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Leptospirosis – The Rat Fever that’s Killing People in Kerala Post Floods

Kerala floods have caused a havoc in kerala washing out villages and towns and post the floods the fear of epidemics is hovering already. Nipah the deadly virus had taken as may has over two dozen lives some months back and now it’s another fever called the rat fever of leptospirosis that has been causing deaths in Gods own country.

Last month a total number of deaths registered in Kozhikode has risen to 17 due to leptospirosis of which 6 have been confirmed and rest are suspected to be due to rat fever. To avoid further spread and even as an immediate measure, 85 bed isolation ward is setup in Kozhikode general hospital as well as government hospitals in Koyilandy, Vadakara and Feroke. Meanwhile low lying Alappuzha and three north-central districts reported a total of nine casualties due to rat fever.

Leptospirosis

The rat fever attacked as many as over 559 people across the state last month already of which 229 were confirmed cases of Leptospirosis.

Here’s a look into the condition, its causes, symptoms, treatment and preventive measures.

Leptospirosis is a condition caused due to a rare bacterial infection caused by a bacteria called Leptospira interrogans and spreads through the urine of animals like rodents, dogs as well as farm stock. These animals never show any symptoms but act as carriers while the organism resides in their kidneys. Although it is not a life threatening disease like Nipah most of the times, there is a possibility of severe leptospirosis which can lead to a fever that returns. When the fever returns, the condition is called Weil’s disease and requires hospitalization because it can have serious symptoms like chest pain, legs and swollen arms.

You can easily contract the bacteria if you are anywhere near to the place where the carrier animal has peed as the germs can invade the body through the scratches, dry areas and open wounds besides genitals, nose or mouth. Human to human infection can only spread to intercourse or breastfeeding.

So, if you are even around animals a lot then you are at high risk of it. Hence, people like veterinarians, underground or sewer workers, farmers, military persons and veterinarians are at high risk of contracting the bacteria. People who are into adventure activities like rafting, camping or swimming.

Symptoms
The symptoms may include fever that can spike up to 104 degrees besides Muscle ache, Headache, Vomiting, Jaundice, Skin Rash and even jaundice.

Diagnosis
The doctor will recommend a blood test and check for antibodies in the blood. Your body will produce antibodies to fight this bacteria but if you have had this condition before, it can give a false positive report. Hence, another test needs to be done for confirmation purpose after one week. The doctor could also advise you to go for a DNA test to be more precise, but it can get expensive to go for this test.

Treatment and Prevention
The treatment course runs across a period of one week where the doctor could prescribe ibuprofen tab for fever and muscle pain besides antibiotics like doxycycline and penicillin. A more serious condition like meningitis, lung issues and kidney failure might require you to get admitted immediately.

As they say prevention is always better, to avoid getting into this mess called Leptospirosis, stay away from domestic animals, live-stock and wild rats.

 

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How Rural India is a Bearing the Brunt of Non Communicable Diseases

A doctor practicing in the rural area was taken by surprise to find numerous cases of non communicable diseases amongst men and women in and around rural areas. While a 55 year old male suffered from from a heart attack, a 53 year old female was suffering from depression and anxiety. Other cases included that of chronic back pain and more, that too from a tribal village that is situated in one of the most backward districts of the state.

The question that doctors are pondering on is how are rural and tribal areas populace experiencing the health issues that are commonly associated with lifestyle of urban people. The fact is that the pattern of India’s health structure is making a paradigm shift and this has been so over the past 15 years. The fact came to light when the Government of India released its report on the death causing diseases. Further more, the figures of the report of 2010-13 showed enormous growth revealing 47% of the deaths were due to NCD’s and 30% due to Communicable Diseases. This significant rise of 7% undoubtedly indicated taking a keen interest in the healthcare issues of rural population and Non communicable diseases more so.

Well, even though as per statistics the life expectancy of people in urban as well as rural India remains the same more or less, the health issues related to aging seems to crop up in rural areas as well and not just the cities. Having said that, there are challenging dealing with rural NCDs compared to that of cities. Here’s a look through a few –

  • Unavailability for diagnosis and treatment in rural areas.
  • It can be expensive and economic issues like poverty amongst families
  • Unavailability of advanced professionals needed for treatment of NCD’s
  • Data Collection issues around Rural NCD’s hampers working on the problem further in a systematic way.
  • In India compared to developed countries NCD is common among the younger generation
  • Awareness is one of the main reasons NCD’s in rural region is not gaining the kind of attention it needs to get.

