https://www.echeat.com/ UIT's in Children Maria Rubinich Florida National University Human Growth and Development-DA Prof. Rafael Ramos, M.S. May 28th, 2020 Abstract Urinary tract infection more commonly known as U.T.I. When found in young children can be difficult to diagnose given their inability to communicate. Some Singh’s a child may have a U.T.I are irritability, fever, lack of appetite just to give a few. To more accurately diagnose a U.T.I a urine sample needs to be obtained as soon as possible to ensure the infection does not spread and cause permanent damage to the kidneys and overall health of the young child. U.T.I.’s is most caused by bacteria surrounding the anus that enter the urethra by touching and improper wiping after using the restroom for girls as with small children with who are still utilizing diapers. Although girls are three times as likely as Boy’s with whom are uncircumcised also are at risk for contracting this infection given the environment the uncircumcised penis gives the length of time in which it was able to manifest will determine the necessary treatment usually antibiotics given over seven to ten days will eliminate the infection. Testing will once again need to be done to ensure the infection has been eliminated. History / symptoms Upon acquiring information on the history of U.T.I’s in children its established that six to eight percent will acquire a urinary tract infection. Symptoms vary from patient to patient given their age and a combination of their specific individual history with urinary tract infections. A specific diagnosis cannot be given without proper testing but rather a combination of generalized symptoms which include unexplained fever in children less than two months old, irritability, pelvic pain, discoloration of urine being cloudy However overall, additional testing needs to be done and as rapidly as possible. to ensure that it does not evolve into a more severe infection that can cause permanent damage. 2020-06-15T18:51:05.057-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/urinary-tract-infections-in-children-45493.aspx Evidence-Based Practice in Healthcare Name Affiliation Date Evidence-Based Practice in Healthcare Evidence-based practices have been associated with improved patient outcomes in the clinical setting. In most cases, such clinical interventions usually reduce the rate of medication errors and provide long-term solutions. This essay evaluates how the consistent use of condoms can be a proper way of overcoming the cases of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy among students due to unprotected sex. Clinical Issue The higher cases of unprotected sex among teenagers and young adults have been on a rise in high schools and colleges where they have got the freedom that they were seeking. Furthermore, “Health Promotion and Maintenance” is one of the NCLEX category, which has a subsection known as the “High-Risk Behavior” (NCSBN, 2017). Hence, the clinical issue highlighted is classified as one of the high-risk tendencies that are associated with younger people. The subcategory that the medical providers should identify the inappropriate activities that the patients are undertaking and raise awareness about the concerns associated with such issues. From that point, they can have programs that can transform the behaviors of the population and help them in avoiding such elements to overcome their infections. Importance A discussion of the high-risk behaviors can help the nurses in identifying how certain infections are caused. As a result, they can suggest the evidence-based practices that can address the problem and provide long-term solutions. In the process, the patients will remain healthy and avoid the risk factors that can increase their chances of contracting some serious infections. The high school and college students will also understand the danger associated with having multiple sexual partners. The knowledge can enhance their awareness of such situations and how they should avoid the issues that might undermine their health. On the other hand, the failure to comply with such requirements can place the well-being of the patient population at risk. For instance, unprotected sex will result in higher cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy among young adults (Ashenhurst, Wilhite, Harden, & Fromme, 2017). As a result, such negative effects can interfere with their education because the ladies might be forced to abandon school so that they can take care of their new-born babies. They can also spend more time in the medical institutions and funds as they are seeking treatment for the STIs that they have acquired. The healthcare system will keep getting more cases of infections and ladies with unwanted pregnancy 2018-11-19T01:49:15.203-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Evidence-Based-Practice-in-Healthcare-45459.aspx Nursing Values in Baccalaureate Nursing Students Name Institution Affiliation Nursing Values in Baccalaureate Nursing Students Title The title of the article is self-sufficient where it gives the aim of the research. It is an analysis that targets at investigating the nursing values nurses acquire from their education. The study population are the nursing student, and it is evident from the title. Indeed, in the article, it involves students from four different nursing institutions. Therefore, the title is well analyzed to cater the need of the material. Abstract Unfortunately, the article did not have an abstract. Basically, according to Dewan & Gupta (2016), a strong abstract lays as a foundation to a sound argument. Right from the start, the reader is aware of the expected results in the paper hence better understanding. In this case, it is not evident in the article and thus minimizing the chances of prior knowledge of the paper's expectations. Introduction Statement of Problem However, using the introduction, the authors were able to introduce the paper hence giving the main aim efficiently. The statement of the problem was adequate for the research. Rose, Nies & Gupta (2016), formulated an easy and straightforward explanation of problem which involves the skills and values the nurses acquire from education. In the nurse professional, one has to consider the socialization process to establish a right attitude when serving the patients. Indeed, professional socialization is one of the most critical factors in any career path. From the approach, there are reliable details that link the nurses to the education they gain and how they use it to offer health services. The research methods involved engaging the nurses in the activities which were non-experimental and non-manipulative. The individuals involved were the student nurses, hence, justifying the use of the techniques. Generally, the approach was appropriate since it engaged everyone on their consent. Research Questions The research questions aim at giving the article a way forward to base all the arguments. In this case, the research questions were well stated making it easy to see the connection to the survey. For instance, the first question enquired the change of the skills and acceptable behavior as learning nurses increased the level of education. Secondly, it critiqued the factors that affect their performance in the health sector. The wording gives a clear flow of thoughts making it easy to comprehend. The study targeted the nurses in the different levels of education, that is, sophomore, 2018-10-02T03:33:17.247-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nursing-Values-in-Baccalaureate-Nursing-Students-45450.aspx Unit 5 Written Assessment Name Institution Affiliation Introduction A formal approach is more suitable to validate the problem. The outlook offers a valuable tool that helps to reveal omissions, inconsistencies, and ambiguities in health records. Traditional approaches can't detect uncertainties and several other issues in health information system. Also, it enhances the efficacy and applicability of data in any health settings. However, a formal approach allows and complements exclusive validation procedures. Patient data efficiently used has excellent capability to improve and even save human lives. The need for the transparent information system is of great importance to creating a reliable service design and healthcare delivery system (Sammon, O'Connor & Leo, 2009). The hospital collects demographic data of its patients. It includes analytical expression of patients' socioeconomic status such as education level, sex, marital status, religion, age, death rate, income rate, birth rate, family size, and occupation (Yanamadala et al, 2016). The data is stored in structured form. Structured information is accessible and readily searchable using straightforward algorithms. On the other hand, unstructured data is the opposite of being readily available. According to Sun and Reddy (2013), data mining process uses several essential techniques that define data recovery and mining operation. Techniques such as prediction, classification, long-term processing, clustering, association, decision trees, sequential patterns, and combinations are applicable in both structured and unstructured data sets. For this assessment, classification and association techniques are suitable to extract the required patient data. Preferably, I will use the Naïve Bayes (NB) mining algorithm. It is a supervised algorithm that uses Bayes' Theorem to make predictions within a data set. By doing so, it facilitates the detection of the issue from the relevant evidence as presented in the patient data (Sun & Reddy, 2013). To arrive at an evidence-based answer, approximately 75 percent of the patient need to be successfully extracted. In most cases, researchers undermine the data pre-processing step in data extraction exercise. “Garbage In, Garbage Out” is a significant phrase in data mining process. Methods used to gather the data need to be controlled to avoid ambiguities and irrelevant or redundant data combinations such as (Gender: Male, Pregnant: Yes). Also, to make sure that all essential values are available to avoid misleading conclusions. Therefore, quality of data and accurate representation is of importance before analysis. Data pre-processing improves the quality of the data by ensuring that the data isn't noisy, doesn't have inconsistencies, and missing values 2018-02-20T03:13:57.767-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Unit-5-Written-Assessment-45419.aspx Treatment Plan Exercise Student’s Name Institution Client Name: _________Yang_________________________________ Date of Birth: ______N/A________ Gender: _Female___ Age: ___41 years__________ Race: _____Brown________ Client Ethnicity: ______Chinese______________ Reason for referral for counseling: Yang presented symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the death of her son, Daiyang in the earthquake, as well as, the subsequent pregnancy, months after her son’s death. Other reasons may include; • She reported frequent flashbacks and disturbing memories of the scene of her son’s death that made her feel anxious and miserable • She was unwilling to talk about the earthquake • Yang reported significant sleep difficulties, memory difficulties, and anhedonia • After getting pregnant again, Yang reported nausea and loss of appetite • She reported problems in interacting along with her husband and neighbors Concern 1: Disturbing memories as shown by the frequent flashbacks and nightmares related to the scene of her son’s death outside the building Goal for improvement: Disturbing memories and symptoms of PTSD will be significantly reduced and they will no longer interfere with Yang’s functioning. Objective 1: Yang will identify the issues that trigger the bad memories about her son’s death Objective 2: She will be involved in an additional physical activity or sport Objective 3: Yang will learn coping skills necessary for emotional regulations, for example, training herself not to think much about her son’s death Concern 2: Avoidance to think about the earthquake as shown by Yang’s tendency to avoid news related to the Chinese earthquake (Leahy, Holland & McGinn, 2012) Goal for improvement: Increasing contact with people, places and things that bring back the memories of her son’s death Objective 1: Yang will list down the places, people or things that remind her about the earthquake Objective 2: She will avoid staying isolated in her house and try to maintain contact with these places or people Objective 3: Yang will be taught that turning to drugs or alcohol is a wrong way of reducing the pain and she should avoid drugs entirely Concern 3: Physical stress as indicated by difficulties in sleeping, anger, anxiety, and conflicts with her husband (Leahy, Holland & McGinn, 2012) Goal for improvement: Reestablishing a normal mood by becoming happy and confident, as well as, having enough sleep Objective 1: Yang will be sleeping for 7 hours in a day Objective 2: Yang and her husband will establish a timetable of family activities so that she can build a positive relationship with her spouse Objective 3: She will start gaining mental strength by not dwelling much on the past, but focusing on the future Primary Diagnosis: Stressor: The person was 2017-06-19T01:14:03.573-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Treatment-Plan-Exercise-45349.aspx Mobile Health Name Institutional Affiliation Table of Contents List of Figures 3 Figure 1 10 Figure 2 12 Abstract 3 Introduction 4 Overview of Findings from the Fifteen Studies. 5 Review of Success Issues and Failure: Motivation 6 Impact of Business Strategies on the Leadership Concept 7 Economics, Ethics and Business Standards. 8 Impact of Law in Health Information Management and Impact of Health Policies to Address Health Informatics Needed in Mobile Health 8 Statistical Used in the Healthcare. 9 Meta-Analysis. 10 Results and Discussion 13 Implications for Further Research 15 Conclusion 16 Reference. 