DIAGNOSIS AND HEALTH CARE TIPS FOR PREVENTING VIRAL HEPATITIS

In our last article on health care education, we learned about Viral Hepatitis and various types of these viruses. Now In this article, we are going to explain the diagnosis and health care tips for the prevention of these viruses. If you still not read our previous medical education article on Viral Hepatitis and Its Types then you can CLICK HERE to read that one.

Medical Education on Diagnosis of Viral Hepatitis: 

Clinically all these viruses cause hepatitis and cannot be distinguished only by symptoms but by simple blood tests. Most of these lab tests are ELISA based.

* Chronic viral hepatitis may present differently depending on, whether liver cirrhosis and/or liver cancer is existing. Important manifestations are fatigue, weight loss, jaundice, swelling of legs and abdomen, anorexia, fever, arthritis, coma and gastro-intestinal bleeding. These patients, in addition, may present with symptoms related to kidney, joints or skin.

* Chronic viral hepatitis B and C are among the most common cause of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer (HCC), globally. Hepatitis B alone causes over 50 percent of all liver cancers and 33 percent of all liver cirrhosis, globally. Liver cancer (HCC) is a highly malignant tumor with aver-age survival of 3-6 months.

However, if diagnosed early by imaging modalities and blood tests, patients may be cured by liver surgery which includes liver transplantation. This facility is available across many hospitals in India as well all over the world.

Various Health's caring Prevention to save yourself from these Viruses:

1). General Prevention that we should take care: Simple measures like proper chlorination of water, boiling of water, replacing damaged or leaking sewerage pipes, ensuring safe and hygienic drinking water supply at all times can prevent infection.

2). Medical Treatment Prevention: The hepatitis A infection can also be prevented by hepatitis A vaccine. The first dose is followed by a second dose after six to 12 months. This is a safe vaccine and is highly effective, with protective antibodies being formed in over 95 per cent of vaccinated people. Combination of hepatitis A and B vaccine is also commercially available. Besides children, it is also recommended for:

1. Patients with pre existing liver disease like cirrhosis.
2. Those travelling to a highly endemic area.
3. People who have an occupational hazard for expo-sure to hepatitis A virus.
4. Hepatitis E vaccine was launched in China last year.

Three doses—at day 0, one month and six months — are given intramuscularly, in the arm. Hepatitis E vaccine is safe in pregnancy. Its efficacy in preventing hepatitis E infection for the last three years has already been shown. This vaccine will especially be useful for patients with a pre-existing liver disease like cirrhosis, in which hepatitis E can cause a ACLF. Hepatitis E vaccine is still not available in India and most of the world.

3). Blood-borne hepatitis can be prevented by safe medical and surgical practices, by screening all blood donors for HBV, HCV and HIV, refusing blood donation from commercial/professional donors, using disposable and sterilised needles and syringes, avoiding recycling of needles, syringes and other medical equipment, avoiding sharing of needles/syringes among IVDU, taking proper precautions during haemodialysis, and vaccinating all pregnant women.

In fact, WHO recommends universal hepatitis B vaccination for everybody. If a family member tests positive for hepatitis B or C infection, following precautions should be observed:

Avoid sharing safety razor, razor blades.

Avoid sharing hair brush, comb, nail cutter and clipper.

Practice safe sex.

Avoid alcohol.

Don’t be a blood donor.

Have a regular medical follow-up to ensure that the disease does not progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

As we all know that prevention and cure is the most important factor to get recover from your sickness. So dear reader Continue your visit with us on to the path of medical Health Education.

HEALTH EDUCATION ON VIRAL HEPATITIS: NEED FOR AWARENESS

Hepatitis is a very serious condition, which may lead to liver cirrhosis, liver failure as well as liver cancer.

VIRAL hepatitis puts a tremendous burden on society. Chronic viral hepatitis, which can cause liver cirrhosis and /or liver cancer, is fatal. Apart from the medical consequences, this also puts a huge economic burden by repeated hospitalisations and costly medical treatment. Acute viral hepatitis, apart from causing sporadic cases of jaundice, can cause epidemics affecting thousands of people. Rarely, a patient of acute viral hepatitis may die of liver failure.

Types of Virus: There are various types of viruses that cause hepatitis. These viruses are as follows Virus A, B, C, D & E. All these dangerous viruses can cause inflammation of the liver, which is medically called viral hepatitis.

The symptoms can include— loss of appetite, vomiting, fever, jaundice, joint and muscle pain, and weight loss are the major symptoms.