Well, NCD in rural India is no myth today as can be seen from the figures and hence the policy makers and government need to focus on devising and implementing solutions to deal with this growing healthcare issue of rural India.

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White Spots on Nails – Myths An More

There is one common myth around the condition where many people believe that white spots on nails are a sign of deficiency of calcium only. Apparently, the fact is white spots are not simply because of calcium or zinc deficiencies, there’s more to it. Scientifically known as Leukonychia, white spots on nails is a common condition. The main causes of this condition include either and injury to the matrix of the nail or an allergic reaction due to substances like nail hardeners, nail polish or sometimes even a mild infection.

White Spots on Nails

Also known as milk spots or white nails, Leukonychia refers to a condition where the complete nail turns white in color. Here’s a run-down the different types and sub types of Leukonychia –
Leukonychia totalis – As the name suggests, it causes white discoloration of the complete nail.
Leukonychia Partialis – This type causes a partial discoloration of the nail and is further divided in three main types.

  • Leukonychia Punctata – In this type, small white spots are seen on the nail.
  • Leukonychia Transverse – Also known as mees lines, striate or transverse leukonychia condition is responsible of causing horizontal white lines running parallel to the lunula. 
  • Longitudinal Leukonychia – In this type, a white band surfaces down the nail. 

Leukonychia is also divided based on the type of injury into two types.

  • True Leukonychia – This is caused when there is an injury or damage to the nail. The white area of this nail is not affected by any pressure and grows as the nail does.
  • Apparent Leukonychia – This is caused when the bed beneath the nail is affected. This white area does reduce under pressure and does not grow as the nail does.

Treatment – The treatment is based on the diagnosis and if the doctor finds any uncertainty then you need to undergo a few tests –

  • Nail Biopsy – A tissue from the mail is removed and sent for testing
  • Mycology – This test involves the examination of nail clippings and fungi
  • Blood Test – This test is done to check the presence of a systematic disease

The white spots that are caused without any injury are harmless and grow out over time naturally. While if injury or trauma is the cause, then the doctor decides on the course of treatment.
Prevention
Yes, white spots can be prevented from resurfacing by taking care of your nails and being cautious. Some of the preventive measures are –

  • Avoid excess use of nail paint or polish
  • Cut your nails on a regular basis and keep them short
  • Use a moisturizer after washing nails to avoid dryness
  • Avoid contact with substances that cause irritation

Well, generally white spots or Leukonychia is harmless in nature but only rarely can it be a sign of an underlying serious condition. Hence, if you find one, it is advisable that you see the doctor immediately.

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Egg Freezing – More Power to Women

Egg freezing is not an entirely unknown term. Awareness about it is fast spreading across cities in India. Even Gynaecologists have observed a spurt in the inquiries around egg freezing. Scientifically known as oocyte cryopreservation, this process involves the extraction of a woman’s egg from the ovary, freezing and storing it. Afterwards at the time of conceiving, this egg is thawed and placed in the uterus as embryos.

This is a boon for women in India today who want to make life choices on their own at their time. Many women delay marriages as they do not want to get married under pressure and want to prioritize education and career. Such women can freeze their eggs and use them later to conceive. There are numerous case studies to help you understand how egg freezing helped women in India conceive and deliver a healthy baby at a time when they were ready for it.

Case 1 – A 31-year-old female from Matunga wanted to conceive through IVF and her husband was in too much pressure while donating his sperm, so much so that he was not able to produce a semen sample required for the IVF on the day of collection. So, they extracted her egg and froze it. The IVF process was later completed once the semen was received and she had a hassle free pregnancy.

Case 2 – A 14-year-old female was diagnosed with cancer in one of her ovaries. The doctor extracted and froze her egg from the other ovary before she underwent chemotherapy. He mother was glad that her daughter had a choice to conceive in the future as freezing her egg granted protection to her fertility.

Case 3 – A 36-year-old who was not ready for marriage, froze her eggs at 32 so that whenever she is ready for it and for maternity, there are no issues with conceiving.

Today, egg freezing awareness is spreading fast amongst the society and many women are opting for the alternative as it empowers them to make a choice of becoming a mother, at the time they want to. Across the world, egg freezing has already helped conceive and deliver over 2000 babies. Having said that, even though the freezing can be done at any age based on the count of antral follicles and hormone levels, the doctors generally advise doing the egg freezing before 35 years.

In today’s times when the world is embracing gender equality and women are determined to match the abilities of men in almost every walk of life, egg freezing is an amazing addition to their empowerment arsenal.

