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Hepatitis B – The Condition That Amitabh Bachchan Lives With

Many of us are already aware that our most favorite and loved film actor, Amitabh Bachchan, has been living with Hepatitis B for a long time now. He has also played an active role in spreading awareness around the taboo associated with the condition. He himself is an ambassador for it and recently speaking at an awareness initiative on Hepatitis B, he spoke about how he feels disturbed hearing about women with hepatitis being thrown out of the house. He showed his willingness to fight against the condition till the end of his life. He is 76 and was addressing a meeting held during the launch of National Action plan for fighting viral hepatitis in India.

Here’s is run down the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B. Even today there are thousands of cases of Hepatitis B in India, though they have been reduced significantly as compared to the last decade. Hepatitis generally occurs in the age group of 20 to 49 years. The chronic hepatitis is generally rare and is found amongst 5% to 10% of the people only. Though the carriers of Hepatitis B virus are over 1.4 million people.

Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver. The infection leads to scaring of the lever and at times even liver failure. The virus spreads form one person to another through blood transfusion, body fluids as well as open sores of the one suffering from Hepatitis B. Hepatitis B and C can turn out to be chronic condition while other A, C and E remain acute. Chronic Hepatitis B develops at a slow pace. It might not surface for as many as 3 months and can last from somewhere 2-12 weeks. The virus has the ability to live outside the body for a week.

Risk Factors
The HBV infection risk include a certain group of people like Health Workers, people using IV drugs, people with multiple sex partners, kidney disease, people above 60 and having diabetes as well as people travelling to countries with high incidence for HBV infection.

Symptoms
Some of the symptoms of acute hepatitis B include dark urine, appetite loss, abdominal discomfort, weakness, fever and jaundice like symptoms.

Diagnosis
The diagnosis of the condition is done mostly of the basis of blood tests after screening. The screening usually is based on risk factors mentioned above. The tests include surface antigen test that shows if the condition is contigeous, core antigen test that determines if you are infected or not, surface anti body test and liver function test to name a few.

Treatment
To prevent Hepatitis B, you need to get yourself vaccinated and if you are exposed to the virus get in touch with the doctor within 24 hours. Acute hepatitis does not need treatment and is healed by itself. Though it is advisable that the person does take rest and remains hydrated. Chronic Hepatitis B is treated with antiviral medications which help you combat the virus and avoid the risk of future liver complications.

 

Know more about Good hospitals in Bangalore

 

*Sourced from the Internet

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Rehabilitation After Bypass Surgery for Diabetics

Bypass surgery or CABG (Coronary artery bypass grafting) is done to restore the blood flow in the blocked arteries by creating a bypass to the heart using arteries from other parts of the body. But, this does not mean that the patient is free from coronary heart disease. The coronary heart disease or atherosclerosis progress does not stop and the fatty material does continue to deposit on the artery walls thus turning them narrow and reducing blood flow to other sites as well.

Hence, the patient has to take help of the healthcare provider after surgery to work on the factors that lead to coronary heart disease progress and treat the existing one. The following treatments can help you cope up with the surgery and lead a healthy life post surgery.

Rehabilitation After by Pass Surgery

Medications
Usually the patient is discharged post 5 days of surgery but in case of complications they patient may have to stay longer. The patient and family members are made to understand about the medications, doses, diet and rehabilitation plan. The medications are designed to improve survival rate, decrease the risk of complications and also treat the chest pain if it reoccurs. The medications include Beta blockers, Nitrates as well as ACE inhibitors and are given based on patient’s condition. A therapy called lipid lowering therapy is generally given to all patients after CABG and is recommended to patients with normal lip levels as well. The most common medications used for lowering cholesterol levels are called Statins.

Wound Healing – The patient is given instruction around taking care of the wound before he or she is discharged from the hospital. It is very important the patient adheres to these instruction else complications could arise. The patient needs to avoid lifting heavy objects, bending or driving entirely besides fast shoulder movements like golf or tennis for atleast 6 to 8 weeks.
Alarms – If the patient develops any of the following symptoms within 14 days of the surgery, seek immediate medical assistance.

