Developments

ACHY BREAKY JOINTS !!!!!

Arthritis is a group of conditions involving damage to the joints of the body.

Symptoms

Irrespective of the type of arthritis, the common symptoms for all arthritis disorders include

• Pain
• Swelling
• Joint stiffness
• Inability to use the hand or walk
• Malaise and a feeling of tiredness
• Fever
• Weight loss
• Poor sleep
• Muscle aches and pains
• Tenderness
• Difficulty moving the joint

Types of arthritis

There are many forms of arthritis: but the most common are -

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteoarthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disorder where, for some unknown reason, the body's own immune system starts to attack body tissues. The attack is not only directed at the joint but to many other parts of the body. In rheumatoid arthritis, most damage occurs to the joint lining and cartilage which eventually results in erosion of two opposing bones. Rheumatoid arthritis affects joints in the fingers, wrists, knees and elbows. The disease is symmetrical and leads to severe deformity in a few years. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs mostly in people aged 20 and above.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It causes pain, swelling and reduced motion in your joints. It breaks down the cartilage in your joints. When you lose cartilage, your bones rub together. Over time, this rubbing can permanently damage the joint.

Factors that may cause osteoarthritis are being overweight, old age and injuring a joint.

TREATMENT

Medical therapy

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are usually the drugs of first choice. These drugs help decrease inflammation and reduce pain. While these drugs are effective, they are also associated with a variety of side effects hence these drugs should not be used for prolonged periods without proper physician supervision.

Corticosteroids are frequently prescribed for individuals with arthritis. These potent drugs can help reduce inflammation and slow down joint damage. However, corticosteroids have potent side effects so are usually given for a short time to help reduce acute symptoms.

Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARD) can help slow down progression of rheumatoid arthritis and joint damage. The most common DMARDs include methotrexate , leflunomide), hydroxychloroquine.

Immuno-suppressants like cyclosporine and cyclophosphamide suppress potent cells of the body and help decrease the inflammation. These medications do help treat severe arthritis but also make one prone to infections.

Physical and Occupational therapy.

Physical therapy can teach you how to relax the stiff joint and not damage the joint. Moreover, physical therapy can provide splints or braces for your painful joints. Assist devices are available that can help you drive, take a bath, dress, and also perform household chores. It also involves use of ice, heating pads as well as ultrasound guided massage therapy. Physical therapy for arthritis can be learned and practiced at home. To help reduce stress on the joint, you will be taught how to distribute weight on the weight bearing joints. Other aspects of physical therapy means learning how to maintain good posture, and conserving energy by allowing rest before and after activity.

Occupation therapy can teach you how to reduce stress on your joints from daily living activities. It can also teach you how to modify your home and work environment so that you reduce movements that may worsen your arthritis. It can help you do everyday activities without worsening the pain or causing joint damage. The techniques can help you distribute pressures to minimize stress on the joints.

Exercises

Weight Control

Rest

Complimentary Therapies

Surgery

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BREATHING!!!!! DON’T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED...

Asthma is a chronic (long-term) lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma causes recurring periods of wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing. The coughing often occurs at night or early in the morning.

The exact cause of asthma isn't known. Researchers think a combination of factors (family genes and certain environmental exposures) interact to cause asthma to develop, most often early in life. These factors include:

• An inherited tendency to develop allergies, called atopy
• Parents who have asthma
• Certain respiratory infections during childhood

Contact with some airborne allergens or exposure to some viral infections in infancy or in early childhood when the immune system is developing

Common asthma symptoms include:

• Coughing. Coughing from asthma is often worse at night or early in the morning, making it hard to sleep.
• Wheezing. Wheezing is a whistling or squeaky sound that occurs when you breathe.
• Chest tightness. This may feel like something is squeezing or sitting on your chest.
• Shortness of breath. Some people who have asthma say they can't catch their breath or they feel out of breath. You may feel like you can't get air out of your lungs

A number of things called triggers can bring about or worsen asthma symptoms or cause your asthma to flare up if you come in contact with them. Triggers may include:

• Allergens found in dust, animal fur, cockroaches, mold, and pollens from trees, grasses, and flowers
• Irritants such as cigarette smoke, air pollution, chemicals or dust in the workplace, compounds in home décor products, and sprays (such as hairspray)
• Certain medicines such as aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and nonselective beta-blockers
• Viral respiratory diseases
• Exercise and physical activities
• Sulfites in foods and drinks

