The Virus Of Fifth Disease In Blood And Immune Disorders!

The parvovirus B19 that is responsible for the development of viral infection “fifth disease,” also known as erythema infectiosum, can result in a wide range of severe conditions in people with chronic blood disorders, such as sickle cell disease.

Sickle cell disease is a rare blood disorder where hemoglobin S, a blood component that helps RBC to carry oxygen is affected and causes the red blood cells to change shape.

How does fifth disease affect patients with chronic blood disorders?

Patients with underlying sickle cell disease who become infected with the parvovirus are at high risk for aplastic crisis.

This is because the fifth disease virus infects erythroid cells, the cells of the erythrocytic (red blood cells) series of bone marrow and interferes with the production of red blood cells (RBC) as they mature and differentiated all along the erythroid lineage.

The cessation of red blood cells production lasts for about ten days. The condition is harmless and not a problem in patients that are otherwise healthy. However, people with chronic blood disorders (sickle cell disease, hereditary spherocytosis or thalassemia) can have serious worsening conditions such as transient aplastic crisis.

As people with blood disorders depend on fast production of erythrocytic cells so as to replace the destroyed sickle cells rapidly, the short-term shutdown of RBC production result in a sudden drop in the reticulocyte (immature red blood cells) count to undetectable levels and are followed by severe anemia for about two weeks.

How does fifth disease affect patients with impaired immune system?

The virus of fifth disease in patients with defective cell-mediated immunity (such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and organ transplantations) develops pure red cell aplasia, a medical condition where suppression of erythropoiesis with little or no abnormality of leukocyte production takes place.

As patients with immune deficiency disorder are not able to mount an adequate immune response (antibodies) against the virus that develops fifth disease, it leads to the development of a persistent infection in the bone marrow and severe chronic anemia.

Infection control for fifth disease in infected people who have blood or immune disorders

Antibiotics are ineffective in controlling the virus that develops fifth disease. Hospitalization is necessary for close observation in patients with blood or immune disorders.

Blood transfusion has been successfully used as an infection control method for blood disorders to increase the red blood cells counts in the bone marrow. Doctors use blood transfusion when the hemoglobin level is less than 8 grms/ deciliter.

A blood transfusion keeps the red blood cells count high enough in the bone marrow, which has been stopped by the virus that develops the fifth disease. It increases the red blood cells count.

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has been used as an infection controlling method for chronic anemia and persistent infections in fifth disease patients who have immunodeficiency.

Intravenous immunoglobulin is a medication of IgG immunoglobulin (antibodies extracted from the plasma of blood donors) to minimize the risk of infection in people with immune system disorders. It is administered intravenously into the blood to maintain adequate levels of antibodies to fight against foreign substances.

Be Aware Of Hepatitis B Virus When You Are Pregnant!

Are you pregnant? Are you aware of hepatitis B? It is very essential for a pregnant woman to know more about hepatitis B.

This is the most serious infection of liver which can be transmitted from mother to a new born baby through umbilical cord.

Hepatitis B mainly infects your liver and if left untreated, it can result in severe damage to your liver. Most of the cases with this hepatitis virus can be recovered on their own, however about 15% to 20% of the infected persons die with major damage to liver.

Why hepatitis B virus is dangerous for pregnant women?

If you have Hepatitis B virus (HBV) in your blood, then there are chances for you to pass it to your unborn baby which is very dangerous. Most of the babies with this kind of infection will be more prone to HBV infections throughout their lives.

In the initial stages of the hepatitis B infection, it might not show any kind of sickness, but as it grows gradually, it can lead to severe liver damages. Almost 25 percent of the HBV infected babies can die due to liver diseases.

Avoid transmission of this virus!

Hepatitis B virus can spread from one person to other through direct contact with the body fluids of infected person and also through blood transmission. Very small amounts of infected blood can also cause the infection. This dangerous virus can spread mainly through these ways:

• Through an infected mother to her offspring during birth and can also be transmitted through the umbilical cord when the baby is in mother’s womb.
• Sharing needles with the infected persons for injecting drugs.
• Sexual contact with the infected person [Other sexually transmitted diseases].
• You can be at increased risk of getting infected either if you live within a same household who is suffering with this virus or if you are doing any job that exposes you to human blood.

These are most important facts which you need to know about Hepatitis B during your pregnancy. Make sure to take regular vaccinations of hepatitis B when you are pregnant and protect your baby from this dreadful virus.

Know More About Dengue Fever, The Most Common Mosquito-Borne Disease!