18 Abstract Following the huge number of population that is continuously up ticking, mobile health or m-health has been a significant remedy to the health sector. This is because it has devolved the responsibility and work of health officers and personnel to the phones of their clients as well as patients. This topic considers the review of problems, failures and any evidence that has arisen from the HIM practices. The impact of business strategies on the concept of leadership and management and how these practices have affected the mobile health sector, a discussion of the impact and effect of economics, ethics professional standards and an analysis of the consequences of health policies information management on mobile health. A study of statistical models that was used in the health care to gather and analyze data and in turn give discussions on the statistical models that was used in this research (Chib, van Velthoven & Car, 2015). Further, we also look at the results of the meta-analysis, the discussions of other related studies that have been made and their comparison to the new research concerning the mobile health, limitations, summary and if there are areas that there should be a recommendation of a further study. M-health has been seen to be encompassing a lot of issues and show their interdependence and relations to the above issues (Chib, van Velthoven & Car, 2015). Hence, this topic discusses the contributions, failures, projects and impacts of mobile health to nations her people. Introduction M-Health is an abbreviation of mobile health used in the current health sector. ICT commonly known as information communication technology will be discussed in this topic and how it relates and influence the mobile health. The FNIH which represents a health body referred to as the foundation of the national institute of health and its contribution to mobile health will have to be considered. W.H.O referred to World Health Organization (Telecommunications Union, 2013) Hence the topic discuss the review of issues, failures and any evidence that 2017-06-01T01:05:10.177-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/M-Health-is-an-abbreviation-of-mobile-health-used-in-the-current-health-sector_-45336.aspx Vaccinate All Children Act 2015 Name Institution Vaccinate All Children Act 2015 Provision of quality healthcare remains to be among the primary goals of the United States’ federal government. Various policies have been introduced for the purpose of affordable, efficient, and quality health for the American people. The “Vaccinate All Children” Act of 2015 is one of the policies that sought out the provision of medical care to all children in America through vaccination. The policy would be significant in ensuring the prevention of communicable diseases against children who stand a higher risk of contracting fatal infectious diseases due to their tender age and relatively weak immune systems. Similarly, the Act would ensure that all students in public schools acquire the mandatory vaccination and therefore, it would be a requirement for students enrolling in public schools to have received the treatment. Despite opposition from various organs and individuals, the Vaccinate All Children Act is of great significance to everyone in the United States since it curbs the infection of deadly diseases among children and guarantees a reduced mortality rate for the vulnerable. Explanation of the Act On 1st May 2015, Florida Congresswoman Ms. Frederica Wilson introduced the Vaccinate all Children Act (Medina, 2015). The bill required all students attending public schools to receive a mandatory vaccination with a few exemptions. The exemptions require a letter from a state-certified physician giving medical reasons as to why vaccination is harmful to the child. Moreover, children with allergies and weak immune systems resulting from pressing operations like chemotherapy would also be exempted. The bill would revise the Public Health Service Act of 1994 that gave the federal government authority to quarantine individuals for the purpose of preventing the introduction and spread of transmissible diseases from other countries and into the United States (Medina, 2015). Despite being a country that has an excellent reputation in almost all realms, there have been instances where some Americans have suffered from diseases due to ignorance, philosophical thoughts and also due to high cost of medications (Medina, 2015). The introduction of the controversial bill was accompanied by high expectations among some Americans as others felt the bill went against their rights due to its obligatory nature. The Act would make sure that all students joining elementary and secondary public schools have access to the vaccine. According to Bill, its implementation would be paramount because the vaccines were proven to be efficient and safe for the 2017-04-27T04:57:06.143-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Vaccinate-All-Children-Act-2015-Provision-of-quality-healthcare-remains-to-be-among-the-primary-goals-of-the-United-States’-federal-government_-Various-policies-have-been-introduced-for-the-purpose-of-affordable,-efficient,-and-quality-health-for-the-Amer-45319.aspx The practice of pharmaceutical job can be said to be profoundly satisfying. However, it can also be stressful. This could be more so in an environment of change and when the events are beyond the staff’s control. The effect of workplace stress goes beyond the individual physical effects to the mental effects. In light of this, this paler will examine some of the effects of workplace stress to a pharmacy staff. In most cases, stress can affect individuals in many ways. Some of the ways to which individuals are affected include physical, psychological and emotional as well as the behaviors (Beehr 14). Stress and other external factors affect the deliverability of individuals within the working environment. Stress is known to be an extreme reaction that individuals have when they are exposed to too much of pressure or even other kinds of demands (McNeely 292). These demands exist to protect people against the existing risks to their safety or health out of the various working activities. Even though, it is admitted that stress is not an illness, so much of stress or prolonged stress can eventually make them healthy. Normally, working is good for individuals, but it is best when properly designed. Otherwise, work can automatically become a source of pressure. Pressure itself can be positive or negative. Positive pressure can ensure that individuals achieve the intended goals while negative pressure becomes stress if the indeed it is excessive. Pharmacy staffs are no exception, and they are affected by stress too (McNeely 293). Stress affect their lives physically, psychologically and emotionally while delivering on their duties. In most cases, pharmaceutical staffs have faced the negative effects of work place stress. The overwhelming work experience in this filed is capable of causing a person a substantial distress, depression, burnout and some of the psychosomatic disorders. In a short, the effects of workplace stress on a pharmaceutical staff can be summarized to three major effects: medical illness, behavioral problems and the psychological disorders (Beehr 19). Effect on Psychological Well-being Most of the pharmacists whose psychological well-being are affected are those who undergo stress in the workplace. The effects on the psychological well-being are because the pharmacists have gone through different periods of anxiety or depression. Some of the staffs are affected by insomnia, irritability with others, problems with concentration and others are affected by low self-esteem (Beehr 23). Physical Health Several studies that have been carried out previously 2016-07-26T04:28:45.033-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Stress-in-the-Workplace-affects-Pharmacy-Staff-35206.aspx HIMAJA JAKKA ID-1413839 SCIENTIFIC WRITING ASSIGNMENT WEEK-3 Topic : Robotic Surgery Just as computers revolutionized the first half of the twenty first century, the robotics feild has the promise to equally coincide the way we live in the present generation. We have already known how robots have customized the manufacturing of automobiles and other goods of client by narrowing and speeding up the assembly lines. Robots have also empowered humans to see places that cannot be visited , such as other planets and depths of the ocean that is never before seen and just as technology operated diagnostic instruments have been in light from past many years in medical industry to provide correct effective information through ultrasound, computer-aided topography, ultracentrfuge and other image capturing technologies, robotic technology is making it's way to operating rooms all over the globe. When we address about robots doing work of humans we commonly hype about the future, but robotics surgery is already in sight. This technology is not self-controlled robot that can perform surgical procedures on it's own,but the surgeon should contribute his helping hands during oversensitive surgery procedures. This technology, named the Vinci Surgical System, allows the human surgeon to get closer to the surgical place than human vision and will coordinate the work at a lowered scale than prescribed surgery tolerance. While gathering at the control desk, a few feet away from the operating table, the surgeon looks into a optical device to examine the 3-D images being captured and sent by camera placed inside the patient. The images show the surgical place and the two surgical analyser mounted at the corner of two robotic arms. Joystick which controls, located at the keyboard beneath the screen, are used by the surgeon to take command over surgical analysers, which moves in sync with the movements of the surgeon's hands. This technology translates the surgeon's movements into precise real-time movements of the surgical instruments inside the patient without hand vibration. a narrow pencil sized instrument specialized computer technology-enhanced automobile wrists that are designed to have the same motion as the surgeon's forearm and wrists at the operative place. These mechanical motion wrists give the surgeon the ability to reach around, beyond, and behind delicate body structures. The wrists can roll, pitch, bend, and grip just as if it were a human hand. The Vinci system provides the surgeon with the control, range of motion, tissue manipulation capability, and 3-D visualization of open surgery all while working through 1-cm incisions in the patient. Robotic surgery has many advantages. For instance, heart bypass surgery now requires that the patient's chest be cracked open 2015-03-02T12:16:44.083-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Robotics-Surgery-35094.aspx Evidence Based Practice: Aseptic Technique for Peripheral IV Insertion Name: Course: Instructor’s Name Date: Introduction The significance of asepsis in the intravenous IV therapy is integral in the modern patient care because of the increased patients number requiring IV therapy due to changes in patterns of prescription and the today’s illnesses which has acute nature (Bofah et al, 2012). Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation according to Bofah et al (2012), is a procedure in which patent’s skin is punctured with a needle allowing a device to be temporarily inserted into the hand or forearm veins in administering intravenous medications or fluids, although other body sites can be used. It is vital to use intravenous drugs in the management of the patients who are hospitalized. The infections linked to the intravenous therapy may affect the blood stream or the skin around the insertion site of the catheter (Bofah et al, 2012). For this reason, Bofah et al (2012) suggested that general infection control and universal precautions measures need to be taken into considerations when undertaking a clinical procedure. However, specific measures need to be taken into consideration when administering intravenous therapy especially those in the home setting and the vulnerable patients. Kampf et al (2013) conducted an observational intervention study on “Improving Patient Safety during the Insertion of Peripheral Venous Catheters. The aim of the study was to determine the application of specific steps for peripheral venous catheters insertion in clinical practice and implementation of a multimodal intervention with an aim of improving both optimum order and compliance with the steps. Results indicated that 202 insertions were observed during the intervention period and 207 in the control period (Kampf et al, 2013). Compliance significantly improved for 4 to 5 steps that are 11.6% - 57.9% for disinfection of hand before contact with the patient (Kampf et al, 2013). Skin antisepsis of the site of puncture compliance was high after and before intervention (99% after and 99.5% before). Specific steps performance in the correct order also improved, which is from 7.7% - 68.6% when 3-5 steps were done. From the description of the intervention by participants, 46.8% said it was helpful, 46.8% as neutral and 6.4% as disruption (Kampf et al, 2013). This indicated that a multimodal strategy, of improving compliance with peripheral venous safety steps of insertion of catheter and optimum procedure performance, was effective and regarded as helpful by the health professionals. Bofah et al (2012) conducted 2015-01-28T19:02:47.92-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Evidence-Based-Practice-Aseptic-Technique-for-Peripheral-IV-Insertion-35080.aspx Positions in Hospitals The extensive decree of the hospital is determined by the Board of Directors, which is also called the Governing Board or the Board of Trustees. Other responsibilities of the Board of Directors include the vision of the hospital, goals and objectives, the quality of patient care, and the mission. The Board of Directors possesses the authority for the hospital, including legal issues. The Board of Directors could consist of as many members as 25 or as few as 6 members, ejected every 5 years. The board is made up of the president, secretary, treasurer, and chairman. The board’s duties consist of hiring medical staff, taking care of finances, and planning, which the CEO helps to complete. The executive leadership team must coordinate, plan, and direct healthcare. The CEO is at the top of the chain of command and is also known as the president or the hospital administrator. The job duties of the CEO are very similar to that of the Board of Directors, while the CEO is responsible for implementing the mission. The 2012-10-25T11:49:25.913-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Free-Essay-on-Securing-a-Position-in-the-Hospital-34724.aspx Type 2 – Diabetes develops when your body does not make enough insulin for its needs. In this article: What is Type 2 - Diabetes? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment How Chemist Online can help Advice & Support What is Type 2 - Diabetes? Diabetes has two types: Type 2 – Diabetes: This condition occurs in people over 40 years of age and develops gradually over time. Cells resist (or reject) the sufficient amounts of insulin the pancreas creates, and so therefore fail to be stimulated by it. This has a knock-on effect which causes the insulin generating cells in the pancreas to become exhausted and stop functioning properly. Type 1 – Diabetes: Although it is much less common than Type 2 – Diabetes, Type 1 – Diabetes still affects over 2 million people in the UK alone. We get glucose (sugar) from food. It gives us energy and helps our cells to function properly. Type 1 – Diabetes develops when there is an excessive amount of glucose in the blood (and your body stops making insulin which keeps your blood glucose levels under control). Too much glucose can damage your blood cells over time, make you feel ill, and lead to extremely serious medical problems. Type 1 – Diabetes generally occurs in children or young adults. This article will focus upon Type 2 – Diabetes and seek to explain the impact it has on people’s lives. Symptoms Symptoms of Type 2 - Diabetes include: A persistent raging thirst Continually needing to go to the toilet to pass urine Passing urine in unusually large amounts Loss of appetite & weight loss Tiredness Blurred vision Causes Risk factors of developing Type 2 – Diabetes: Increasing age Living a sedentary lifestyle combined with a high-sugar diet Obesity Smoking Excessive alcohol consumption Certain medication Pregnancy (in rare cases) Ethnicity – if you are of South Asian, African Caribbean or Hispanic origin. Note: Some people have a genetic predisposition to developing Type 2 – Diabetes. That is, they have a family history of it and the propensity to developing it is passed down. Diagnosis If you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms and think that you may be diabetic, arrange to make an appointment with your GP. After taking your medical history, they will ask you some questions about your symptoms and then make a confirmed diagnosis by requesting a urine sample from you. You will then be referred to a specialist diabetes care team. Treatment Despite worldwide medical research into Type 2 – Diabetes, as yet the condition cannot be cured. Try to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet 2012-06-01T07:42:11.747-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Type-2-–-Diabetes-34582.aspx Anaemia is more common in women. In this article: What is anaemia? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment How Chemist Online can help What is anaemia? When your blood is unable to carry enough oxygen around your body, anaemia can develop. The deficiency in the oxygen carriage is due to there being too few red blood cells being generated by your body, or through some abnormality with these cells. When this occurs there can be the onset of a range of symptoms. Symptoms Symptoms of anaemia include: Headaches Breathlessness Pallid complexion Dizzy spells, bouts of faintness and overwhelming fatigue An overall feeling of lethargy and a loss of interest in activities that you would normally enjoy Increased heart-rate and sometimes heart palpitations Sore throat, mouth, tongue and gums Brittle nails Tinnitus An inability to taste food and drink as normal Difficulty swallowing Weight-loss Causes As well as iron deficiency anaemia, there are four other ‘main’ types of anaemia: Pernicious anaemia – where not enough Vitamin B12 is absorbed by your body from the food that you eat. Megaloblastic anaemia – also due to a lack of Vitamin B12 as well as your body being unable to absorb sufficient amounts of Folic Acid. With this form of anaemia, your red blood cells are abnormally large. Haemolytic anaemia – where the blood cells break down and trigger a range of unpleasant symptoms. Aplastic anaemia – when your bone marrow fails to produce enough red blood cells, Aplastic anaemia develops. This is a rare condition. This article will focus upon iron deficiency anaemia: the most common type of anaemia and a condition that affects thousands of people across the UK. In fact, iron deficiency anaemia affects up to a third of the world’s population – a staggering statistic. Iron deficiency anaemia is caused by your body struggling to cope with a lack of iron. This loss of iron can be due to your body losing blood (during a woman’s menstrual cycle, for example) and also after sudden weight-loss. For some people, the development of iron deficiency anaemia can be caused by a serious disease, such as cancer. Diagnosis If you are experiencing the aforementioned symptoms and associated symptoms of anaemia, or you think you may have a genetic predisposition to having the condition, (that is, it is already in the family and may have been passed down), then arrange to see your GP. After taking your medical history and asking you some questions about your symptoms (such as when and how often they occur and if they would appear to happen as a result of certain triggers), 2012-05-10T07:50:01.2-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Anaemia-Iron-Deficiency-34559.aspx Nappy rash is an irritation of the skin that most babies get at some point. In this article: What is nappy rash? Causes How Chemist Online can help Symptoms Treatments Seeking advice What is nappy rash? Nappy rash is any kind of irritating skin condition or rash occurring in the nappy area. It usually develops as a result of the baby’s skin being exposed to prolonged wetness, as well as increased skin pH caused by urine and faeces in the nappy. Symptoms The usual symptom of nappy rash is redness in the nappy area. However, this can also spread up to the abdomen or down the legs. The redness may also be inflamed with red spots and sore blotches which can cover a large area. Causes Nappy rash is caused by: A wet or dirty nappy that has been left touching the skin for too long A fungal infection which is a result of dampness under the nappy (and which usually affects skin folds, rather than the buttocks area) A bacterial infection in the nappy area, possibly caused by a tiny scratch on your baby's skin where bacteria can grow easily It is not advisable to use tight-fitting plastic pants. To avoid nappy rash, nappies should be changed frequently. Treatments Nappy rash may clear if the skin is left exposed to the air. If nappy rash develops, lay your baby down on a clean, dry towel for a sensible period of time each day without a nappy on (but do remember to change the towel if it becomes wet). Also without its nappy, let your baby roam safely for a few hours each day, to let the exposed area benefit from warm air. Only wash your baby with water until the rash disappears, as soap may irritate the affected area and make the rash worse. Ensure that you dry your baby thoroughly by patting gently with a dry towel after bathing and washing. Apply a water repellent barrier cream to the skin before putting a new nappy on your baby. (There are many over-the-counter barrier creams and ointments you can buy.) Change the nappy for a fresh one as soon as it becomes soiled. How Chemist Online can help Through this website we have available to buy Bepanthen Ointment which has a dual action benefit, helping to both protect against nappy rash and aid the natural healing of your baby's delicate skin. Also, Drapolene Nappy Rash Mousse is a non-greasy, fragrant and preservative free moisturising formulation that treats and prevents 2012-05-09T07:04:21.623-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nappy-Rash-34557.aspx Tetanus can be a life-threatening infection. In this article: What is tetanus? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Effect on your life Treatment How Chemist Online can help Advice & Support What is tetanus? Tetanus is an infection from which everyone should be protected through immunisation injections (as tetanus can be fatal). With tetanus, a bacterium called the Clostridium tetani affects the nervous system, attacking muscles and causing a range of symptoms to develop. In the UK, babies are vaccinated against tetanus before they are four months old. More vaccinations are carried out throughout childhood – protecting the individual from tetanus for life. If you are an adult and are unsure as to whether you are protected from tetanus, arrange an appointment with you GP. They will be able to arrange for you to have a booster injection, if required. Also, if you are intending to travel abroad, check to see if you need a tetanus booster injection prior to departure. Symptoms Symptoms of tetanus include: A general feeling of tiredness Jaw muscle spasms Lockjaw Arching of the back and neck Muscle stiffness and pain around the neck and shoulder area Back pain and stiffness Breathing problems Difficulty swallowing Digestion problems Fever Sore throat Excessive sweating Blood pressure abnormalities Heart palpations and/or irregular heart beat Urination problems (i.e. an inability to pass urine, despite feeling the need to) Causes The Clostridium tetani bacterium is found in soil and animal manure. If you cut or graze yourself and the bacteria enters the wound, it then contaminates it. The aforementioned symptoms of tetanus then develop. You can also get tetanus through sustaining a burn or even through an animal bite. Note: If you think that you (or someone you know) may have become infected with the Clostridium tetani bacterium, do not delay, seek immediate medical attention, even if your wound or graze is only very small. Diagnosis If you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms, do not wait for an appointment with your GP to become available – go to the A&E department of your local (or nearest) hospital immediately. To medical staff, muscle spasms and stiffness are strong indicators of tetanus. Effect on your life Many people become infected with tetanus through body-piercings or tattoos where the equipment used has not been properly sterilised. Treatment Tetanus infection is generally treated with antibiotics (once your wound has been thoroughly cleaned in hospital). Also, medication called immunoglobulin will be given to you to fight bacterial toxins. Muscle spasms will be treated with muscle relaxant medicines. How Chemist Online can help Through this website we have a range of treatments available to buy which can 2012-05-03T10:54:06.34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Tetanus-34555.aspx Most stomach ulcers can be cleared up with antibiotics. In this article: What is a stomach ulcer? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Advice & Support What is a stomach ulcer? A stomach ulcer can be extremely painful. They generally develop when the membrane that lines the digestive system erodes. This can be due to a range of causes and factors. Before the development of antibiotic treatment, stomach ulcers were life-threatening conditions. The only life-saving treatment available was for large sections of the digestive tract to be removed. Failure to do this would mean the person with the ulcer may die from a haemorrhage. Symptoms Symptoms of a stomach ulcer include: Pain in the upper abdomen Bloating Back pain Other associated symptoms include: Nausea Vomiting Indigestion Heartburn Vomiting blood Passing blood in stools Shortness of breath Belching Pale complexion Loss of appetite Causes Although lifestyle factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet and missing meals can all contribute to the development of a stomach ulcer, the core reason they develop is because of a certain type of bacteria. The H. pylori bacteria gradually corrodes the stomach lining. An ulcer forms. Due to the natural acidic content in the stomach and intestine being present, the ulcer is never given respite – there is not enough time for it to heal properly before the H. pylori bacteria begins its corrosive action again. And so the sufferer is in a dangerous cycle of never being able to recover from their ulcer. Note: Some stomach ulcers are caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). Diagnosis If you are experiencing the aforementioned symptoms, make an appointment with your GP immediately. The sooner you can receive proper diagnosis and recommendation for appropriate treatment, the sooner you can ‘control’ your ulcer and take steps towards clearing it up. Your GP will take your medical history, ask you some questions about your symptoms, and then carry out a series of tests. These could include a blood test and a stool test in order to check for the presence of the H. pylori virus. To achieve a confirmed diagnosis you will be referred to a specialist where you will be asked to undergo an endoscopy. This is where a medical professional passes a thin flexible telescope down your throat in order to get a clearer picture of the lining of your stomach. Treatment Most stomach ulcers clear up quickly with a course of antibiotics. Lifestyle changes will also be recommended with a strong focus upon diet. Advice & Support Core Tel: 020 7486 0341 Website: www.corecharity.org.uk The Gut Trust Tel: 0114 272 3253 Website: www.theguttrust.org This information and 2012-04-30T10:46:14.673-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Stomach-Ulcer-34552.aspx Multiple sclerosis is a neurological condition which can occur at any age. In this article: What is multiple sclerosis? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Effect on your life Treatment How Chemist Online can help Advice & Support What is multiple sclerosis? Multiple sclerosis is a disease which affects your muscle control and therefore affects your overall mobility. This is due to problems with your nerves. It is mainly the nerves in your brain and spinal chord (i.e. the process in which nerves send signals or ‘messages’ between your brain and spinal chord and to other parts of your body) which are the root cause of symptoms. Multiple sclerosis can also impact upon your sense of balance and your vision. An autoimmune disease (that is, a disease where the body ‘attacks’ itself), multiple sclerosis develops when the outer casing around your nerves is attacked by your immune system. The medical term for your nerves’ outer casing is myelin sheaths. As your immune system attacks these sheaths they become irreparably damaged (through becoming scarred and hardened), and as a result, the sending of signals around your body is interrupted – the messages you try to send to your muscles and limbs are not received properly. Multiple sclerosis is more common in women than men. Symptoms Symptoms of multiple sclerosis include: Skin numbness A tingling feeling in parts of the skin Vision problems (e.g., loss of vision, blurred vision and/or double vision) Mobility problems Co-ordination problems Loss of sense of touch Speech problems Difficulty swallowing Muscle paralysis Muscle spasms Muscle tremors Limb weakness and pain Dizziness and disorientation Constipation Incontinence Tiredness (and sometimes overwhelming fatigue) Erectile dysfunction in men Cognitive impairment Anxiety Memory problems Also, many people with multiple sclerosis suffer from depression. Please see contact details for the Depression Alliance in the Advice & Support section at the foot of this article. Note: Depending upon the individual, symptoms of multiple sclerosis can vary and range from mild to severe. Causes Despite worldwide medical research, the exact cause of multiple sclerosis is as yet unknown. However, some healthcare professionals suggest that the disease may be caused by environmental factors – your immune system attacks your own body due to there being a virus or bacteria present which your have ‘picked up’ through being in certain environments or disposed to certain substances. Also, it may be possible to have a genetic predisposition to developing multiple sclerosis. That is, you have a family history of it and therefore the heightened risk of you developing the condition has been passed down. However, this is not a common cause. Diagnosis If you are suffering from the aforementioned 2012-04-26T11:16:52.127-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Multiple-Sclerosis-34548.aspx Obesity puts you at serious risk of developing health problems, such as heart disease and even cancer. In this article: What is obesity? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Effect on your life Treatment How Chemist Online can help What is obesity? Obesity has become an increasing problem throughout the UK in recent years, and is an issue that the Department of Health has prioritised. However, there is much confusion – particularly amongst you people and the middle aged – as to what classifies someone as being obese, rather than overweight. Simply put, if excess body fat is at a level where it affects your actual health, then you are considered to be obese. Obesity can lead to health problems such Type-2 Diabetes, heart disease, extreme breathing difficulties, spinal damages and even some cancers (breast, colon, stomach and kidney cancer). It is not surprising then that obesity is such as major concern for UK health authorities. As well as the health conditions above, if you are obese, associated problems can include: High blood pressure Infertility Aching joints Osteoarthritis Gallstones Sleeping problems Snoring Symptoms As well as being dangerously overweight, associated symptoms of obesity can include: Excessive sweating Fatigue Lethargy An inability to manage tasks and/or activities which require physical activity in sudden bursts Causes Causes of obesity can include: Eating too many calories (fatty foods, sugary drinks…) and not exercising enough to burn them off Medical reasons, such as excessive production of steroid hormones in the body, underactive thyroid, metabolic syndrome and familial obesity Certain medications, such as antidepressants, steroids and blood pressure drugs Diagnosis If you suffering from the aforementioned symptoms and are worried about your weight, then arrange to see your GP. After taking your medical history, they will ask you some questions about your symptoms and lifestyle. Your body mass index will then be checked: About body mass index (BMI) is a measurement use to calculate if you are of a healthy weight in accordance with your height. By dividing your weight (in kilograms) by your height (in metres) then dividing the answer you get by your height again (in metres) you arrive at your body mass index. Your GP may also take your waist measurement. Other tests may include: A blood test (to measure cholesterol and blood glucose levels) Blood pressure test You will then be advised upon sensible lifestyle changes you can adopt, as well as treatment options available to you. Treatment Most people tackle obesity by adopting a healthier lifestyle which includes a combination of a nutritious and balanced diet with regular exercise. However, where this proves unsuccessful treatments may include: Sibutramine medication – this 2012-04-24T05:36:46.027-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Obesity-34546.aspx Endocarditis is caused by a bacterial infection. In this article: What is endocarditis? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment How Chemist Online can help Advice & Support What is endocarditis? Endocardium is the tissue that lines the inside of the heart chambers. With endocarditis, a bacterial infection causes the endocardium, heart muscles and valves to become inflamed. It can be a life-threatening condition. Symptoms A heightened awareness of your heart beating is a common symptom of endocarditis. Other symptoms include: Heart murmurs A general feeling of being unwell Muscular aches and pains Loss of appetite (and therefore weight-loss) Tiredness (this can be mild or overwhelming, depending upon the severity of your condition) Breathlessness Feverish symptoms (high temperature, cough, headaches…) Sweating (especially at night) Swollen ankles and/or feet Swelling around the abdomen Dizziness Note: Symptoms generally appear gradually over a period of several months (unless ‘acute endocarditis’ develops, where the onset of symptoms can occur almost overnight). Causes Endocarditis is caused by bacteria entering your bloodstream through activities, such as: brushing your teeth (where poor dental care is present and the bacteria enters through your gums), or simply through chewing food. You can also ‘catch’ the infection through having unprotected sex with someone who has a sexually transmitted disease (STD), such as gonorrhoea or chlamydia. Other causes of endocarditis include: Having intestinal disorders or rheumatic fever in childhood, or as part of the ageing process (where the valves naturally become less flexible or damaged in some way due to becoming weaker). Some people are born with a defective heart valve (a congenital deformity) and develop the symptoms of endocarditis in later life. Diagnosis If you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms, make an appointment to see your GP immediately. After taking your medical history (particularly in relation to your heart’s health) and asking you some questions about your symptoms, your GP will then use a stethoscope to listen for heart murmurs. You will then be referred to a heart specialist at your local hospital where you will undergo a series of tests (a blood test, echocardiogram, and CT scan). Treatment Most cases of endocarditis are successfully treated with a course of antibiotics. This usually lasts for a minimum of a month and involves a series of injections. Where infection is severe, heart valve surgery may be recommended. How Chemist Online can help Through this website we have a range of treatments available to buy which can help you to maintain a healthy heart. www.chemistonline.co.uk Advice & Support British Heart Foundation Tel: 08450 70 80 70 (Helpline) Website: www.bhf.org.uk Heart UK Tel: 0845 450 5988 (Helpline) Website: www.heartuk.org.uk This information and advice is not intended to replace 2012-04-12T07:41:52.673-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Endocarditis-Heart-Valve-Disease-34534.aspx Varicose veins usually develop on the back of the calf or on the inside of your leg. About 3 in 10 adults develop the condition at some time in their lives. In this article: What are varicose veins? Diagnosis How Chemist Online can help Symptoms Effect on your life Causes Treatments What are varicose veins? Usually blue or dark purple in colour, varicose veins are unsightly veins which appear bulging and twisted. This makes them easy to see, but they may be less obvious if you are overweight due to them being hidden by fatty tissue under the skin. They can be uncomfortable and make your legs ache, with symptoms feeling worse in warm weather or if you have been standing for long periods of time. As well as on the legs, varicose veins can also develop in other parts of your body, such as your rectum, womb, vagina and pelvis. Varicose veins in the gullet (oesophagus) can also occur, but this is rare. Symptoms Typical symptoms of varicose veins are: A knobbly appearance to the skin in the affected area (as if the veins are straining to burst through the skin) Aching legs (which is often accompanied by a tingling sensation) Swollen feet and ankles Dry, itchy and thin skin over the affected vein A burning feeling in your legs (which many sufferers describe as ‘a constant throbbing’). Also, where varicose veins are particularly severe, ulcers may develop. Causes In the human body, blood is pumped from the heart and carried to organs and body tissues through arteries, and back to the heart through veins. Inside your veins there are miniscule valves which open to let the blood through, but then close again to prevent it from going backwards. When these valves weaken (through things like stretching and loss of elasticity), and blood collects or pools in the veins, varicose veins develop. The condition also often develops in people that: Are pregnant Are overweight Have had a previous blood clot (thrombosis) or an injury in a deep leg vein Diagnosis Varicose veins are common and occur more in women than men. If you have varicose veins and they are causing you discomfort, make an appointment with your GP. He or she will ask you questions to establish whether you have a genetic predisposition to developing the condition, and if you have diabetes – this could impact upon your problems with blood flow. After examining your legs (particularly the pattern of the veins while you are in a standing position), and any other effected area, your 2012-04-11T08:39:40.6-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Varicose-Veins-34533.aspx Asthma affects more than 6 million people in the UK. In this article: What is asthma? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Effect on your life Treatment Advice & Support What is asthma? Asthma is a condition which affects the lungs and makes breathing extremely difficult whenever the onset of an asthma ‘attack’ occurs. The lungs become inflamed causing a kind of narrowing of the airways. This makes breathing more restricted and therefore uncomfortable. With symptoms ranging from mild to severe, asthma generally starts in childhood and then becomes progressively worse as you reach adulthood. In fact, 1 in 20 adults in the UK suffer from asthma, with each person only able to cope with their condition as best they can through a specifically tailored treatment plan for them (as asthma cannot be cured). Symptoms Symptoms of asthma can include: Breathlessness and general breathing problems (these are usually at their worst in the night) A feeling of tightness in the chest Increased heart-rate Wheezing and coughing Agitation and/or restlessness Symptoms of asthma can last for anything between an hour and a period of weeks – with asthma attacks varying in length and severity from one person to another. Causes The precise cause of asthma is as yet unknown. However, a range of triggers that have been suggested and identified as possibly causing the onset of asthma symptoms include: Allergies (e.g., pollen, moulds, house dust mites, and furry pets) Chemicals and fumes (e.g., from solvents) Infections (e.g., colds, cough, flu, chest infections…) Certain medications (e.g., aspirin and beta-blockers) Emotional upset (e.g., stress and/or anxiety) Sometimes the symptoms of asthma can flare up during exercise, or for no apparent reason. Also, you may have a genetic predisposition to having asthma. That is, the propensity to developing the condition is already in the family and has been passed down to you from another generation. Diagnosis If you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms and think that you may have asthma, arrange an appointment with your GP. After taking your medical history, they will ask you some questions about your symptoms (such as how often they occur and when) and then perhaps listen to your chest with a stethoscope to assess your breathing. If they suspect that you may have asthma, they will examine your breathing in a more in-depth way using something called a PEFR test (peak expiratory flow rate). This is a handheld device which has been specially designed to take a reading of your breathing pattern and behaviour. If there is any doubt at this stage as to whether you are asthmatic, 2012-04-10T10:34:22.493-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Asthma-34532.aspx People of all ages suffer from a common cold from time to time. However, women suffer from common colds more frequently than men, due to playing with and caring for children more and catching a cold from them as a result of close contact. In this article: What is a common cold? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Effect on your life Treatment How Chemist Online can help What is a common cold? Common colds are contagious. When someone with a common cold sneezes or coughs, the cold virus spreads to those in close proximity to them. The specks of cold virus fluid that ‘shoot’ through the air are breathed in by others, and they too then quickly begin to show signs and symptoms of a common cold. When the upper respiratory tract which is made up of the nose, throat, sinuses, etc., is infected with a common cold viral infection, a range of symptoms occur which combine and basically leave you feeling ‘bunged up’, weak and miserable for a few days. The good news is that most common colds clear up within a week and cannot be regarded as a serious or life-threatening health condition. Symptoms Symptoms of common cold include: Cough Sore throat Blocked up nose (nasal congestion) Sneezing Runny nose Headache Hoarse voice Fever-like symptoms and chills An overall feeling of being rundown, off colour and in need of a few days rest in order to recover Causes The common cold is caused by a virus. In fact, there are as many as 200 different viruses which can cause a common cold to develop. As we have seen, common colds are contagious – you catch them from other people. This does not necessarily mean through direct bodily contact (kissing, breathing in an infected person’s breath due to being in close proximity to them, etc.). If someone with a common cold touches a household object such as a telephone or a kitchen cupboard handle, they can pass on the common cold virus this way, too. If, after touching the ‘infected’ phone or cupboard door handle, you then bring your hand to your mouth or nose, you can then very easily ‘catch’ the common cold virus this way. In fact, catching a common cold is so easy to do; it is not surprising that across the UK millions of people struggle with common cold each year. Diagnosis Most people ‘self-diagnose’ their common cold and take over-the-counter-remedies to help cope with and ease symptoms – until their cold eventually disappears. However, if you are suffering from the aforementioned 2012-04-04T07:06:47.86-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Common-Cold-34530.aspx Most bouts of colic (excessive crying or extreme restlessness by your infant) occur during the evening. In this article: What is colic? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Effect on your life Treatment How Chemist Online can help Advice & Support What is colic? Colic (a condition where an infant has repeated bouts of crying, sleeplessness and being demanding) is not an indicator that there may be something physically wrong with your child. You child can be perfectly healthy and still display these behaviours. Colic usually occurs in new-born babies, but older infants can suffer from colic, too. The severity of colic in a child can vary from mild to extremely severe. Understandably, when a baby cries for hours on end this can be very difficult for a parent, guardian or carer to cope with. There is help available for people who find it all too much. Between bouts of colic, your baby can be calm and placid, and show no signs of restlessness or distress whatsoever. Symptoms Symptoms usually disappear when the baby reaches four months. The symptoms of colic include: Intense crying for hours on end without there being any apparent cause for upset Restlessness and sleeplessness Arching of the back Drawing up of legs to the tummy A rumbling sound from the baby’s tummy Refusal of food at feeding time(s) Wind Red complexion Causes Despite worldwide medical research, the exact cause of colic is as yet unknown. Some medical professionals suggest that colic may be linked to: Digestive problems caused by breast milk Abdominal pain caused by trapped wind Sensitivity to certain environmental factors (for example, you baby finds it hard to settle at home after leaving hospital) The sensing of anxiety in the atmosphere (i.e. between parents who are struggling to cope and are at a loss as to know what to do when their baby is excessively crying) Smoking during pregnancy Diagnosis Just about every baby in the world suffers from colic. Most parents accept this and wait for the months to pass, looking forward to when the symptoms finally disappear. However, if you are particularly concerned about your baby, arrange an appointment with your GP or a health visitor. After asking you some questions about diet, sleep, bowel movements and, of course, symptoms, they will examine your baby and then suggest ideas you could try. These may include: Bathing you baby in warm water to calm them down Singing softly to your baby Taking your baby for a short and calming walk in the buggy in your local park Propping your baby up, holding him/her, and generally giving your baby increased 2012-04-03T10:27:27.997-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-is-Colic-34529.aspx Tendonitis means inflammation of a tendon – the tissue that connects muscle to bone. In this article: What is tendonitis? Causes Treatment Symptoms Diagnosis How Chemist Online can help What is tendonitis? Tendonitis is a condition that can occur in any part of the body where muscle connects to bone. When the tendon becomes inflamed – usually due to overuse – tendonitis develops. Tendonitis can be very painful and debilitating, making even simple everyday tasks, such as making a cup of tea difficult. The good news is that with the appropriate treatment tendonitis can heal quickly, often over just a few days. Symptoms Symptoms of tendonitis (in and around the affected area) can include: pain tenderness stiffness swelling redness and lumps along the tendon reduced movement and weakness, and warmth of the tendon’s overlying skin Causes Causes of tendonitis can include: A sports-related injury – such as tennis elbow where, for tennis players, the condition is usually a direct result of repetitively hitting countless tennis balls over many years – possibly from childhood, or as a result of an equipment-related issue, such as: using a tennis racquet that is too big, or playing with tennis strings strung too taut. Tendon overuse during everyday tasks – as a result of lots of writing with a pen or word processor keyboard, ironing a mountain of washing each afternoon, or over-practicing a musical instrument, such as a classical guitar. Increased tendon and muscle activity at an unnatural rate – for example, where an exercise programme is suddenly made more intense in an effort to lose weight or prepare for a marathon, and the tendons are simply unable to cope with the new demands placed upon them. Suddenly pulling a tendon through overstraining, digging or carrying a heavy object (this cannot only cause tendonitis in the hands but also in the shoulders, back and legs). Diabetes – people with diabetes often suffer from tendonitis, but the reason for this is as yet unknown. Infection – through bacteria infecting a skin wound, for example. Rheumatoid Arthritis – where the sheath surrounding the tendon becomes inflamed Through ageing – the elderly often develop tendonitis due to their tendons growing weaker and losing their elasticity as part of the ageing process. Some cases of tendonitis are inexplicable, however, with the person suffering from the condition being unable to account for the cause of their tendon pain at all. Diagnosis If you suffer from any of the aforementioned symptoms and think you may have tendonitis, arrange an appointment with your GP. After taking your medical history and 2012-03-23T11:37:37.16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Tendonitis-34521.aspx Type 1 - Diabetes occurs when there is too much glucose in the blood. In this article: What is Type 1 - Diabetes? Diagnosis Advice & Support Symptoms Treatment Causes How Chemist Online can help What is Type 1 - Diabetes? Diabetes can be categorised into 2 types: Type 1 – Diabetes: Although it is much less common than Type 2 – Diabetes, Type 1 – Diabetes still affects over 2 million people in the UK alone. We get glucose (sugar) from food. It gives us energy and helps our cells to function properly. Type 1 – Diabetes develops when there is an excessive amount of glucose in the blood (and your body stops making a pancreatic generated hormone called insulin which keeps your blood glucose levels under control). Too much glucose can damage your blood cells over time, make you feel ill, and lead to extremely serious medical problems. Type 1 – Diabetes generally occurs in children of young adults. Type 2 – Diabetes: Type 2 – Diabetes is different because it occurs in people over 40 years of age and develops gradually over time. Cells resist (or reject) the sufficient amounts of insulin the pancreas creates, and so therefore fail to be stimulated by it. This has knock-on effect which causes the insulin generating cells in the pancreas to become exhausted and stop functioning properly. This article will focus upon Type 1 – Diabetes and seek to explain the impact it has on people’s lives. Symptoms Symptoms of Type 1 - Diabetes include: A persistent, raging thirst A need to pass urine frequently Fatigue Weight loss Muscle wasting Problems with vision (images can appear blurred) Constipation Skin infections Itchiness and irritation around the penis or vagina Regular bouts of thrush Causes As we have seen, Type 1 – Diabetes develops when your body stops producing sufficient amounts of insulin to keep your blood glucose levels under control. A lack of insulin means that the glucose is not dispersed naturally and evenly to into your cells through your bloodstream. It is not known why the body fails to produce enough insulin in some people but does in others, although one theory suggests that is may be due to a problem with the immune system – possibly and autoimmune reaction. Other suggested causes of Type 1 - Diabetes include: Viral or bacterial infection Exposure to cow’s milk at a very young age (i.e. during infancy) Environmental problems, such as exposure to dangerous chemical toxins in some foods Also, some people may have a genetic predisposition to developing Type 1 – 2012-03-22T11:27:08.307-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Type-1-–-Diabetes-34520.aspx Myasthenia gravis is a condition which can affect muscles in all areas of the body (weakening them). The problem originates in the body’s nervous system. In this article: What is myasthenia gravis? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Effect on your life Treatment How Chemist Online can help Advice & Support What is myasthenia gravis? The name ‘myasthenia gravis’ derives for the Latin and/or Greek for grave muscle weakness. It is the body’s voluntary muscles that are mainly affected (rather than the heart, for example). Physical activity worsens symptoms. Symptoms Symptoms of myasthenia gravis include: A feeling of general muscle weakness around the body (however, this is not necessarily accompanied by overwhelming tiredness or fatigue) Muscle weakness around the limbs (impacting upon general mobility, and making even the simplest everyday tasks difficult) Drooping of the eyelids Blurred or double vision A change to the appearance of your smile (changing it from a pleasant expression to one which appears to others as a snarling look) Problems with speech Difficulty chewing Difficulty swallowing Breathing difficulties Neck pain Causes Despite worldwide medical research the exact cause of myasthenia gravis is as yet unknown. However, it is thought that it may be an autoimmune condition (where the body ‘attacks’ itself) which originates in the thymus gland in the chest. Other possible causes/triggers may include: Viruses As a reaction to certain medication A genetic predisposition (this means that there may be a family history of myasthenia gravis that has been passed down to you) Diagnosis If you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms, make an appointment to see your GP. Myasthenia gravis is usually diagnosed through a blood test. However, where this proves inconclusive, you will be referred to your local hospital for an X-Ray or a CT scan – to examine your thymus gland. If a confirmed diagnosis is made, an appropriate treatment will be recommended to you by a neurologist. Effect on your life To keep the severity of your symptoms under as much control as possible it is essential that you avoid environments where there is an extreme temperature; situations that could induce a high level of stress; any kind of activity that could make you very tired; and also infections of any kind. Treatment There is no cure for myasthenia gravis. However, a range of treatments are available which are intended to help better manage the condition so that you may still live an active, full life. These treatments include: Prescribed drugs – steroids and immunosuppressants Plasmaphoresis treatment – where an attempt is made to eradicate harmful antibodies from your blood plasma using a special filtering machine Surgery – removal of the 2012-03-07T11:20:31.053-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Myasthenia-Gravis-34501.aspx Migraine headaches can affect people of any age. What are migraine headaches? Diagnosis How Chemist Online can help Symptoms Effect on your life Advice & Support Causes Treatment What are migraine headaches? We all suffer from a headache at some point in our lives. Where migraine headaches are different is that the migraine itself is the central cause of the person becoming unwell. You may be in good health overall and not suffering from any diseases or conditions, but the sudden onset of migraine symptoms can still occur, due to what may be a range of possible causes. Symptoms Symptoms of migraine headaches include: sudden headache attacks nausea and vomiting sensitivity to light, loud music and other noise (e.g., crowd noise) disturbance of vision feeling unable to do anything other than go to bed Some people may also experience fever and feelings of drowsiness. Causes Causes of migraine can include: changes in levels of certain chemicals in the brain high blood pressure eye strain hormonal factors (e.g., as a result of being pregnant) certain medications physical and emotional stress smoking and alcohol dietary triggers additives eating meals infrequently Diagnosis If you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms and are struggling to manage your pain through taking over-the-counter remedies, make an appointment to see your GP. After taking your medical history, he or she will ask you some questions about your symptoms, carry out a physical examination, and then recommend an appropriate course of treatment. Note: If your headache occurs suddenly and severely, seek medical advice urgently, particularly if you have recently received a blow to the head. Effect on your life Most people with migraine say that this condition can be a miserable experience. The sudden onset of symptoms (a migraine attack) can occur without warning and can mean you feel unable to do anything other than go to bed or sit quietly in a dark room until your symptoms ease. Commonly, a migraine can last for up to 72 hours. Treatment As yet, there is no definite cure for migraines, but there are several treatments which can help to reduce symptoms. These include: painkillers anti-inflammatories anti-sickness medicines triptan medicines (these make the blood vessels around the brain contract – easing symptoms) acupuncture, massage, reflexology migraine clinics It can be a good idea to keep a migraine diary to try to track which food, drink and/or activities seem to trigger your symptoms. That way you can organise your life as best you can to try to avoid migraine attacks, and also protect yourself when it comes to making career choices. For example, many people with migraine find their symptoms can be 2012-03-02T10:24:57.88-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Migraine-Headaches-34500.aspx GORD is a common condition and is one of the most frequent causes of indigestion and heartburn. In this article: What is GORD? Effect on your life Advice & Support Symptoms Treatments Causes How Chemist Online can help What is GORD? GORD stands for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (also known as acid reflux), and is an unpleasant burning feeling in the chest which rises to the throat. This occurs when stomach acid leaks back up into the oesophagus (the tube that runs from your throat to your stomach). GORD is often a chronic condition. This means that if you suffer from it, you may experience recurring episodes for the rest of your life. Symptoms The main symptoms of GORD include a burning sensation in the chest, and, in severe cases, breathing difficulties and also hoarseness due to the acid reflux irritating the larynx and respiratory tract. Causes When the ring of muscle that sits between your oesophagus and your stomach weakens over time and fails to function as it should then GORD can occur. Acid seeps through the ring up into the throat in a sort of ‘backwards motion’, and can feel uncomfortable. This can happen as a result of excessive alcohol intake, smoking, eating fatty foods, being pregnant, or suffering from constipation. Chocolate, coffee and fruit juices can all aggravate the condition. Also, eating a large meal once a day rather than eating little and often can cause GORD to occur. Effect on your life Many people who suffer from GORD experience a lower quality of life due to their symptoms. For dietary reasons, going to a restaurant can be almost impossible. Sleep disturbances can also occur as well as limitations in physical activities such as playing sports or even bending over to empty the dishwasher or pick up a pen. Treatments Losing weight, avoiding large, high-fat meals (and bedtime snacks), reducing coffee and alcohol consumption, and stopping smoking can all help to ease the symptoms of GORD. For most people, over-the-counter antacid tablets or liquids give fast, short-term relief. If these, as well as lifestyle changes, prove ineffective then make an appointment with your GP. He or she will consider whether stronger medication is required, or if further tests, such as a gastroscopy, should be carried out. How Chemist Online can help We have a range of products available that can help you to tackle GORD: such as Bisodol Indigestion Relief Tablets. These are highly effective triple-action peppermint tablets which aid the relief of acid indigestion. We can also recommend Gaviscon 