RRMCH has got best gynecologist in Bangalore and the department provides the best treatment for women health care. RRMCH provides regular clinical services as well.

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Top 5 Medical Tourism Destinations in the World

We all know about the recent spurt in medical Tourism, but what you might not know and perhaps, would want to know is,  names of the countries that top this list. Before we look into that, here’s some information on medical tourism. As per international statistics, 11 million people from the USA opted for medical tourism in 2016. Now, that is a huge number. Furthermore, the medical tourism industry is slated to grow by 25% in the coming years. People are choosing medical tourism alternative for reasons like quality healthcare at impressive costs, convenience and more. Lets run-down 5 of the most sought-after medical tourism destinations in the world.

BRAZIL – As per World Health Organization, Brazil tops the list of medical tourism destinations in the world. With over 40 JCI accredited hospitals and world’s best experts under their belts, Brazil is a one-stop solution for healthcare needs around cosmetic and plastic surgery. The reason it is third on the list of most visited countries for cosmetic and plastic surgery is due to its quality services at affordable rates.

MEXICO – Mexico is one of the most preferred destinations for medical healthcare as it is known to reduce the medical costs by a staggering 40% to 65%. It boasts of over 98 JCI accredited hospitals and offers advanced treatment procedures in areas of cosmetic surgery and dentistry. Most of the people residing in the USA are known to travel to Mexico for their healthcare needs.

INDIA – India is brimming with medical tourists as on day and the reason it stands in this list is its ability reduce healthcare costs by a mammoth 65% to 90% as compared to the USA, making it one of the most visited countries for healthcare services. India is a preferred location not only due to its affordability or quality healthcare services but because there is zero waiting time for scheduling surgeries and living here is a relaxing experience as well.

THAILAND – The land of the white elephants as it is known, Thailand is also famous for its pristine beaches. But many of us aren’t aware of the fact that it is also a popular destination for medical tourism. You can not only reduce your medical expenditure by 50% to 75% but also avail facilities like private recovery gardens, Thai massage and other relaxation therapies at affordable prices.

TURKEY – The reason Turkey is on the list of most favored destinations for medical tourism is that it offers zero waiting times for services of healthcare particularly like transplant, neurosurgery, genomic medicine, radiation therapy for cancer. The Turkish airlines also offers discounts for medical tourists and the best part is the bottom line –  you end up saving around 50% to 65% of your money as compared to the USA.

Well, healthcare has broadened its horizons and is available across borders at affordable prices. Hence, umpteen people across countries are opting for medical tourism.

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All You Need to Know About Terminal Illness

The term terminal illness means disease that is not curable and is expected to result in death of the patient over a course of time. It is a commonly used term for illnesses like cancer, heart disease of advanced stage, to name a few. When a person is said to be suffering from a terminal illness, there is near certainty that the patient is going to die in a course of time irrespective of the treatment. Once diagnosed with a terminal condition the patient knows that death is certain and the doctor informs the patient about the time left, in days, weeks, months or years.

Once a patient is diagnosed for terminal illness, the disease management process is decided. The options for it include continual of treatment, caregiving, hospice care and even physician assisted suicide. The decision making is done keeping the patient as well as the family in loop. Many a time patients with terminal illness experience anxiety around the nearing death as well as depression and hence requires psychotherapeutic treatment to help them deal with the same.

On the flip side, knowing about the terminal illness condition gives them time to get ready for advance treatment and care procedures as well as living will, to help them deal with end of life care effectively. Let us run through the different disease management or end of life care procedures for terminal illness patients.

Terminal Illness

Treatment Continuation

Palliative Care – Palliative care is more about after care of the physical needs of the patients post diagnosis. This includes emotional support, management of pain, psychological and spiritual care. It is a methodology that concentrates on improvement of quality of life of the patients and satisfaction besides helping family members deal and cope with the difficult situation.

Care Giving – Care giving is an integral part of terminal disease management. It involves keeping a nurse to take care of the person suffering from the condition. The care givers provide support like psychological support, food, assistance with movement and routine activities on a day to day basis.

Medications – Terminal patients who suffer from cancer related pain, need medications for relief. The medication prescribed varies based on the pain severity as well as status of disease. One of the common symptoms that terminal illness patients experience is dyspnea viz. breathing issues.

Good Hospitals in Bangalore

Hospice Care – There is a misconception that people choosing hospice care live less compared to others, but study has proved that patients with hospice care live for the same span than others. It includes spending more time with family, friends or other inmates undertaking hospice disease management procedures. They usually stay away from a hospital at home or at an inpatient hospice facility.