Dengue fever is the most common disease in the regions of tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

Now it has become the most common disease in all humans caused due to arboviral infection. This infection mainly spreads by the bite of an Aedes mosquito.

This mosquito usually transmits the infection by biting an infected person and then biting some other individual without infection.

Dengue fever is associated with certain abnormal health conditions:

Dengue fever is mainly caused by a group or family of viruses which are usually transmitted by mosquitoes. It is considered as an acute infection which is associated with sudden onset of illness followed by head ache, severe pain in your muscles and joints and also swollen glands.

If you are infected with the virus responsible for dengue fever, then you can also experience rashes on your skin for three to four days.

Most of the infections of dengue results in comparatively very mild illness but some times you have chances to get infected with dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF).

Due to this dengue hemorrhagic fever, your blood vessels starts to leak and leads to bleeding of your nose, mouth and also bleeding of gums in your mouth.

Bruising can be a sign of internal bleeding of your body. This type of dengue fever can be a life threatening problem and can become fatal for you.

People with lower immunity levels are more prone to this kind of viral infection, as it is caused by one of the four serotype virus.

Once if you are attacked with any one of these four serotypes of viruses, then through out your life, an attack of dengue is most probable, if you are repeatedly exposed to that particular virus.

Prevention can be a better option for you to avoid dengue fever!

• The main source for the transmission of the virus is through mosquitoes. So, try to avoid the places where the breeding of mosquitoes is prevalent.
• Eradication of mosquito breeding also plays an important role in preventing dengue fever. Try to avoid stagnant water which can be the main place for mosquitoes breeding.
• Try to prefer clothes with long sleeves and also long pants to cover your body completely. Avoid exposure of your skin towards outside environment in order to avoid dengue fever.
• Try to limit the outside work or unnecessary roaming when the prevalence of mosquitoes is high.

Bull’s Eye Rash Is The Characteristic Feature Of Lyme Disease!

Bacterium that causes Lyme disease is Borrelia burgdorferi. It is commonly caused by the bite of ticks.

This bacterium enters through the Ixodes ticks when it bites an infected animal and then they are transmitted to the person. This further leads to Lyme disease.

In most situations, the Lyme disease is reported to be seen in the Northeast, upper Midwest, and Pacific coastal areas of the USA.

How Lyme Disease Can Be Identified?

It is illustrated that the symptoms of Lyme disease can be mostly seen in three stages (not in all cases).

In the first stage of Lyme disease, after one to two weeks of tick bite, a circular skin rash (erythema migrans) appears, but in some cases, it develops after thirty days of tick bite. This erythema migrans looks like a “bull’s eye” with red spot. This red spot is again surrounded by clear skin. Intensifying red rash surrounds the clear skin again.

In darker skin tone people, this rash cannot be seen, but a bruise like appearance can be seen. Commonly, this rash resolves on its own mostly in about 30 days.

This area of rash will be warm when it touches. It does not cause any itchy sensation, nor it is painful. There are some cases where people do not develop this rash at all.

During the second stage of Lyme disease, flu-like symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, etc are associated with Lyme disease.

Often times, the symptoms of this disease disappear even if left untreated, but in some individuals, this infection can be transferred to other parts of the body.

In some cases, these second stage symptoms usually develop within weeks after tick bite even if they do not develop the rash of initial stage.

Individuals with Lyme disease in second stage can sometimes feel tired and sick. These people may also have these circular rashes on other areas of the body even though they are not the tick bite sites.

When the symptoms of Lyme disease during the first stage do not appear and if it is not treated properly during the initial stage, it results in final stage of Lyme disease.

It can take weeks to years for the symptoms of final stage Lyme disease to appear after the tick bite. The symptoms of final stage include arthritis, cognitive deterioration, etc.

If the Lyme disease affects the heart, it results in irregular heart rhythm and chest pain. In some individuals, this can extend to the nervous system and causes facial paralysis or numbness and tingling in the upper and lower extremities.

It also causes meningitis with initial symptoms of neck stiffness and headache. It also causes joint pain and swelling.

Since the rash is different from other rashes, no blood tests are necessary to diagnose, but in exceptional cases of having no rash, physicians should depend on other symptoms.

Ticks prefer to bite at certain areas such as back of the ears, neck, armpits, groin, and behind the knees.

Prevent Lyme disease when you are going outdoors by wearing enclosed boots, shoes, shirts and pants that covers the hands and legs completely.

You can also prevent by wearing light-colored clothes, so that ticks can be easily identified. Do not sit on the grounds and always keep checking for ticks.

