Dr.Sharmas medicare

Maxillary sinusitis

2008-10-12T05:47:00.000-07:00

Maxillary sinusitis

Sinuses are the air filled spaces inside the bones of the skull. Normally these sinuses help in adding resonance to our voice and maintain the weight of the skull. But commonly these sinuses may be infected by some microorganisms leading to a clinical condition called sinusitis. And the infected sinus in the maxillary bone of face is called maxillary sinusitis.

Causes and Effects:

A variety of bacteria such as Staphylococci, streptococci, pneumococci, hemophillus, viruses like influenzae, fungi like Aspergillus are responsible for infecting the maxillary sinuses.

Rarely maxillary sinusitis can occur after a tooth extraction or other dental procedures.

The physical factors like sudden change in weather, cold climate can also trigger the infection to the sinuses.

The earliest sign of maxillary sinusitis is common cold which leads to acute respiratory problem. The patient finds a great difficulty in breathing as the sinuses and the path of air through the nostrils are blocked. Hence it can result in insomnia also.

Symptoms:

1. Severe cold

2. Head ache

3. Mild fever

4. Nasal discharge

5. Swollen face and cheeks

6. Pain in the maxillary area i.e cheeks

7. Tooth ache

How to confirm whether you have the infection or not:

Infection to the maxillary sinuses can be confirmed by taking an X-ray of the face i.e maxillary area. It can be more clearly detected by taking a CT scan. Or else blood tests like ESR are done to confirm the infection.

Treatment:

Initially maxillary sinusitis can be treated by administering antibiotics and antihistaminics. Antibiotics like Levofloxacin, Gatifloxacin, Ofloxacin and Roxithromycin are very effective.

Nasal sprays and nasal drops are also effective in removing the nasal congestion. Nasal drops like Xylometazoline(Otrivin) effectively cure the congestion of nose and solve difficulty in breathing.

If the maxillary sinusitis is chronic i.e continuing since many years even after the treatment with antibiotics the next alternative treatment mode is surgery. Nowadays Endoscopic sinus surgery is done commonly to cure the maxillary sinusitis problem. Consulting an experienced ENT surgeon is very important because there is less risk for recurrence if the surgery is done by an experienced surgeon.

Prevention:

Prevention for this disease is very difficult because it is related to anatomic bone defects in the person, hence it is difficult to predict the advent of this infection in a person. Therefore we should take all the necessary precautions soon after you come to know that you have sinusitis as directed by your physician or surgeon.

HepatitisB

2008-10-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

HepatitisB

HepatitisB is a viral disease caused by hepadna virus or hepatitisB virus which chiefly affects the liver which is one of the vital organs of our body. The virus causes inflammation or swelling of liver called hepatitis. About one-third of the global population have been infected by this virus.

Pathology and Symptoms:

Hepatitis B can be divided into acute and chronic based upon the rapidity of onset and severity of the disease. Acute hepatitisB is characterised by liver inflammation, jaundice, vomitings and rarely death. Whereas chronic hepatitisB leads to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer which may be fatal.

Symtoms of Acute hepatitisB:

1. General weakness

2. Nausea and vomitings

3. Body aches

4. Loss of appetite(hunger)

5. Mild fever

6. Skin itching

7. Dark colorationof urine

8. Icterus or jaundice

Chronic illness of hepatitis B infection may either pass asymptomatically i.e the patient cannot experience any symptoms or it may be associated with chronic inflammation of liver, liver cirrhosis and even liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma.

How to confirm whether you have hepatitisB:

The confirmation for hepatitis is done by blood tests which are called assays. The viral antigens or proteins are detected by the blood tests. If the blood sample is positive for the hepatitisB viral antigens, then the disease can be confirmed.

Modes of transmission of the virus:

1. Sexual contact including homosexuals

2. Intravenous drug abusers

3. Transmission from infected mother to child

4. Blood transfusion

5. Acupuncturing, body piercing, tatooing.

Treatment:

There is no proper treatment for hepatitisB and till today there are no drugs which completely eradicate the hepadna virus from the patients body. However the drugs which stop the multiplication of the viral population inside our body are in use nowadays. Antiviral drugs such as lamevudine, adefovir are used commonly to treat hepatitisB.

Prevention:

The only perfect way to prevent the hepatitis infection is vaccination. The vaccine is given in distributed doses called booster doses. These vaccines are prepared from the antigens of virus itself. This vaccine develops antibodies against the viral antigens and hence prevents the advent and multiplication of the virus into our body.