All these viruses can cause acute viral hepatitis. If the liver inflammation persists beyond six months, it is labelled as chronic hepatitis. Maximum mortality is caused by chronic hepatitis, which is a serious condition and which, over the decades, may lead to liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer, thereby causing death.

Disease burden: According to WHO, globally every third person has evidence of viral hepatitis. There are over 500 million people are living with chronic hepatitis B and C, out of which India has 33 million chronic hepatitis B cases and 13 million chronic hepatitis C patients. The Asia-Pacific region carries an estimated 75 percent of the total global burden of chronic hepatitis B. Annually 1.4 million deaths occur globally.

Global mortality of hepatitis E is over 300,000 annually. Globally, there are an estimated 1.5 million hepatitis infection cases annually.

Water-borne and blood-borne viruses

Hepatitis A and E are waterborne and are frequently seen in poor sanitary conditions. These are spread mostly by drinking faecal contaminated water and/ or food. These are the most common causes of acute viral hepatitis in the Asia-Pacific region and may also cause epidemics when thousands of people are affected by the outbreak of jaundice.

These do not cause chronic hepatitis. Most of the mortality caused by hepatitis A is due to the rare event of acute liver failure, which may be seen in one in 1,000 children, and up to two per 100 adults.

Both these viruses have a devastating effect if a person has pre-existing liver disease, a condition called acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), which has a high morbidity and mortality.

Hepatitis B, C and D are blood borne and are spread by transfusion of infected blood, infected needles and /or syringes, infected haemodialysis equipment, sharing of infected needle and/ or syringe among intra-venous drug users (IVDU), occupational hazards by needle-prick injury, promiscuous sexual behaviour etc.

These modes of transmission are called horizontal transmission. Particularly in hepatitis B infection, mother passes on the infection to the new born. This is called vertical transmission and a common mode of infection in Asian countries. Delta virus is a defective virus, which can only infect people who are already infected with hepatitis B.

In the Next article of Medical Health care we will post Various Health tips on Prevention of Water Borne Viruses and The Diagnosis of Hepatitis Viral Infection. So we with us on Health care Education.

Now you can visit here for our next health care article on  Diagnosis and Prevention of Viral Hepatitis

HEALTH EDUCATION ON MAJOR SKIN DISEASES KNOWN AS URTICARIA (RASHES)

MEDICAL HEALTH EDUCATION ON COMMON SKIN PROBLEM KNOWN AS URTICARIA (RASHES)

INTRODUCTION: A common skin trouble that affects many people is the sudden appearance of red rashes on the skin, which may occur totally unannounced and take one by surprise. The moment one feels some itching, one is inclined to scratch the part and immediately after scratching the part, red rashes or wheals appear on the skin. These rashes or wheals may itch or burn and may stay for some time after which they settle down. In medical parlance, this condition is known as urticaria. Urticaria or “hives” as known in English is derived from a Latin word “urtica” which means nettles though urticaria has nothing to do with nettles except that it causes itching and stinging as caused by the weeds of the nettle family.

CHARACTERISTICS OF URTICARIA:

• Characterised by the development of red rashes that itch, burn and sting.
• Urticaria can crop up on any area of the skin, including the face, arms, lips or eyes.
• The red wheals may be small in size and separated from each other by areas of normal skin or may coalesce together to form a single large area of eruption.

CAUSES OF URTICARIA:

1). ALLERGY: Usually, allergies are the cause of this trouble though it is difficult to pinpoint the exact allergen. Most of the time the offending allergen is too inconspicuous to be detected accurately. This makes it difficult to avoid the recurrence of this trouble as one does not come to know the source of the trouble.

2). ALLERGY TO FOOD ITEMS: Some people may be allergic to common articles of food as chocolates, nuts, wheat or milk.

3). EXPOSURE TO EXTREME OF TEMPERATURE: Other known causes of urticaria are exposure to cold, heat, sun, alcohol, drugs, exercise and emotional stress.

TYPES OF URTICARIA:

• DERMOGRAPHISM: The urticaria caused by minor pressure or scratching of the skin is known as dermographism.
• SOLAR URTICARIA: Some people get hives on going out in the sun known as solar urticaria.
• COLD URTICARIA: Exposure to cold can also cause urticaria in some patients. In extreme cases of allergy, wheezing respiration and unconsciousness may accompany the skin symptoms.
• CHOLINERGIC URTICARIA: It is another form of urticaria which is triggered by exercise, heat or emotions.

