Everything About Measles

                                                       

                                                MEASLES

Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can be very unpleasant and sometimes lead to serious complications. It's now uncommon because of the effectiveness of vaccination.

Anyone can get measles if they haven’t been vaccinated though it’s common among children

Measles’ signs and symptoms usually appear 10 to 14 days after exposure to the virus.

Some of the signs and symptoms include Fever, Inflamed eyes, sore throat, runny nose, a skin rash, muscle ache. The signs and symptoms are nonspecific

Some of the complications of measles are, Malnutrition, infections like pneumonia, ear infections, corneal ulceration, and persistent diarrhea. There is no specific treatment for measles and that’s why we should aim at prevention. Prevention is by immunization against the measles virus. Once someone contracts measles, they should take high protein diets, get a Vitamin A booster dose and treat co-infections and other symptoms.  Most people with uncomplicated measles will recover with bed rest and supportive treatment.

Health Benefits Of Water

                                              
                                    Health Benefits Of Drinking Water

Water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 65 percent of your body weight. Every Organ in your body depends on water.
If the body wasn't losing water in anyway, then there would be no need of drinking water.

We lose water from our bodies through different ways like;
  -Sweating
  -Respiration
  -Urination and defecation
 
Why do we need to drink water?

 The human body is 65% water, to keep up this body water composition one needs to take in fluids.

1) Water helps to dilute and flush out toxins from the body e.g urea
2)Water provides a moist environment for ears, mouth throat and the eyes.
3)Water intake helps prevent constipation.
4)Water helps in maintenance of body temperature.
5)Water acts as a carrier for nutrients to different body organs.

 How much water is one supposed to take in a day?

One should at least have a daily fluid intake of  8 glasses.
Not forgetting the fact that pregnant women need higher amount of fluid intake aday.

In general men should take at least 3 liters of fluids a day and women should take at least 2 liters

Cold Vs Warm water

Most people prefer taking cold water to warm water.
Cold water is just as safe as warm water with no health risks to worry about.

                  

What You Should Know About Gastric Ulcers

            Causes of gastric ulcers

    1) Stomach ulcer is usually caused by an infection with a germ bacterium called H. Pylori.A 4- to 8-week course of acid-suppressing medication will allow the ulcer to heal.

    

      2) Gastric ulcers can also be caused by drugs like NSAIDs e.g Diclofenac

                                   Signs and symptoms 

1.     Pain in the upper tummy (abdomen) just below the breastbone (sternum) is the common symptom. It usually comes and goes. It may be eased if you take antacid tablets. Sometimes food makes the pain worse. The pain may wake you from sleep.

 2.   Other symptoms which may occur include bloating, retching, and feeling sick. You may feel particularly 'full' after a meal Signs and symptoms

 3. Complications develop in some cases, and can be serious. These include:

1.     Bleeding ulcer. This can range from a 'trickle' to a life-threatening bleed.

2.     Perforation. This is where the ulcer goes right through (perforates) the wall of the stomach. Food and acid in the stomach then leak into the abdominal cavity. This usually causes severe pain and is a medical emergency

                                      Lab tests

    Your doctor will always have to do tests based on his examination findings

Although not all gastric ulcers are caused by bacteria, it's getting more common to do a test for Helicobacter Pylori whenever someone has ulcer symptoms. This includes testing your blood, breath, stool, or a sample of tissue from your digestive tract (biopsy)

   Also endoscopy can be done so that the doctor can look at your stomach lining or to pick a sample from your stomach.

                                            Prevention

·      1)   Choose a healthy diet.Choose a healthy diet full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Not eating vitamin-rich foods may make it difficult for your body to heal your ulcer.

·       

     2) Consider switching pain relievers. If you use pain relievers regularly, ask your doctor whether acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) may be an option for you.

·         

    3) Control stress. Stress may worsen the signs and symptoms of a peptic ulcer. Examine your life to determine the sources of your stress and do what you can to address those causes. Some stress is unavoidable, but you can learn to cope with stress with exercise, spending time with friends or writing in a journal.

·         

  4) Don't smoke. Smoking may interfere with the protective lining of the stomach, making your stomach more susceptible to the development of an ulcer. Smoking also increases stomach acid.

·        

   5) Limit or avoid alcohol. Excessive use of alcohol can irritate and erode the mucous lining in your stomach and intestines, causing inflammation and bleeding.

                    

                 Treatment. 

       I highly advice you to see your doctor for treatment

Remember That You Know Your Body Better Than Your Doctor.

7 Pains You Should Never Ignore

                                       

              Those everyday aches and body pains you are used to could indicate a healthy emergency     

1)     Severe Head ache. It’s not uncommon for one to experience episodes of mild head ache like once a month. But the moment this pain becomes severe or so frequent, you will need to consult your doctor. There are so many possible causes of severe head ache and your doctor will do the necessary investigations

2)     Chest pain. The chest houses the heart and the lungs some of the body’s major organs. With chest pain, you want to be sure that your heart and lungs are normally functioning.  Other causes of chest pain may include: esophageal re-flux disease, soft tissue injury etc.

3)  Abdominal pain. The liver, spleen, pancreas, gall bladder and intestines are all found in the abdomen.  Abdominal is one the commonest pains people present with at the emergency. The days I worked at the emergency unit, I could get numerous cases of abdominal pain. With such pain you will have to consult your doctor.

 4)   Muscle pain. Muscle. It’s expected to get muscle aches following vigorous exercise and strenuous activity. Spontaneously developing muscle ache that may be generalized or localized will certainly call for consultation with your doctor.

        5)  Tooth ache. Our teeth are not metallic though strong. By the time you develop toothache, just know strength or function has been compromised. The earlier you consult your dental doctor the better.

        6)  Back pain. Your back provides support to the body when seated or standing. The back has got the spinal cord which is so sensitive due to the numerous nerves found there. Consult your doctor upon any back pain sensation

               7)  Pain in the genitals. Such pain may point out to an STD like gonorrhea, Chlamydia Etc. Pain during urination or during intercourse should warrant seeing your doctor.

      

            Remember That You Know Your Body Better Than Your Doctor.