The other ways of prevention include:

1. Safe sex by using condoms

2. Sharing sterilised needles or avoid sharing needles

3. Checking the purity of blood before transfusion

4. Avoid acupuncturing, tatooing and body piercing

Leg attack

2008-10-10T23:06:00.000-07:00

Leg attack

Do you have constant pain and burning sensation in your legs?

Then see your doctor immediately, it may be the earliest sign of peripheral vascular disease.

If u have a constant pain in your legs or continuous burning sensation in your toes while walking, doctors say that it is the earliest sign or the beginning of peripheral vascular disease which is now called leg attack which is more dangerous than a heart attack.

What is peripheral vascular disease(PVD)?

The word vascular implies the blood supply through arteries and veins and peripheral implies limbs. Hence the disease which occurs due to malfunctioning of these arteries and veins which supply the limbs or legs is called peripheral vascular disease. The blocking of arteries or narrowing of arteries which leads to obstruction to the blood circulation is the characterstic feature of peripheral vascular disease.

Causes: Nowadays there has been an exponential rise in vascular diseases in india due to:

1. Smoking

2. Diabates

Signs and Symptoms:

PVD mainly affects the legs.

1.Initially it begins with the pain or burning sensation in the toes. And the walking ability of the person slowly reduces.

2. Cold sensation in leg and feet

3. Redness or bluish discolouration of legs

4. Numbness and severe pain in legs

5. Delay in the healing of wounds and ulcers

Effects and Complications:

As said earlier leg attack has become more dangerous than a heart attack nowadays. The patients limb and life are at risk due to this leg attack. Due to lack of blood supply it can lead to the gangrene(death of tissues) of foot and toes which might demand for the amputation of the patients leg. The patients having blocked arteries in the heart i.e heart attack have 30% chances of developing vascular diseases in the other parts of the body, whereas blocked arteries in the leg indicates that the patient is having 60% chances of developing the vascular diseases in the other parts of the body.

Traetment:

If the patient is aware, leg attacks can be easily traeted in the initial stages with suitable drugs and some simple execises and physiotherapy. If the patient gets late to consult the doctor then the only method of treatment is vascular surgery which includes vascular bypass or angioplasty and stenting.

Awareness and Prevention:

Infact there is lack of awareness among many people especially indians regarding the leg attack.

This disease has become common nowadays in women between50-55yrs. However smokers and diabetics are more commonly affected by this disease. And if you are aware of this disease you can identify the disease in the initial stage itself with the help of above said symptoms. Hence the present issue is to create awareness among the people about this PVD. And it is also the task of public health servants and medical professionals to create awareness among the people to prevent the leg attack.

Chikun gunya

2008-10-08T22:59:00.000-07:00

CHIKUN GUNYA FEVER

Chikun gunya is a viral, communicable disease spread by infected mosquitoes. This disease closely resembles dengue fever. It is not a life threatening disease but the symptoms of the disease are more painful than the other diseases spread by mosquitoes. About 1.25 million cases are reported annually from india, karnataka and maharastra being the most affected states.

The virus causing the disease is Alpha virus and the mosquito which carries the virus is Aedes mosquito.

Signs and Symptoms:

1. Fever upto 102.2 degrees F

2. Rash on limbs

3. Severe muscle pains and joint pains

4. Headache

5. Insomnia or sleeplessness

How to know whether do you have chikun gunya or not:

The presence of chikun gunya virus can be confirmed by performing blood tests in the laboratory. The reports can be got in 2-3 days after the blood test, hence the disease can directly confirmed by the physician on seeing the symptoms and treatment is started.

Treatment:

Till today there is no specific tratment prescribed for chikun gunya. And there is no vaccine for the disease rather. But in the recent days chloroquine phosphate is tried which is showing some good results. As the disease is characterised by symptoms like joint pains, muscle pains and headache, drugs like aspirin and other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs can be administered.

Prevention:

1.The only way to prevent this disease is mosquito control by:

2.Maintaining cleanliness in your surroundings

3.Killing the mosquito larvae which multiply in the sewage using insecticides

4.Using mosquito repellants in your living place

Dengue fever

2008-10-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

DENGUE FEVER OR BREAK BONE DISEASE

Dengue fever is a viral disease caused by a virus called Flavivirus. Like typhoid fever, it is also an epidemic or communicable disease spread from person to person by a mosquito called Aedes aegypti. Dengue is one of the life threatening diseases in india especially andhra pradesh nowadays. Since 1990s dengue became the most important mosquito-born disease after malaria. About 40 million cases of dengue are reported yearly around the world.