CHEMICAL REACTION IN BODY DURING URTICARIA:

The swelling that is seen in the skin rashes is caused by the leakage of blood plasma out of the vessels into the extracellular space. This remains limited only to the superficial layer of the skin and is caused by histamine which is released from the mast cells. Besides allergic reactions certain chemicals in foods and drugs can also lead to the release of histamine.

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HEALTH CARE TIPS ON TREATMENT OF URTICARIA:

1). More often than not, the rashes and the wheals sub-side on their own after some time but are quite distressing for the time they last. They come suddenly, last for a while and fade away on their own. Intense itching prompts one to scratch and often there is bleeding from the areas as the skin is peeled off by scratching. In some cases, scratching does not relieve the itching and may even cause more itching and may spread to the adjacent areas.

2). Applying coconut oil or Vaseline usually helps in relieving the itching and is the better course of action as compared to scratching with one’s nail which can expose the skin to further infection by bacteria and viruses.

3). Role of homoeopathy: The commonly used homoeopathic medicines for the treatment of urticaria are Apis, Natrum Mur, Mezereum, Dulcama-ra and Calcarea Carb. It is very important that the right medicine should be selected after a thorough study of the symptoms. Constitutional treatment with the right medicine is able to cure this trouble completely.

Continue your visit with Tricky Health. We are here to make a healthy World by sharing various Medical Education on very common diseases…

By: Dr. S.L Sharma.

MODE OF INFECTION FOR HYPATITIS B VIRUS ALONG WITH HEALTH TIPS FOR PREVENTING INFECTION

Our Previous article was on Introduction to Hepatitis B virus along with the Symptoms. If you want to read that article you can CLICK HERE to read that one where we explained the basic medical education on Hepatitis-B virus. Now in this segment of Medical Health education on Hepatitis B we are going to explain various modes of Infections for this Virus along with TIPS FOR PREVENTING INFECTION.

Modes of infection: There are following mode through which this infection can spread:

1). Hepatitis B and C spread through unsafe injection practices means using the same injections to multiple persons.

2). Unprotected sex relationship with an infected person.

3). Transfusion of infected blood to a healthy person.

4). Infection may also spread from mother to baby at birth.

5). Sharing a razor or toothbrush with a hepatitis-infected person also lead to the infection.

6). Getting body piercing or tattoo done with infected tools, and using needles that have already been used by a hepatitis-positive individual (such as for therapeutic injections or taking drugs) spread the infection.

But one cannot contract hepatitis B and C through sharing food or drinks with an infected person or through casual contact such as hugging, kissing, sneezing or coughing.
HEALTH TIPS FOR PREVENTING YOURSELF FROM HYPETITIS VIRUS
HEALTH TIPS FOR PREVENTING INFECTION:(FOR PATIENTS)

❚To avoid contracting or spreading the Hepatitis virus:
❚Never share needles
❚Do not share toothbrushes or razors
❚Do not get a tattoo or piercing done with tools that are not sterilised
❚Be vigilant about the use of fresh syringe and needles by the health care providers in all settings
❚Always use a condom during sex

HEALTH TIPS FOR PREVENTING INFECTION:(FOR MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS)

❚Never forget to wear latex or plastic gloves (handbags) to avoid direct contact with blood of infected patients
❚Do not use the same syringe to medicate more than one patient.
❚Never recap needles
❚Do not access the bag with a syringe that has already been used to flush a patient’s IV or catheter
❚Do not use a shared medication vial with a used syringe to medicate another patient
❚Ensure that you and your staff are immunized against Hepatitis B
❚In case of accidental needle stick injury follow NACO guidelines on post exposure prophylaxis within 72 hours

Awareness is the most important thing to cure yourself from these type of dangerous viruses. That’s why we are here to provide you medical health education and health caring tips on various topics. So be aware about these health tips and live a health and fit life ahead.

HEALTH EDUCATION ON DEADLY KILLER HEPATITIS-B VIRUS ALONG WITH SYMPTOMS

The hepatitis B virus, 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV, kills over 6 lakh people every year worldwide. The incidence among the Indian population may be about 2-5 percent, according to WHO. Creating awareness against the deadly virus is the only solution.

MEDICAL HEALTH EDUCATION ON HEPATITIS VIRUS

Introduction: LIVER diseases do not get as much media space as cancer and heart ailments, but they are equally menacing and deadly. The most important of these is hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver, which is caused by a viral infection. 