Diagnostic tests

• Lung function tests or spirometry
• Allergy testing to find out which allergens affect you, if any.
• X RAY Chest  and ECG

TREATMENT

LONG-TERM CONTROL MEDICINES

• Inhaled corticosteroids. Inhaled corticosteroids are the preferred medicines for long-term control of asthma
• Inhaled long-acting beta2-agonists. These medicines open the airways and may be added to low-dose inhaled corticosteroids to improve asthma control. An inhaled long-acting beta2-agonist shouldn't be used alone.
• Leukotriene modifiers. These medicines are taken by mouth. They help block the chain reaction that increases inflammation in your airways.
• Cromolyn and nedocromil. These inhaled medicines also help prevent inflammation and can be used to treat asthma of mild severity.
• Theophylline. This medicine is taken by mouth and helps open the airways

However, you can take steps to control the disease and prevent its symptoms.

• Learn about your asthma and how to control it.
• Use medicines as your doctor directs.
• Identify and avoid things that make your asthma worse (as much as you can).
• Keep track of your asthma symptoms and level of control.
• Get regular checkups for your asthma.

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PROSTATIC HYPERTROPHY

BPH  or BENIGN HYPERTROPHY OF PROSTRATE is a non-cancerous increase in the size and number of cells that make up the prostate.. BPH is almost always found in older men. Since women do not have a prostate, they cannot get BPH.

CAUSE

During puberty, the prostate goes through a phase of very rapid enlargement, but this levels off once puberty is completed. Starting in mid-life, the prostate begins growing again, but very slowly this tim
It is thought that these periods of growth result from increased levels of male hormones such as testosterone. Testosterone is produced throughout a man’s life and, subsequently, the prostate grows throughout a man’s life.
Due to the slow progression of this growth, most men do not notice any symptoms of BPH until they are older and the prostate has grown to such a size that it impinges on the outflow of urine from the bladder.

SYMPTOMS

Due to the location of the prostate, BPH causes a number of urinary symptoms. The prostate is located just below where the bladder empties into the urethra, common symptoms are:

• Frequency - urinating much more often than normal.
• Urgency - having a sensation that you need to urinate immediately.
• Nocturia - getting up to urinate multiple times during the night.
• Hesitancy - difficulty starting the urine stream.

DIAGNOSTIC TESTS

• Digital rectal examination - this is to check the size and consistency of prostate
• urine flow tests
• ultrasound to check for urine left in the bladder (residual urine - a measure of how severe the obstruction to your bladder is) and bladder stones
• urodynamic measurements using a catheter inserted into the bladder to measure the pressure of the urine and how fast it flows
• Blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA). This measures the amount of PSA, a protein produced by the prostate , high levels of the protein can indicate a greater chance of getting prostate cancer.
• 24-hour record of when you pass urine and how much - this is called a voiding diary.

TREATMENT OF BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA

Active monitoring

Many men only have mild symptoms of BPH and no treatment is required. Your condition will be monitored closely with routine check-ups. You should cut down on alcoholic or caffeinated drinks, and you can learn techniques to increase how much urine your bladder can hold.

Medicines

There are two main classes of medicine that are used to treat BPH

Alpha-blockers

Alpha-blockers, such as tamsulosin and terazosin, relax muscle fibres that control the tension in your prostate gland and bladder. They can reduce the pressure on your urethra and increase the flow of urine. They don't cure BPH but may help to alleviate some of your symptoms.

5-alpha-reductase inhibitors

5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, such as finasteride (eg Proscar) and dutasteride (eg Avodart), block production of a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This can reduce the size of the prostate by up to one-third.

SURGERY

• Transurethral resection of the prosta (TURP) is the most common operation for BPH.
• Transurethral incision of the prostate appropriate for men who have a less enlarged prostate
• Open prostatectomy only recommended for men whose prostate is very large.
• Minimally invasive surgical treatment uses high energy to heat up and destroy parts of your prostate. Examples of minimally invasive techniques include:
  • microwave therapy
  • laser therapy
  • water-induced thermotherapy