Signs and Symptoms:

1. Sudden and severe headache

2. Muscle and joint pains

3. Fever

4. Rashes on lower limbs, chest or all over the body in some patients.

5. Nausea and vomitings.

6. Dehydration, diarrhoea

How to confirm whether you have dengue fever or not:

The presence of dengue virus in our body can be confirmed by doing blood tests in the laboratory. The blood reports of a dengue fever positive patient shows the following features:1. Thrombocytopenia which means the reduction in number of blood platlets which actually help in blood clotting and wound sealing.

2. Leukopenia which means the reduction in number of white blood cells which actually help in immunity and defense mechanisms of our body.

3. Hemorrhage which means continuous bleeding.

Treatment:

As dengue fever is characterised by dehydration, oral rehydration fluids are given to supplement the dehydration.

Aspirin and other non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs like paracetomol are given to prevent the muscle and joint pains.

Recently mycophenolic acid and ribavirin have emerged, which prevent the multiplication of the virus inside our body.

Prevention:

1. Maintain hygienic surroundings

2. Avoid mosquitoes in your place. This is the perfect precaution you can take because mosqutoes are the carriers of the dengue virus.

3. Vaccination

Typhoid

2008-10-07T07:29:00.000-07:00

TYPHOID FEVER
Typhoid fever is one of the common infectious diseases which may infect a human being who had or have been living in an un-hygienic environment. This fever is an epidemic or communicable disease which affects people massively. In the United States about 400 cases occur each year, and 75% of these are acquired while traveling internationally. Typhoid fever is still common in the developing world, where it affects about 21.5 million persons each year.
This fever is caused by a bacteria called Salmonella typhi which enters into a human being through house flies or unhygienic food, water contaminated by the above said bacteria. You can get typhoid fever if you eat food or drink beverages that have been handled by a person who is shedding S. Typhi or if sewage contaminated with S. Typhi bacteria gets into the water you use for drinking or washing food. Therefore, typhoid fever is more common in areas of the world where handwashing is less frequent and water is likely to be contaminated with sewage. Once S. Typhi bacteria are eaten or drunk, they multiply and spread into the bloodstream. The body reacts with fever and other signs and symptoms.
Signs and Symptoms of Typhoid fever:
1. High fever with a body temperature ranging from 103-1040F.
2. Severe head ache or stomach pain.
3. Body aches.
4. Loss of hunger.
5. Vomiting sensation after eating something.
How to confirm whether you have typhoid fever or not?
The presence of typhoid causing bacteria in our body can be detected by doing blood test or stool test in the medical laboratory. If the test report shows positive then we can confirm that we are suffering from typhoid.
Treatment:
Soon after you consult the physician, you will be prescribed antibiotics by him. The commonly given antibiotics are sulfmethoxazole, trimethoprim and ciprofloxacin. These antibiotics are to be administered by you according to the dosage instructed by the physician. And one should never skip a dose which may result in the recurrence of the disease by the re-multiplication of the bacteria.
Prevention:
Prevention is better than cure, this is the main aim of my blog. so how to prevent this disease before its advent in our body:
1. Maintain clean and hygienic environment
2. Avoid jung foods and drinks
3. Avoid foods or drinks contaminated by flies
4. Never allow the flies or other insects into your surroundings
5. Clean your toilets regularly.
6. Boil and cook the food thoroughly before you eat
7. Get vaccinated against typhoid disease.
WARNING:
Never think that typhoid fever had disappeared completely when the symptoms disappear in our body. Even after the disappearance of the symptoms, the bacteria will be present in our body in an inactive state. So for the complete suppression of the bacteria, use the antibiotic dosage as prescribed by your physician.
THANQ FOR VISITING MY BLOG
Yours faithfully:
Rakesh sharma.

Introduction

2008-10-07T03:17:00.000-07:00

Know ur health
Hi everybody. This is Rakesh sharma. I want to make people aware of the most common and uncommon diseases which often disturb our daily routine.
So please make use of my blog and try to prevent the advent of diseases into your body and always remember that “Prevention is better than cure”.
Thanq