2012-02-20T12:14:24.24-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/GORD-Leading-Cause-of-Indigestion-and-Heartburn-34484.aspx Patient NB is a 21 year-old G1T0P1A0L1. NB delivered a baby girl at 33.1 weeks gestation on 5/3/2011. Her LMP was on 09/13/2010. Her estimated due date was 6/20/11. She is five feet four inches and her weight at delivery was 153 pounds. Her prenatal labs include an ultrasound on 2/11/11 and an AFP, which was not elevated. Her delivery was complicated with preterm labor. She arrived at the hospital completely effaced and 4cm dilated. Delivery was eminent, and at 1219 on 5/3/2011 she delivered her preterm baby girl vaginally. She had an epidural with fentanyl 15 ml/hr for pain relief, and suffered a superficial bilateral vaginal tear from the delivery. Her uterus has remained contracted. Her lochia is rubra small. She does not have a significant history as this is her first pregnancy and delivery. Patient denies drug and alcohol use. Patient denies smoking. She has no history of depression. Her husband is in the military and is stationed in Iraq, but he was able to get discharged for 1 week for the delivery. Patient will be staying with parents in IL, for a few weeks, until the baby is stable and discharged. She will than return to Kansas City, where she lives. In Kansas, she does not have family and has only a very small support system. NB was18 hours post-delivery. Her main concerns at this time were afterbirth pains, especially after pumping and breast pumping instructions. Her baby was premature and was in the NICU, so she was pumping breast milk for the baby. Upon doing her assessment her vitals were as follows: T 98.7, P 88, R 14 and BP 118/72. Her uterus is well contracted, midline, and the fundus is 1cm below her umbilicus. Her lochia is rubra and she complains of after pains. Her breasts were soft but slightly engorged with nipples erect without redness; she is voiding large quantities with each void without discomfort or burning. Her perineum was very slightly swollen and she did have a normal bowel movement on 5/3/11. Her homan’s sign is negative. The baby was being cared for in the NICU, and she appears to be in good spirits as her husband is arriving from Iraq. Baby Synopsis Baby girl B is a preterm infant delivered via vaginal delivery 2012-02-20T12:05:01.677-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Pre-Term-Labor-a-Maternal-Synopsis-34483.aspx You can significantly reduce the risk of developing diabetes if you adopt a healthy lifestyle which combines a balanced diet with regular exercise. In this article: What is diabetes? What are risk factors for diabetes? How to reduce the risk of developing diabetes How Chemist Online can help Advice & Support What is diabetes? Diabetes can be categorised into 2 types: Type 1 – Diabetes: This type of diabetes affects over 2 million people in the UK alone, and generally occurs in children and young adults. It develops when there is an excessive amount of glucose in the blood (and your body stops making a pancreatic generated hormone called insulin which keeps your blood glucose levels under control). Type 2 – Diabetes: This type of diabetes is different because it occurs in people over 40 years of age and develops gradually over time. Cells resist (or reject) the sufficient amounts of insulin the pancreas creates, and so therefore fail to be stimulated by it. This has knock-on effect which causes the insulin generating cells in the pancreas to become exhausted and stop functioning properly. How to reduce the risk of developing diabetes The most common link to developing diabetes is obesity. By adopting a healthier lifestyle through the combination of maintaining a nutritious and balanced diet with regular exercise, you can reduce your risk of developing diabetes hugely. Other measures you can take to reduce your risk of developing diabetes include: Seek regular screening – Have your blood sugar levels checked regularly (you can buy monitoring kits from us – see How Chemist Online Can Help section below), or arrange an appointment with your GP where you can talk over your concerns and ask that they carry out appropriate tests to measure your blood sugar levels at regular intervals. Consider reducing your refined carbohydrate intake – Although carbohydrates are an important part of your daily diet, there can be a danger of overdoing your carbohydrate intake in an effort to maintain a healthy diet and to keep your blood sugar levels under control. This is because many people confuse ‘normal’ carbohydrates with refined carbohydrates (such as cakes, bread…). Refined carbohydrates can only boost your blood glucose levels and put you at risk of developing diabetes, so it is best not to eat them to excess. Lift weights as part of your exercise routine – Developing muscle mass will help you to burn off fat. So, as well as doing cardiovascular–orientated exercises in the gym (using 2012-02-15T09:40:40.903-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Risk-Factors-for-Diabetes-34480.aspx Heart attacks are more common in men than women. In this article: What is a heart attack? Diagnosis Advice & Support Symptoms Treatment Causes How Chemist Online can hep What is a heart attack? A heart attack can be an extremely traumatic experience not only for the person having the attack, but also for those around them at the time. Simply put, a heart attack occurs when the coronary arteries (blood vessels) leading to the heart become blocked. Not enough blood, oxygen and nutrients reach the heart, and the heart ‘panics’ as a result, with part of the heart muscle dieing and a whole range of symptoms occurring throughout this process. Symptoms Symptoms of a heart attack include: Severe chest pain (accompanied by a kind of tightening or crushing feeling that comes on suddenly and stops you in your tracks, or is preceded with symptoms of angina) A feeling similar to that of acute heartburn Pain spreading through other parts of the body (the arms, neck, back and jaw) For some people (particularly the elderly or those with diabetes) there may be no symptoms at all – the attack has occurred without your actual knowledge. If this is the case, the ‘evidence’ of your heart attack is highlighted through an electrocardiograph test (ECG) after the event – please see Diagnosis section below. Note: After a heart attack, some people develop depressive illness during their long rehabilitation process, usually due to the incapacitation over this time. (Please see contact details for the Depression Alliance at the Advice & Support section at the foot of this article). Causes Causes of heart attacks can include: smoking high blood pressure high blood cholesterol being diabetic obesity poor diet (which is high in saturated fats) lack of exercise, and simply as a result of getting older (in the UK, men over 45 and women over 55 are more likely to have a heart attack) Some people may also have a genetic predisposition to developing a heart disease and then suffering from a heart attack as a result. (This is means that heart disease is already in the family – the susceptibility to having a heart attack is passed down.) Diagnosis If someone is seriously at risk of having a heart attack, this is usually diagnosed through: Blood tests Monitoring of heart rate Measuring of blood pressure A 5-minute electrocardiogram (ECG) – to locate blocked or partially blocked coronary arteries. The ECG also traces the electrical activity of the heart – where tiny electrical signals are produced with each heart beat. Treatment Treatments following a heart attack 2012-01-09T08:33:10.16-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Heart-Attack-34414.aspx Impotence – a man’s inability to maintain an erection – is not an inevitable part of aging. In this article: What is impotence? Effect on your life Advice & Support Causes Treatment Diagnosis How Chemist Online can help What is impotence? Impotence is where a man cannot develop and/or maintain an erect penis for sexual performance. Although impotence is a common complaint and can occur at any age, it is most commonly older men that suffer from the condition. The good news is that, although there are treatments for impotence, the vast majority of men find they are able to improve and overcome their condition through sensible lifestyle changes. Causes Impotence can be caused by: heart disease diabetes damage to nerves or blood vessels thyroid or kidney problems hormonal problems high blood pressure smoking excessive alcohol consumption overwork and tiredness side-effects of medication Psychological conditions which can also cause impotence include: Stress and anxiety Relationship problems Depression Boredom with sex Diagnosis If you struggle with maintaining an erection for satisfactory sexual intercourse, and this condition continues for several weeks, then make an appointment with your GP. After making an assessment of your overall medical condition, he or she will discuss your erectile dysfunction problems with you and then advise on a number of different tests and treatments, and also possibly refer you to a suitable therapist if appropriate. Effect on your life Due to being embarrassed about their condition, men with impotence commonly struggle with it for years without seeking medical advice or assistance. However, if you are finding it difficult to maintain an erection for satisfactory sexual performance then it is best to seek help quickly, as this could erode quality of life for you and your partner, and, in some cases, lead to relationship breakdown. Also, the situation can become a vicious circle as worrying about your condition could be contributing to the problem. Treatment Treatments used to help men overcome impotence include: Effective tablet treatments Psychosexual counselling Injections into the base of the penis Surgery (in rare cases) There are also ways you can help yourself: Lose weight by taking regular exercise and eating a balanced diet Stop smoking Reduce stress by practising relaxation techniques Get plenty of rest How Chemist Online can help Through this website we have available to buy a range of treatments which can help with impotence, such as Sen morinda+13 – a well-known Chinese formula which has been used for decades by Chinese men to increase libido and overcome impotence. www.chemistonline.co.uk Advice & Support Sexual Dysfunction Association Tel. 0870 77 43 571 Website: www.sda.uk.net British Society for Sexual Medicine Tel. 01543 432757 / 432622 Website: www.bssm.org.uk This information and advice is not intended 2011-12-21T05:14:14.197-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Impotence-AKA-Erectile-Dysfunction-34401.aspx Research shows that up to 50 per cent of people suffer from bad breath at some point in their lives. In this article: What is bad breath? Effect on your life Advice & Support Symptoms Treatments Causes How Chemist Online can help What is bad breath? Bad breath is a condition where you have an unpleasant smell from your mouth which is noticeable not only to yourself but also to others whenever you speak, yawn, kiss or simply breathe out. While it’s true that we are all prone to suffering from bad breath first thing in the morning due to saliva drying up as we sleep, bad breath as an actual medical condition is where your breath’s odour is so severe that it impacts upon your daily life and becomes an embarrassing complaint. That said, in some cases sufferers have bad breath but are oblivious to the fact. This is usually because they are so used to the smell of their own bodies. Symptoms The main symptoms of bad breath are a dry mouth and teeth; thick saliva and a constant need to clear your throat; mucous or a burning tongue; a constant sour taste which can also seem metallic in your mouth; and also a white coating on the tongue. All this can result in a fruity smell coming from your mouth; a fishy type of smell; and, in the severest of conditions, a faeces-like smell which can result in people backing away from you or turning their heads away. Causes Bad breath is usually caused by gum disease, cavities, smoking, sulphur-producing bacteria in the tongue and throat, poor oral hygiene, alcohol, foods high in protein, sugar or acid, and where the sufferer is also afflicted with an acid reflux condition (GORD). Effect on your life Bad breath can impact upon a person’s self-esteem and self-confidence, leading them to avoid many social occasions and also things like close contact both at work and at home. Many sufferers tell of developing a social inferiority complex due to the suspicion that their work colleagues and friends may be commenting upon their appalling breath behind their backs. Treatments Good oral hygiene is usually the key to tackling bad breath and reducing its symptoms. This can include things like regularly flossing and brushing the teeth, as well as using mouthwashes and toothpastes which are formulated to be particularly effective. If you find that over-the-counter remedies are not effective for you, then make an appointment with your doctor. He or she 2011-12-19T07:56:01.65-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Bad-Breath-AKA-Halitosis-34398.aspx Urinary incontinence is a common condition in the elderly. In this article: What is urinary incontinence? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Effect on your life Treatment Advice & Support What is urinary incontinence? More common in women than men, urinary incontinence is where urine leaks out of the vagina or penis unintentionally. This can happen at any time of the day or night and can be both embarrassing and inconvenient for the individual with the condition. The amount of leaked urine can range from a few tiny droplets to an involuntary flood, depending upon the severity of the condition. The good news is that, in the vast majority of cases, urinary incontinence can be appropriately treated and cured. Symptoms Symptoms of urinary incontinence include: Passing urine when you don’t want to Urine leakages triggered by sudden body movements, such as coughing and/or laughing Bloated bladder (a feeling of pressure on the bladder, even though you have just visited the toilet) The sudden urge to pass urine Problems emptying the bladder fully, even though you have already passed a large amount of urine Note: Many people with severe urinary incontinence develop depressive illness due to struggling to cope with their condition. Please see contact details for the Depression Alliance in the Advice & Support section at the foot of this article. Causes Urinary incontinence is generally an expected part of the ageing process – the pelvic floor muscles gradually become weaker with the passing of the years. However, other causes of urinary incontinence can include: Urine infection Diabetes Bladder problems (i.e. the nerves in and around the bladder) If you have recently had a baby As a result of reaching the menopause If you have Parkinson’s disease or a stroke Diagnosis If you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms, arrange an appointment with your GP. They will take your medical history and ask your some questions about your symptoms. A urine sample may be taken, to check for possible infection. You may then be referred to an urologist for further tests. Once a confirmed diagnosis of urinary incontinence has been made, an appropriate treatment will then be recommended to you. Effect on your life For most people with urinary incontinence, their condition can be embarrassing and inconvenient. The sudden urge to pass urine (through urge incontinence) can make life very difficult. Needing to find a toilet in an emergency can obviously have an adverse effect on your work, social and family life. You may find that wearing special underwear called incontinence pants (normal pants but with a plastic pad inside) helps to absorb the leaking 2011-12-09T05:04:48.203-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Urinary-Incontinence-34380.aspx Symptoms of autism usually become apparent before a child is three years of age. In this article: What is autism? Causes Treatment Symptoms Diagnosis Advice & Support What is autism? Autism is a behavioural condition which is much more common in boys than girls. There may be no indication at birth that the infant is autistic, but signs and symptoms may quickly become apparent after the child’s first year, particularly where there is a focus upon mother-child attachment and interaction, and the differences in infant behaviour compared to others at that stage in their development. There has been a significant increase in the number of children with autism in the UK over the past decade. The precise reason for this has not been established. Symptoms Symptoms of autism can vary from child to child, and include: A disinterest in others or in making friends A detached demeanour which makes the autistic child come across as unapproachable and aloof Little or no appreciation of or sensitivity to the feelings or concerns of others Difficulty in expressing themselves Using an odd choice of words, continuously repeating words or phrases, and a tendency to come out with inappropriate remarks or comments in situations where those present would find this strange and even offensive Unusual mannerisms and body movements (e.g., waving arms around aggressively or in a playful manner, hand-flapping and sudden turning of the head) Apoplectic anger in response to the disruption of their particular routine Self-harm – banging their head against a wall or slapping themselves in the face, again as an angry response to a situation that frustrates them or where their routine has been interrupted by another person Obsessive behaviour Rocking back and forth over and over again, and other repetitive behaviour(s), such as: the constant opening and closing a door, or relentless rearranging of cutlery on a table, for example. Note: An autistic child can display all these behaviours or just some of them, depending upon the severity of their condition. Causes Despite intense research by clinical psychologists and other healthcare professionals worldwide, the exact cause of autism still remains unknown. There has been some suggestion in the British media that the MMR vaccine may play a part in a child developing the condition, but this is not a definite cause as there is no solid evidence supporting this suggestion. Other suggested causes include: Genetics – some children may have a genetic predisposition to being autistic. That is, a family member from a previous generation suffered from autism and so the vulnerability to the 2011-12-05T10:42:49.76-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Autism-in-Children-34373.aspx Cytomegalovirus is one of the world’s most common viral infections and is transmitted through close bodily contact between people. In this article: What is acquired cytomegalovirus? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment How Chemist Online can help Advice & Support What is acquired cytomegalovirus? Acquired cytomegalovirus is a viral condition which is so common, it is estimated that up to 80 per cent of all adults in the UK who are middle-aged or older become infected with it at some point in their lives. Note: An ‘acquired condition’ is one that is contracted for the first time. Acquired cytomegalovirus is caused by a virus which is part of the herpes group or ‘family’ or viruses. The condition can be difficult to spot or diagnose as the symptoms are few (unlike other viral infections, such as genital herpes, for example…). Other types of cytomegalovirus are: Recurring cytomegalovirus – where a previous dormant cytomegalovirus reoccurs as a result of your immune system becoming weakened for some reason. Congenital cytomegalovirus – where the infection develops in pregnancy (the unborn baby being affected). This article will focus upon acquired cytomegalovirus. Symptoms Symptoms of acquired cytomegalovirus include: Swollen glands Fever Fatigue Muscle pain Aching joints Loss of appetite (and therefore weight-loss) Cough and sore throat Headaches Symptoms can range from mild to severe and can last for up to 14 days. Note: For the vast majority of people with acquired cytomegalovirus there will be no noticeable symptoms. Causes Acquired cytomegalovirus is generally passed on through human bodily contact and is spread through bodily fluids, such as: saliva, semen, urine, vaginal fluids, breast milk, blood and even tears. You can become infected through sexual intercourse, kissing, by being in the company of an infected person who sneezes or coughs, or through having a blood transfusion. Also, if your immune system has become weakened through becoming infected with HIV, or you have received treatment for cancer (i.e. chemotherapy), you may be more susceptible to developing acquired cytomegalovirus. Diagnosis If you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms, make an appointment to see your GP. After taking your medical history and asking you some questions about your symptoms, you will then be asked to have a blood test. Where a confirmed diagnosis of acquired cytomegalovirus is made, an appropriate course of treatment will be recommended to you. Treatment There is no actual cure for acquired cytomegalovirus. Symptoms should pass in a few days. Drink plenty of water, to prevent dehydration. This will also help to relieve flu-like symptoms (fever, headache and sore throat). How Chemist Online can help Through this website we have a range of treatments 2011-12-01T08:18:01.17-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Acquired-Cytomegalovirus-34371.aspx IBS is a chronic digestive system disorder which affects 10 20 per cent of the UK’s population. In this article: What is IBS? Diagnosis How Chemist Online can help Symptoms Effect on your life Advice & Support Causes Treatments What is IBS? IBS is one of the most common gastrointestinal conditions. It is twice as common in women as it is in men. Statistics show that IBS commonly affects people between the ages of 20 and 45, but children and people over 45 can also suffer from IBS. Gathering reliable statistics about IBS can be difficult, however, because many sufferers feel embarrassed about their condition and so fail to report their symptoms to their GP. Symptoms IBS symptoms include abdominal pain (sometimes crippling), a feeling of bloatedness, soreness, wind, diarrhoea and constipation. The severity of these symptoms can fluctuate – being much more troublesome at times than others. In fact, there may be periods when you experience no symptoms whatsoever. Causes There is normally no obvious cause. In fact, the exact cause of the condition is still unknown. It often begins during a period of emotional stress – during times of depression or anxiety, for example – with symptoms worsening in stressful situations. From a physiological perspective, IBS can sometimes develop through exaggerated contractions of the muscles in the intestinal walls; after a gastrointestinal infection; through certain food intolerances; a lack of dietary fibre; and through eating meals at irregular intervals. Diagnosis There is no clear test to determine if you are suffering from this condition. However, your GP will look for signs of typical IBS symptoms and also ask you to undergo a physical examination. Effect on your life There is no known cure, so IBS is something that you need to come to accept and learn to live with. You may find that you have to use the toilet 4 or 5 times in the morning, due to the feeling of not quite emptying yourself each time you go. This, as well as abdominal pains and the need to regularly use the toilet through the rest of the day, can have an adverse effect on your work, social and family life. Treatments Once you have been examined by your GP, the best approach to coping with the condition is to manage the symptoms as best you can. Try to avoid stress, take regular exercise, maintain a diet where wheat products, fat-rich foods (such as dairy foods) and red meat are avoided (to aid digestion), and which includes plenty 2011-11-30T05:44:04.117-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Irritable-Bowel-Syndrome-IBS-34367.aspx Stress is a major reason for people taking time off work. In this article: What is stress? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment How Chemist Online can help Advice & Support What is stress? Simply put, stress is a feeling of being under intense pressure. It can be extremely damaging to your health. Symptoms Symptoms of stress include: Heart palpitations coupled with a sudden or gradual feeling of panic Irritability Disturbed sleep Increase in smoking and alcohol consumption Overeating (this is sometimes known as comfort eating), or lack of appetite (depending upon the individual) Reduced libido (lowered sex drive) Tiredness, lethargy and an inability to concentrate Nail biting, skin problems (e.g. eczema, acne…) Increased sensitivity to casual remarks and/or criticism (or perceived criticism) of some kind Causes There are many causes of stress. These include: Problems in a relationship (marriage, father/son, mother/daughter, etc.) Feeling financially insecure and therefore worried all the time Being under overwhelming pressure to meet a deadline at work Working too many hours and being given too much responsibility in the workplace Struggling to cope after a drop in income which has perhaps resulted in you having to accept a lower standard of living than you are used to Being housebound or in some other way incapacitated after a physical illness or surgery Diagnosis Many people (particularly men and older people) are reluctant to admit that they are feeling stressed and so fail to seek proper help and advice from trained professionals. This can be a serious mistake and can also be life-threatening. If you are feeling stressed, or are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms of stress (but don’t realise that those collected symptoms are in fact a stress indicator), then arrange an appointment with your GP. After taking your medical history and asking you some questions about your symptoms, your GP will then recommend an appropriate course of treatment. Treatment Generally speaking, stress is treated by: Teaching you relaxation techniques Attending an anxiety management course Counselling (with a trained professional who is experienced in getting to the root of what may be causing your stress) Where stress is particularly severe, your GP may recommend prescribed medication, such as beta-blockers (which can significantly ease anxiety), and tranquillisers (e.g., diazepam). How Chemist Online can help As we have seen, an associated symptom of stress is disturbed sleep. Through this website we have a selection of sleeping aids available to buy. www.chemistonline.co.uk Advice & Support International Stress Management Association Tel: 07000 780 430 Website: www.isma.org.uk Anxiety Care Tel: 020 8262 8891 Website: www.anxietycare.org.uk British Sleep Society Website: www.sleeping.org.uk This information and advice is not intended to replace the advice of your GP or chemist. Chemist Online is also 2011-11-29T07:17:13.363-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-is-Stress-34365.aspx Cold sores are highly contagious. In this article: What are cold sores? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment How Chemist Online can help Advice & Support What are cold sores? Cold sores are caused by a virus called the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1). It is impossible to prevent cold sores, but most cases are mild and clear up after a week or two. Thats said, many people find them unsightly and so those with cold sores can be self-conscious or even embarrassed about them. Symptoms Symptoms of cold sores include: Blister-like lesions around the mouth An accompanying sore throat Swollen glands Fever-like symptoms In children under five, where a cold sore develops this may be accompanied by a range of associated symptoms which can include: Nausea Headaches Fever Dehydration Sore throat Swollen glands Causes Cold sores are usually passed on from one person to another through close contact, such as kissing. The sores are highly contagious and it is not uncommon for an entire family to develop cold sores after a family gathering, such as a wedding, birthday party or christening where relatives greet each other and part by kissing. It only takes one person infected with the herpes simplex virus in the group for the virus to spread. This is why; if you do have a cold sore (or several) it is best to avoid close contact with others unless your symptoms have completely cleared up. Other possible causes of cold sores include: An injury to the mouth Menstruation Sudden emotional upset (through being involved in a traumatic event or receiving bad news, for example) Being under continual psychological stress – this can be as a result of having to reach a sales target at work, for example, or through worrying about family finances at home Overwhelming tiredness and fatigue Cold sores can also develop as a result of having oral sex with someone who has genital herpes. Diagnosis Most people self-diagnose cold sores and are able to treat their symptoms with over-the-counter remedies. However, if you are particularly concerned about your cold sores, or you have several of them, arrange to see your GP. After taking your medical history and asking you some questions about your cold sores and associated symptoms (such as, when did your cold sore(s) develop and how often do they occur…) your GP will examine the affected area. If your cold sores are particularly severe you may be asked to agree to a blood test in order for the diagnosis to be confirmed (i.e., that the herpes simplex virus is present and therefore the underlying cause of 2011-11-29T07:11:46.523-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cold-Sores-What-are-they-34364.aspx Emergency contraception (sometimes known as the morning-after pill) may prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse. In this article: