregnancy also increases the risk of babies having inborn heart defects.

Disorders in the chromosomes also contribute as high risk factors of inborn heart defects. This factor is known to account for the 3% of infants with inborn heart defects. Down’s Syndrome is a chromosomal disorder leading to inborn heart defects. On rough estimates, almost half of kids having Down’s syndrome also suffer from inborn heart disorders. Patau syndrome and Edwards syndrome are also chromosomal defects known to be high risks factors of inborn heart disorders. Turner syndrome, a disorder in the sex chromosome (having only one x chromosome), places 40 percent risk rate of inborn heart defects. Albeit its lower risk level than the others, environmental components are also contributory to risks of inborn heart defects. German measles and alcoholism of pregnant women can lead to their babies being born with heart defects.

It may be a great wonder for many why pre-birth detection cannot be done to diagnose inborn heart defects. This is so because the fetuses’ blood circulation inside the womb is different from how it is after birth. No need to further elaborate on how do they differ. The point is that the difference leads to bringing to light the inborn heart defects. Usually, inborn heart disorders are only detected once symptoms like shortness of breath, skin discoloration, fainting, dizziness, inferior appetite, and poor growth are observed.

Coronary heart disease is a disease of the heart’s blood vessels that causes heart attacks. Heart disease is the number one killer of American women, claiming more female lives than the next 16 causes of death combined.

Post-reproductive age women are most at risk. However, pre-menopausal women are also at risk for cardiovascular disease if they have cardiac risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, diabetes, elevated cholesterol and family history of premature cardiovascular disease.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE HEART DISEASE?

Cardiovascular disease can be silent but usually has symptoms. Lack of blood flow to the heart muscle can cause symptoms of chest discomfort, shortness of breath, fatigue and sometimes palpitations and dizziness.

Talking to your doctor about your symptoms, along with good routine follow-up care are necessary first steps to determine if any further evaluation is necessary. Many cardiac risk factors can be controlled, modified or eliminated, including hypertension, diabetes, elevated cholesterol, smoking and obesity/physical inactivity.

Women show different signs than men do prior to a heart attack. Nearly 90% of women with a heart attack will have chest pain the same as men. Historically, however, chest pain has not been perceived to be of great prognostic value in women or a great clue that heart disease is really present.

Chest pain can have different origins and women can experience uncharacteristic features of cardiac chest discomfort. The likelihood of chest pain coming from the heart depends to a great extent on the person’s particular cardiac risk profile.

For example, a pre-menopausal woman who smokes is as likely to have cardiac chest pain as a postmenopausal woman with hypertension. All chest discomfort in women must be taken seriously and evaluated for its source, whether cardiac or otherwise. One should not wait to seek medical attention if there are symptoms of chest discomfort with or without physical exertion.

Some studies have shown that women who tell their doctors about chest pain are not treated as aggressively as are men. Women who are not satisfied with a physician’s evaluation of their chest discomfort should be persistent and seek another opinion.

WHAT ARE PVCs AND ARE THEY DANGEROUS?

A woman’s system changes as she enters menopause and can result in PVCs (premature ventricular contractions). A woman who experiences irregular heart beats or *PVCs* may have extra beats that are relatively harmless or it may be a sign of some form of heart disease.

If a woman has palpitations (the sensation of fast and/or irregular heartbeat) or other symptoms such as dizziness or shortness of breath, she should inform her doctor. Your doctor can take a careful history and perform a physical exam.

In some cases, further testing of your heart may be necessary to determine the specific heart rhythm that may be causing the sensation of palpitations. In some individuals, caffeine products, alcohol and stress can provoke extra beats.

This is the ‘kings’ disease’ as it affects the affluent. It is a type of arthritis that affects the toe, knee and other joints. Your kidneys lose their ability to flush out the excess amounts of uric acid, partially. This uric acid crystallizes and lodges in the joints, thus causing joint pain. This joint gets hot, swollen and tender. This pain usually starts in the middle of the night and can last for hours and days at a stretch. But it can vanish quite quickly.

The following are some of the simple home remedies that you can take to prevent the gout infection:

• Lose weight slowly: People suffering from gout are usually overweight with their body weight about 10 to 15 percent overweight. More your girth, higher your uric acid level. The higher incidence of the uric acid leads to frequent and intense gout attacks. But take care that you should lose weight slowly as crash diet leads to increase in uric acid levels.

• Control the blood pressure: Gout patients who also suffer from hypertension need to be extra careful. This is because the blood pressure medications raise the levels of uric acid. Hence it is advisable to control the blood pressure naturally by lowering the intake of the sodium, exercising regularly, reducing the excess weight and eliminating stress.

• Skip liver: Certain foods contain purine that raise uric acid levels. Though it is found in most foods, it is advisable to skip certain foods like red meat especially organ meats, liver, certain types of fish and some green leafy vegetables like spinach.

• Stop the drink: If you are suffering from gout, avoid alcohol. This is because alcohol stimulates the production of uric acid. Beer is the main culprit as it has higher purine content than the other wines or spirits.

• Go heavy on water: Drinking lots of water will help kidneys flush out the excess uric acid. Dehydration is also known to trigger gout attack. You can increase the urinary output by drinking at least five glasses of water a day.

• Improve your sex life: It has been found that if you are a man, having frequent sexual activity reduces the levels of uric acid.