Hepatitis is of five types: A, B, C, D and E. While hepatitis A and E are caused by the consumption of contaminated food and water, hepatitis B, C and D most commonly occur due to contact with infected body fluids like blood and semen, and contaminated injections. 

Hepatitis B and C can lead to chronic (long-term) diseases such as liver cancer and liver cirrhosis. Liver cancer is almost always fatal, with most patients in developing countries dying within a few months of diagnosis. Liver cirrhosis patients are sometimes given liver transplants, with mixed success.

                                                The deadly killer
Hepatitis B is the most dangerous type of viral hepatitis. About 2 billion people are estimated to be infected with it. The incidence among the Indian population may be about 2-5 per cent, according to WHO. When infected with hepatitis B virus, about 80 per cent of the people do not show any symptoms during the short term (acute) phase. Since they remain unaware of the ailment, it is easy for them to transmit the virus to others. So be aware of it to make your and other life healthy and fit.

Sign And Symptoms:
The symptoms, if these occur, include jaundice, dark urine, vomiting and stomach pain.

Treatment: There is no specific treatment for acute hepatitis B and most patients recover after a few weeks without any medication. Sometimes, the hepatitis B virus may reside in a patient’s body for years (chronic phase) and damage the liver by causing serious life-threatening diseases. Blood tests can diagnose people with hepatitis B and distinguish between acute and chronic infections. Age is an important factor in determining if hepatitis B will remain acute (run for a few weeks) or turn chronic (life-long). The lower the age of a person getting infected with hepatitis B, the higher are the chances of the infection turning chronic. Young children infected with hepatitis B are the most likely to develop chronic infection. About one-fourth of adults, who get chronically infected during childhood, succumb to liver cancer or cirrhosis later. That is why it is extremely important to protect children from hepatitis B infection. This can be done through vaccination.
About 15 crore people in the world are infected with Hepatitis C, around 3.5 lakh of whom die every year to complications related to the virus, according to WHO.

Unfortunately at this time there is no preventive vaccine for hepatitis C currently available. It is curable using anti-viral drugs but the treatment is very expensive, much beyond the capacity of most patients in developing countries. So awareness with your Health and Fitness can save you from such viruses

RISK FACTORS OF BREAST CANCER ALONG WITH SIGN AND SYPTOMS

In our previous article we discussed about What is Breast Cancer and it’s classifications. If you want to read that article on “What is Breast Cancer?” than you can CLICK HERE to have a look on that article. Now in this article of Medical Education on Cancer we are going to tell you various risk factors means the factors which increases the chances to have breast Cancer.
RISK FACTORS OF BREAST CANCER: Risk factors mean the factors which increase the chances to have the breast cancer. There are a variety of factors which can lead to breast cancer, these are as follows:
1). GENETIC FACTORS: These are the factors which are related to genes and are inheritable means they can be transferred from parents to their children. These are as follows:

• GENETIC FACTORS: The BRCA1 & BRCA2 mutations are the main causes of inherited cases of the breast cancer cases.
• FAMILY HISTORY OF BREAST CANCER: The chances to have breast cancer increases to two folds if a person having first degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) breast cancer & the chances to get this problem increased to five folds if the person having two first degree relatives.
• FEMALE GENDER: 99% of the breast cancer cases occur in females as compared to males.

2). HORMONAL FACTORS: These are the factors that are directly related to the level of hormones in the body. These are as follows:

• MENSTRUATION: The women who are having their menarche (starting of menstruation) at earlier age that is before 12 years if age & late menopause (cessation of menstrual cycle) that is after 55years of age are at a greater risk of developing breast cancer.
• CHILD-BEARING FACTORS: The women who conceive after 30 years of age & the women who are not having any child including abortion are prone to have breast cancer.
• HORMONAL THERAPY: The women using oral contraceptives continuously from last 10 years & use of hormonal therapy after menopause are at a risk to develop breast cancer.

3). ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: These are the factors that present in the environment:

• EXPOSURE TO IONIZING RADIATION: The risk is more if a girl exposed to ionizing radiation during adolescent period because at this time the breast tissues are still developing and have a greater chances of mutations.

4). PERSONAL FACTORS: These factors are related to a person’s own life-style. These are as follows:

• OBESITY: More weight that is overweight women are prone to have breast cancer because the fat tissue can increase the hormone (estrogen) production which is the main cause of developing breast cancer.
• ALCOHOL INTAKE: Daily two or three drinks also increase the risk to develop breast cancer.

