Archive for the ‘Diseases & Conditions’ Category
Hypertension is a persistent elevation of the blood pressure where the systolic pressure (pressure when the heart contracts) is greater than 140 mm.Hg and a diastolic pressure (pressure when the heart relaxes) is above 90 mm.Hg. However, other factors have to be taken into consideration, especially when evaluating an increased systolic pressure before diagnosing a patient with high blood pressure.
Swine flu (2009 H1N1 flu) is a viral infection that causes a range of symptoms similar to the seasonal flu and was initially transmitted from pigs to humans. The virus is a mutation of the type A influenza virus from humans and birds and most of the cases we now see is due to person to person transmission. While the media hype around swine flu and deaths due to the infection continue to create widespread concern, the reality is that in a healthy person, swine flu is not the deadly virus that it is portrayed as.
Anemia is term for a number of conditions causing low blood iron levels mainly due to the reduced concentration of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an essential component of red blood cells and are responsible for the transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide through the blood. Hemoglobin is composed of iron bonded to proteins. The low intake of iron, loss of iron through bleeding or abnormal utilization of iron in the body will result in anemia.
Psoriasis vulgaris is an inflammatory skin disease due to autoimmune causes. The body’s immune cells attack healthy skin cells of the body causing disordered skin growth. This results in the characteristic skin symptoms of thick, silvery skin, red patches and usually severe itching.
Nutritional supplements have become a popular everyday health aid, primarily used to prevent deficiencies and maintain health. However in most cases, multivitamins are not necessary as the average middle class diet ensures sufficient nutritional intake through foods. Even junk food has moderate amounts of vitamins and trace minerals and overeating, a common problem, ensures almost complete supplementation for our body’s needs. Nevertheless, multivitamin supplements are big sellers.
Candida infections of the human body are not common as this species of fungi (yeast) usually occur in small populations on the skin and within the cavities – mouth, intestines and vagina. However under certain conditions, an yeast overgrowth may occur allowing the candida to switch from a harmless microorganism to an invading pathogen.
Dandruff is a common condition caused by a combination of factors that affect the skin of the head (scalp). Most commonly, chronic dandruff is due to dry skin on the scalp complicated by a fungal infection (tinea capitis or head fungus). Before treating dandruff, it is important to exclude other skin diseases like eczema, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis or contact dermatitis (often associated with hair dyes, styling gel, hair softeners, hair relaxers and shampoos). These skin diseases may often present similar to dandruff but require specialist dermatological treatment.
Mary T., 6 years old, had been brought in by her mother complaining of recurrent itchy skin rashes at her elbows and knees. Mary’s case history revealed that she had suffered with infantile eczema at the age of 6 months and this persisted till 2½ years of age when a mild case of hay fever (allergic rhinitis) began. Repeated prescriptions of corticosteroid creams, emollients and anti-histamines had offered some relief for her early episode of eczema but it had seemed to have resolved spontaneously at the time.