Physician assisted Suicide (PAS) – This concept is legally approved only in a few countries in the world. It is when a patient decides to die with dignity that he or she opts for physician assisted suicide. The decision could be based on various different reasons like avoiding pain, disability, healthcare costs, family impact, personal and religious beliefs, to name a few. The patient has to give request in writing as well as orally after which the physicians offer them lethal drugs to help them die.

Well, some terminally ill patients stop all the treatments that they are undergoing to avoid side-affects while some go for even more aggressive treatment in a hope to increase their life span to the maximum. Some also opt for alternative methods of treatment that are non-proven as well as diet changes that are required.

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What is Food Poisoning? An Overview

Recently, there was news of over 100 prisoners in Delhi falling sick suddenly and being admitted to the hospital. The reason cited for the same is either food poisoning, drug poisoning or contaminated water. Food poisoning is a common term and you hear people and kids suffering from it every now and then. It is a very uncomfortable condition that leads to nausea, vomiting or diarrhea and is caused due to the intake of toxic, contaminated or spoiled food.

Causes
Food poisoning can either be caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites. The most common though is through bacteria like Listeria, E coli and salmonella. The latter is said to be the biggest cause of serious food poisoning cases. Another rare or lethal bacteria responsible for food poisoning includes the C. botulism and Campylobacter. Norovirus is a virus type which can also lead to food poisoning but is not fatal mostly. Others include Rotavirus, Astrovirus, Sapovirus and Hepatitis A, wherein the latter can be serious. Toxoplasma is a parasite which causes food poisoning. Parasites live within your digestive tract but can go undetected for years.

Food-Poisoning-Main-blog-image-550x410

Symptoms
Usually, food poisoning is detectable based on the symptoms. The symptoms differ as per the infection source. The symptoms appear anytime within 1 hour or 28 days depending on the infection source again. Most people suffering from food poisoning show atleast three of the following symptoms.

  • Headache
  • Weakness
  • Nausea
  • Mild fever
  • Loss of appetite
  • Diarrhea
  • Abdominal cramps

Food poisoning ain’t life-threatening. But, this does not mean that you take the condition lightly. There is always a rare possibility of it getting life-threatening as well. Look out for the following symptoms and initiate immediate medical assistance –

  • Fever of 105 or higher
  • Severe dehydration, dry mouth, no urine passage
  • Difficulty speaking or seeing
  • Diarrhea that does not go for 3 or more days
  • Blood in urine

Treatment
Food poisoning generally does not require any treatment and can easily be managed at home. It can take three to five days to subside but the most important part is to stay hydrated all along. Consumption of Sports drink that has electrolyte in them works really well in dealing with the condition. To help yourself out of fatigue try natural drinks like coconut water and fruit juice.

Know about best Hospitals in Bangalore, Karnataka.

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Top 5 Ongoing Trends in Healthcare Sector

Gone are the times when healthcare sector had a reputation of almost negative customer experiences. Nowadays, healthcare companies are going all guns blazing about their approach towards their customers. The approach also includes the optimum use of advanced technology besides newer approaches in-order to create a progressive change in the healthcare industry. Let us run through some of the upcoming trends in the healthcare eco-system.

Trends in Healthcare Sector

Tailored Medicine – Medicine is all about observation based diagnosis with evidence to support the same. Today, healthcare centers are equipped with the latest in technology that results into accurate and speedy diagnosis. For example, with the help of radiology clinicians can investigate structures deep inside the body and with techniques like histopathology, clinicians can identify virus and tumors using microscopes.

Virtual Reality – Virtual reality is working well in the management and treatment of pain. As per a study of the recent times, children responded to chemotherapy better when they played games while undergoing the same. This was because their attention got concentrated from the treatment part to the play part and hence even resulted in them requiring less dosage. Side effects like nausea and hypertension were also reduced compared to children who were advised to rest.

Patient Customization – Data has grown and so has the ability of the healthcare facilities to provide their customers with an experience that is absolutely personalized. Based on the history of the patient, these clinics provide facilities like potential health issues, doctors preferred by the patient, patient preference in terms of remote treatment or walk in, to name a few. This can help avoid the complexities involved with the navigation through health care professional web and makes patients information available readily for speedy and accurate treatment solutions.

Augmented Reality – Besides other fields, augmented reality is playing a crucial role in healthcare and is fast turning out to be one of the most effective applications in medical training. AR helps doctors while monitoring diagnosis with the treatment procedure options to look forward too. They don’t have to spend time in honing their medical knowledge further because treatment options can simply pop up on their screen with options and suggestions. For example, while doing a child checkup the growth chart can pop up on the monitor itself, thus helping the doctor with seamless treatment procedures.