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SIGN AND SYMPTOM OF BREAST CANCER:

1. On physical self-examination a mass that is almost non-tender (painless), fixed not mobile, hard with irregular border is felt.
2. Discharge from nipple.
3. Breast pain associated with menstruation is also common in this.
4. Irregularity in the shape, size & symmetry of both breasts.
5. Breast skin dimpling.
6. Mammographic results shows abnormality in the anatomy (internal structure) of the breast.

These sign & symptoms may be confused with the normalcy of breast structure and sometimes may be ignored so it is very important to consult a doctor as soon as you notice any of these signs for confirmation and to have your mammography regularly.
Mammography is the best method to diagnose the breast cancer earlier. One should undergo mammography every 3 yearly, it is very important for the women in their 20s & 30s to undergo mammography every 3 yearly & yearly for elderly women.
Doing breast self examination is also an important method to prevent breast cancer chances. So in our next article we will tell you how one can do her breast examination by her own that is called Breast Self Examination (BSE). So have a watch on our articles on “Cancer Health Education”.
Wrote By: Dr. Naina Sharma.

WHAT IS BREAST CANCER? CLASSIFICATION OF BREAST CANCER

                                WHAT IS BREAST CANCER?

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is a major health problem in the people especially in the elderly women. It is the cancer of breast tissue which developed due to alteration in the genes. A cancer can be defined as the changes that take place in the genes which leads to uncontrolled proliferation (enhancement) of that tissue means too much immature tissue development is there. Breast cancer is a type of cancer that develop from the inner milk ducts or the lobules that supply the milk. Various researches shows that breast cancer is more prevalent in developed countries than developing countries and more in the women of high socio economic status. Life expectancy rate depend upon the type, stage, Treatment & self adherence of the patient.

Be Aware: Breast cancer is a type of malignant tumor (can spread from one organ to another) of the breast tissue.

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CLASSIFICATION OF BREAST CANCER:

Breast cancer is of different types. The type of breast cancer depends upon the site of cancerous tissue whether it is in the ducts of breast or in the lobules. Mainly it is of following types:
1). DUCTAL CARCINOMA IN SITU
2). INVASIVE CARCINOMA

Description of these types is as follow: 1). DUCTAL CARCINOMA IN SITU (DCIS): DCIS is a type of cancer which is limited only to the milk ducts & not spreaded to the surrounding tissues that’s why it is called as “non-invasive cancer”. If it is diagnosed by Mammogram then it is consider as the cancer stage 0. If it is left untreated then it can lead to invasive cancer so early identification & treatment is very much important. 2). INVASIVE CARCINOMA (CANCER): When the caner spread to the surrounding breast tissue then it is called invasive cancer. Depending upon the site of invasion it is of following types:

• INFILTRATING DUCTAL CARCINOMA: This is the most common type of invasive cancer accounting for approximately for 80% cases. This type of cancer firstly starts in the ducts of the breast then spread to the surrounding tissues. They form a solid irregular mass in the breast.
• INFILTRATING LOBULAR CARCINOMA: This type of cancer accounts for 10-15% of cases. This type of breast cancer starts in the milk producing glands & then invades the surrounding tissues. This type of cancer that arises as ill defined thickening in the breast.
• MEDULLARY CARCINOMA: This type of cancer accounts for 5% of breast cancer & arises from the capsule inside the ducts then invades the surrounding tissues.
• MUCINOUS CARCINOMA: This type accounts for 3% breast cancer cases & mostly occurs in the elderly women. This grows from the mucin producing cancer cells & is slow growing that’s why its prognosis is good.
• TUBULAR DUCTAL CARCINOMA: This type of cancer accounts for 2% of breast cancer cases & the prognosis of this type is excellent because the chances of invasion are very less.
• INFLAMMATORY CARCINOMA: This is a peculiar type of breast cancer because the sign & symptoms are very unique. This type of breast cancer is very rare. This is characterized by edema (swelling) & brawny erythema resembling to orange peel. This is caused by the malignant cells blocking the lymph channels in the skin.
• PAGET’SDISEASE: This accounts for 1% of cases. This is similar as ductal carcinoma of nipple but can invade to surrounding tissues. This is characterized by scaly, erythematous, pruritic (pus) lesions of the nipple.

In the Next Topic of our Health Education we will Post about Various Risk Factors related to the Skin Cancer. So continue your visit with us For a Healthy Life ahead..

Risk Factors And Symptoms Those Lead to Breast Cancer(CLICK HERE)