  • Rapid heart beats
  • Reddened skin, bleeding or Pus like discharge from incision
  • Fever more than 100.4 degree F

rrmch

Rehabilitation
Many hospitals have rehabilitation programs designed for people who have undergone rehabilitation. They are comprehensive and well-structured and include components of health care like stress, anxiety and depression healing, reducing risk factors and exercise.

Exercise – The intensity and period of exercises varies from patient to patient and the coronary heart disease condition as well. Initially the exercises are less and eventually they are increased. The exercise plan is devised after considering heart health, fitness level of the patient, supervised or not, limitations and more. It can start from 5 minutes a day for five days a week and go on to 20 minutes over a period of time, which includes warmup, exercise and cooling down. The cooling down phase is important as avoiding it may increase the risk of complications related to the heart.

Cardiac Risk Factors management
Healthy Diet – A dietician usually prepares a chart that needs to be followed by the patient in order to lose weight as well as reduce cholesterol levels.
Go addiction free – Addictions like smoking or alcohol can be too harmful and hence should be stopped completely in order to reduce the risk of heart attack.

Diabetes Management – People with diabetes are at higher risk of getting complications after surgery. Hence, it is vital to control blood sugar levels. This can be achieved by maintaining a healthy life style, keeping blood sugar under control, besides diabetes medication orally or insulin as prescribed.

Psychological Treatment – After bypass the patient can feel depressed, anxious and stressed. Its more common in women who undergo CABG at a young age.

Follow Ups– The doctor will tell you about the hospital visits after the surgery. Following the routine of visits set by the doctor will help you avoid any kind of recurrence of heart problems. As health improves the visits may decrease and there could be a change in the health plan.

 

Rajarajeswari hospital is one of the Best Cardiologist in Bangalore, It provides all type of cardiology services with cutting edge facilities advance cardiac

 

*Sourced from the Internet

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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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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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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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Complications from Cosmetic Surgeries

The cosmetic market place is booming at present and you can find health spas skin clinics and cosmetic services easily across the city. People are getting more and more health and look conscious and hence opting for services for cosmetic experts. Celebrities and high profile ladies are known to be opting for services of renowned cosmetic experts to keep looking radiant and attractive for years.

Cosmetic surgeries are also popular these days and many people even if being scared of surgeries do opt for them for benefits they offer. But, it is always advisable to look at both sides of the coin.

Complications from Cosmetic Surgeries

Damaged Nerves – Numbness and tingling are some symptoms of nerve damage post a plastic surgery. There have been cases where women experience sensitivity issues after cosmetic surgeries like breast augmentation. Over 10% even lose nipple sensitivity as per experts.

Deep Vein Thrombosis – This is caused due to clotting of blood in deep vein. This can further develop in a rare life threatening complication of lungs, if the clot in the veins breaks and commutes into them.

Infections – Infections of internal or external type can occur in many cases. One of them is cellulitis, a common infection type caused in around 4 percent of people undergoing breast cancer.

Organ Issues – Some cosmetic procedures like liposuction can damage internal organs. This is when the surgical probe comes in internal organs contact thus leading to punctures or visceral perforations further leading to additional surgery.

Scarring – Cosmetic treatments do include surgeries and surgeries bring along scarring. The irony being that the purpose of cosmetic treatments is looking good but it does give scars which is troublesome.

Hematoma – It is caused in up to 6% of the people who undergo breast augmentation procedures and is a pocket of blood that looks like a large painful bruise.

Anaesthesia Complications – When patients are to undergo cosmetic surgeries, they are given anaesthesia, a medication that causes unconsciousness. It could lead to stroke, lung infection, heart attack or death like complications. One of the rarest being waking up in the middle of surgery.

The above are just some of the side effects or complications that can occur besides some others like blood loss or seroma and more. Having said that, you can lower the risk of these side effects by taking services from a credible doctor with good infrastructure.

For Cosmetic Surgery Bangalore, RRMCH provides the best results and regarded as one of the better hospitals in Bangalore.