Smart Technology in Hospitals – Smart Technology in Hospitals has actually helped better patient experience, comfort, and care. For example, many hospitals have started using smart technology in hospitals. In a few countries, certain healthcare outfits use self-adjusting beds for pressure and support customization for patients. Many are also making use of man free facilities where robots carry out the monitoring process of the patient in the room. Smart technology is available in different forms and works in reducing risks while increasing comfort and efficiency. Affirmatively, the use of smart technology across the healthcare ecosystem is poised to grow day by day, obviously so.

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5 tips to help you sail through the pregnancy voyage safely

Pregnancy is the harbinger of a new life coming to form and the herald of a life changing journey commencing 9 months later. One of the most remarkable moments is when you come to know about it and then begins a daily routine that involves a lot of tests, doctor visits and self-care. While, it is a vital part of a woman’s life, sailing through the pregnancy phase is also another extremely vital part because of the risks associated with the whole process. So, here are five important tips that could help you ensure safe drive through your pregnancy roads.

pregnancy Voyage Safely

Genetic Screening – Sometimes genetic illnesses can affect the health of the fetus and hence it is detrimental for you and your spouse to undergo genetic screening.

De-stressing – Stress can affect your health as well as the health of the fetus. So, keeping yourself stress-free is a good idea. To keep stress at bay you may indulge yourself in activities like breathing exercises, relaxing showers, yoga, and meditation.

De-Addiction – Addictions can be life-threatening for the fetus and create unnecessary complications like premature birth, low birth weight or miscarriage. Good idea to stay away from them.

Exercise – Remaining active is the key to a healthy body. So, exercise on a routine basis, walk every day for some-time and feel fit all through your pregnancy.

Diet Balance – A balanced diet can help you and your fetus stay healthy and receive all the necessary nutrients throughout the prenatal period. So, get a dietician for a customized diet plan and follow it all through.

Prenatal Care – Do your research to get yourself a certified and experienced prenatal care center. Try finding it nearby to avoid the hassles of commuting through traffic for regular checkups and emergency times.

Besides that always take care of yourself all through the pregnancy while walking or commuting with respect to your safety and avoid any laborious activities that have a potential to harm you like lifting heavy stuff, riding two-wheelers through traffic, but to name a few.

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology has been providing comprehensive health care for women. We provide regular clinical services in Obstetrics like antenatal care, labor management, Postpartum Care. We also provide specialized care in high-risk pregnancies like P.I.H, Eclampsia, GDM, Multiple gestations, BOH.

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All you need to Know About HLA-B27 Test

HLA B27 is a test that is conducted to identify the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA B27) protein. This protein is situated on the white blood cells surface and is an antigen that helps the immune system infection causing aliens and healthy body tissues.

Though most of the HLAs protect the body against harmful invaders, HLA B27 is on a particular protein that is responsible for system dysfunction by attacking the healthy cells instead of foreign substances. This causes autoimmune diseases like ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis.

HLA B27

Symptoms that indicate Test Taking
The HLA-B27 test is taken alongside other tests like MRI scan, urine and blood tests to confirm the presence of autoimmune disease.

  • Joint inflammation and skin lesions
  • Pain in the joints
  • Eye inflammation that reoccurs
  • Swelling or stiffness in the neck, chest or spine

Auto-immune conditions due to HLA-B27
Based on the symptoms the doctor may advise the test to check for the presence and progression of HLA-B27 with certain autoimmune conditions like

  • Bone inflammation in the spine – Ankylosing spondylitis
  • Joint inflammation in joints, eyes, urethra, and skins lesions at times – Reactive arthritis
  • Swelling and irritation at eyes middle layer – Anterior uveitis
  • Joint stiffness, pain, redness, limping, swelling and reduced motion range – Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Besides, HLA antigen tests are also taken when a patient needs to undergo a transplant of kidney or bone marrow as they help in determining a suitable match of a donor.

Diagnosis
If the test is positive, it indicates the presence of HLA- B27 in blood. Though, it still is not a cent percent confirmation that an autoimmune condition may develop. Other symptoms are also taken into account including blood tests and diagnostic exams.

Conclusion
HLA-B27 indicates the presence of the protein in blood but a positive or negative result cannot be taken as a cent percent confirmation of the autoimmune disorder. Once the test is done and the results are out, the doctor will advise you on further steps around the possible condition.

know more about Rajarajeswari Hospital in Bangalore