Beating Back the Allergies

Allergies are one of the worst parts of summer for many allergy sufferers. For those who have acquired them, sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes and itchy everything start when the immune system thinks that the pollens and molds coming in are threats that need to be fought - and then overloads.

One of the best ways to combat allergies (besides allergy medication) is to give your immune system as much of a leg up as possible. Before allergy season begins (after you've been at it a couple of years in an area you'll get a pretty good feel for it) try to eat more vegetables and fruits, and cut back on the foods that inhibit the immune system. Things like chocolate, coffee, sugar and dairy all add to the overloading your immune system is already doing. By cutting back, you help your immune system to have more juice to combat the coming deluge.

Speaking of juice, some experts claim a juice fast is another good way to prepare your body for allergy season. Start by replacing one meal with juice, then two, then three, then work back up to 3 meals a day the other way. By drinking organic juices instead of eating for a few days, you can help your body to rid itself of the toxins that your immune system is neutralizing every day.

Add to that supplements like Vitamin C, Nettle, and Quercetin, and you can combat many of the allergens that will start to attack.
Some of the easiest defense is avoidance. Use the air conditioner instead of opening the windows, and stay inside when it's dry and windy outside, as that's when the most allergens are kicked up into the air. Keep your house clean and get rid of as many of the allergens as possible by washing things in hot water and cleaning regularly, and you can live through allergy season.

By Megan Winegar

Back Pain Relief - Exercise Tips to Feel Better

If you suffer from back pain, you can do something about it. Although, some circumstances might require medications to control the pain, it is possible that you can find back pain relief without medications. For some back pain relief, exercise can be the best prescription for you.

It is absolutely vital that you consult your medical care provider for exercise techniques that are safe for you to do. Some individuals have other medical conditions that can restrict their options for pain relief techniques.

One of the most popular and highly recommended exercises is going to require the use of a chair. You should sit in a sturdy chair and slowly lean forward until you are touching the floor in front of you. Hold yourself in the lowered position for 20 continuous seconds and then slowly bring yourself back to the upright sitting position. You should repeat this exercise three to five times.

Another great technique to use will require the assistance of a hard surface, such as a floor. You will need to lay completely flat on your back with your legs straight on the floor. Using both of your hands you should touch your left knee and bring it as close to your chest as you can. Hold this position for 10 seconds and then slowly, with your hands lower your leg back to the original position. Alternate to the right leg and repeat this for three sets.

This next exercise is a “spin off” if you will of the above exercise. Again, you will need to find a hard flat surface for this exercise as well. Here, you will lie completely flat on your back and use your arms to bring both of your legs up as close to your chest as possible. Hold your legs in this position for up to 10 seconds and slowly relax your legs back down to the floor. You should repeat this exercise three times.

Finding the right back pain relief exercise for you and your individual issue might prove to be a trial and error scenario. However, more than likely you will find a great exercise program with the assistance of your medical care provider to meet all of your needs and relieve your back pain. If you feel the pain has intensified in any way while you are exercising you should immediately stop the exercising and contact your medical care provider for other suggestions.

By Alvin Hopkinson

How can you diagnose Urinary Infection?

The urinary tract infection is a highly infectious disease that requires immediate treatment. Hence, you should consult a medical practitioner as soon as possible. The doctor will ask you certain questions that will help him in analyzing the extent of the infection. Later on, a diagnosis will be conducted on the basis of urinary infection symptoms, medical history, medications, habits, allergies and lifestyle.

Initially, the doctor will conduct a urine dipstick that will test the urine sample for nitrite and hemoglobin content. The presence of nitrite content in the urine indicates the presence of bacterium in the urinary tract. This test will take few minutes only. Some doctors will also send your urine sample for a urinalysis in the laboratory. The test is conducted to detect the presence of white blood cells or infectious syndrome in the urinary tract.

Under severe circumstances, your doctor might also get your urine “cultured”. During this diagnosis, the fresh urine sample is encrusted with a sterile nutrient sample on a small plastic plate. Later on, the brushed sample is left on the plate for some time. After few days, the doctor examines the sample to detect the characteristics of the bacterium that grows under the required condition and conducts tests with various antibiotics so that he can find the best treatment for the urinary infection.

However, some people suffer from recurrent urinary tract infections. Hence, your doctor might ask you to undergo an ultrasound, Cystoscopy or CT scan in order to detect any kind of abnormalities in the urinary tract. You can also be asked to undergo a blood test, if the symptoms of kidney damage occur in the body.

Hence, you should undergo a diagnosis as soon as possible, so that the doctor can prescribe you an antibiotic that can cure the urinary infection by flushing out the infectious syndrome.

by Robert Henry