What is emergency contraception? Where to get it Side-effects Advantages & disadvantages When to take it How Chemist Online can help with contraception and pregnancy testing Who should take it How it works Advice & Support Who should not take it Reliability What is emergency contraception? If you have had unprotected sex, or there was mistake with contraception which could mean that you may be pregnant, then one possible solution is emergency contraception – a single emergency hormonal contraception pill, or a copper IUD (a small device made of copper and plastic) which is fitted in the womb by a doctor or nurse. Advantages and disadvantages The advantages of emergency contraception are that it is: proven as being highly effective, and free from your GP, Family Planning Clinic and some pharmacies The disadvantages are that: if not used correctly, it may not work there may be side-effects such as nausea and vomiting you will not be protected from sexually transmitted diseases, such as Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and Herpes. Who should take it Most women can take emergency contraception. Who should not take it If you are already pregnant, please consult a medical professional before taking emergency contraception. There should be nothing to prevent you from taking the morning-after pill, but it is best to be on the safe side overall. Where to get it Emergency contraception is available without charge from your GP, local Family Planning Clinic and some pharmacies. When to take it You should take the morning-after pill as soon as possible after unprotected sex. How it works The morning-after pill releases the hormone progestogen which can prevent or delay ovulation, and also prevent implantation of an egg which has already settled in the womb. Reliability For most people, emergency contraception is highly effective, (but it should only be used in emergencies) and regular planned contraception is more reliable overall. The sooner you take emergency contraception after having unprotected sex, the higher your chance of avoiding pregnancy will be. Side-effects Although uncommon, side-effects of emergency contraception can include: nausea and vomiting headache abdominal pain tiredness and fatigue dizziness (and in some cases, mild disorientation) breast tenderness, and irritability How Chemist Online can help with contraception and pregnancy testing Through this website we have a range of contraception options available to buy, such as Durex Elite and Pasante Xtra Sure condoms. www.chemistonline.co.uk You can also purchase pregnancy tests from us, such as Clearblue Pregnancy Test and First Response Pregnancy Testing Kits. Advice & Support Family Planning Association (fpa) Helpline: 0845 122 8690 (9am-6pm Monday-Friday) Website: www.fpa.org.uk bpas (British 2011-11-25T10:54:24.317-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Emergency-Contraception-34356.aspx Cancer Today, millions of people are living with cancer or have had cancer. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Cancer kills one in four Americans and is the leading cause of death for women aged 40 to 79 and men aged 60 to 79.There is 1.4 million new cases of cancer diagnosed each year in this country, and about 570,000 Americans will die of this disease. However what is cancer? How does it start? And what types of treatments is there? Cancer is many diseases that characterize the cells that grow unruly. Numerous types of cancer can construct into a tumor which is a mass of tissue formed by growth of cancerous cells. Cells from a tumor can separate and move to another place in the body where then it lives and multiplies which is a process called metastasis. Not all cancer cells become life threatening and spread. There are a few that do not form masses for example leukemia which affects the blood. The cells of the body constantly reproduce themselves. As new cells become present, old cells release so that the body could remain healthy. Matching this process are the genes that hold the nucleus of all cells. These genes contain DNA strands, which acts like molecular plans, providing instructions on everything from hair color to metabolism. They also produce a protein which tells the body when to grow or not. Consistent cell death is the process known as apoptosis. When this process is functioning normal it helps the body continue to balance new and old cells. Cancer is falsification of this process. What was once well-ordered became disordered and uncontrolled. Normal cells reproduce at a steady pace where cancer cells reproduce much quicker. Normal cells will keep balance between new and old cells but cancer cells will never die. Many cells eventually will produce so that the body will form tumors, and while normal cells will stay cancer cells will travel. The complication begins with the DNA; the genetic material contained within normal cells will suffer from permanent change or mutation. A genetic mutation is responsible for inheriting the series of events that cannot be slowed or prevented which can lead to cancer. Cancer sometimes can run in certain families, but most cancers are not noticeably linked to genes of inherits. Cancer is a common disease 2011-11-09T16:09:58.453-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cancer-the-Modern-Day-Killer-34333.aspx This essay describes the changes that take place in a woman’s body during pregnancy, and whether or not she should sleep on her stomach. I Introduction The development of human embryos is well documented. This paper discusses the development of the fetus, the changes that the woman’s body goes through and what changes in shape will occur during the pregnancy; it also includes research about the risks (if there are any) of pregnant women lying on their stomachs. II Trimesters Pregnancy is usually described in terms of trimesters—three three-month periods of time that together cover the entire length of the gestation period. Examining each will give us a way to understand the entire pregnancy. The following comments are for what is considered a “typical” or “normal” pregnancy, but every woman is different and every pregnancy is different. The entire pregnancy usually has a duration of approximately 40 weeks. The first trimester is week 1 through week 12. During this time, the woman will either stop menstruation or what periods she does have will be very light; her breasts will enlarge; the volume of blood circulating doubles; and the uterus enlarges to approximately three times its normal size. The first trimester is also the time during which most women (if they are going to have it at all) experience “morning sickness.” The name is a misnomer, because the nausea and vomiting that sometimes occur during pregnancy can happen any time of the day or night. They can also last throughout the entire pregnancy, and not just during the first trimester, unfortunately. In addition to these changes, many women suffer from constipation and heartburn; some have bleeding at the time they would normally have had their period; and many feel fatigued. Although many changes are occurring in the body, outwardly there is little sign that the woman is pregnant; she usually doesn’t start to “show” until sometime in the second trimester. In the second trimester (week 13 – week 26), many of the discomforts of the earlier part of the pregnancy will have passed. (Usually morning sickness stops at this point.) However, other unpleasant things happen; again, these are common to many women, but certainly not all. Most experience water retention (edema), particularly in the feet and ankles; walking may become difficult. Some women have nosebleeds and nasal congestion, and hemorrhoids and varicose veins may develop. 2011-10-31T00:51:39.053-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Metamorphosis-Human-Pregnancy-34245.aspx This paper discusses the prevention of fibroid tumors in African-American women, and concludes that as of yet, there is no effective means of prevention. The reason for the lack of preventive methods is that the cause of the tumors is unknown, and thus no preventive measure can be devised. The paper is divided in four sections: purpose of study; methodology; highlights of results; and implications and directions for further research. There is also a brief conclusion. The purpose of the study is to determine if there are methods available to prevent fibroid tumors. The methodology used is an on-line search of medical websites and journal databases. The highlights of the research include the fact that although the cause of these tumors remains unknown, there is an increasing body of evidence to suggest that both hormonal and genetic factors play a part in their development. Furthermore, there are differences in the hormonal and genetic factors of African-American women as opposed to other groups. These differences imply the direction of further research and are stated as being important markers for further study in the final section. Outline I Purpose of Study – The purpose of the study is to see if there are ways to prevent fibroid tumors. II Methodology – The method used is on-line research of medical websites and journal databases. III Highlights of Results – Findings indicate no cause is known for fibroid tumors, but hormonal and genetic factors may play a part. IV Implications and Directions for Further Research – Hormonal and genetic factors differ among various ethic groups, suggesting that it may be possible in future to separate African-American women from the other groups as a “break out” group for further study. V Conclusion VI References Please note: I was unable to find statistical data, graphs, charts or pictures for this paper. I Purpose of Study The purpose of this study is to determine if there is any information available about methods, if such exist, for preventing fibroid tumors in African-American women. II Methodology In general, books are not good sources for projects such as this. Instead, I’ve used the Internet and the on-line database at the San Diego Public Library. In each case I used the search parameter “prevention AND fibroid w1 tumors AND African-American AND women.” I asked the library database to search for peer-reviewed articles containing full text availability. If I found the article on the Internet, I made 2011-10-26T23:21:02.527-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Prevention-of-Fibroid-Tumors-in-African-American-Women-34154.aspx This paper defines the Human Genome Project and discusses some of the ethical and social issues associated with genetic modification. (3+ pages; 2 sources; MLA citation style. I Introduction The Human Genome project is an on-going attempt to understand the basic building blocks of the human organism. This paper defines the genome and some of the potential ramifications of the project. II Discussion A genome is “the sum of all the DNA in an organism”. (“Human Genome Project”, PG). The DNA itself includes the genes, which in turn carry the information necessary to make certain proteins. The proteins in their turn determine such things as physical characteristics, some behavioral characteristics, and how well the organism will be able to fight disease, among other things. (“Human Genome Project,” PG). The genome contains four chemical bases, which are abbreviated A, T, C and G. It is the order in which these bases occur that determines what species the organism is. The human genome has “3 billion pairs of bases.” (“Human Genome Project,” PG). The Human Genome Project ‘s goals are to “identify all the approximate 30,000 genes in human DNA”, determine the 3 billion chemical base pair sequences in human DNA; create databases to store this information; develop improved tools for data analysis; “transfer related technologies to the private sector” (the HGP is run by the government); and “address the ethical, legal and social issues … that may arise from the project.” (“Human Genome Project Information,” PG). The “ethical, legal and social issues” are abbreviated ELSI, and are of concern to project workers, enough so that special attention is paid to them. It takes little reflection to imagine some of the problems and concerns that are inherent with this technology. For example, genes control physical and behavioral development, and the ability to fight disease, among other things. Would it be ethical to genetically modify the disease-fighting genes so that the individual would be able to fight off the AIDS virus, for example? What about parents who want blue-eyed blonde children? Is it ethical to modify the genes controlling genetic make-up so that such children will be born? If genes control some types of behavior, perhaps science could modify them so that violent tendencies are curbed before they begin. Or perhaps science could create genetically enhanced students who love to study and retain what 2011-10-26T12:14:57.953-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Human-Genome-Exploration-34074.aspx Alcohol and drugs--including marijuana, nicotine, and certain medications--can temporarily reduce sperm quality. Also, environmental toxins, including pesticides and lead, may be to blame for some cases of infertility. Drugs and Surgery Depending on what the tests turn up, different treatments are recommended. Eighty to 90 percent of infertility cases are treated with drugs or surgery. Therapy with the fertility drug Clomid or with a more potent hormone stimulator--Pergonal, Metrodin, Humegon, or Fertinex--is often recommended for women with ovulation problems. The benefits of each drug and the side effects, which can be minor or serious but rare, should be discussed with the doctor. Multiple births occur in 10 to 20 percent of births resulting from fertility drug use. Other drugs, used under very limited circumstances, include Parlodel (bromocriptine mesylate), for women with elevated levels of a hormone called prolactin, and a hormone pump that releases gonadotropins necessary for ovulation. If drugs aren't the answer, surgery may be. Because major surgery is involved, operations to repair damage to the woman's ovaries, fallopian tubes, or uterus are recommended only if there is a good chance of restoring fertility. In the man, one infertility problem often treated surgically is damage to the vas deferens, commonly caused by a sexually transmitted disease, other infection, or vasectomy (male sterilization). Other important tools in the battle against infertility include artificial insemination and the so-called assisted reproductive technologies. (See "Science and Art.") Fulfillment Regardless Lisa became pregnant without assisted reproductive technologies, after taking ovulation-promoting medication and undergoing surgery to repair her damaged fallopian tubes. Her daughter is now 4 years old. "It was definitely worth it. I really appreciate having my daughter because of what I went through," she says. But Lisa and her husband won't try to have a second child just yet. "At some point you have to stop trying to have a baby, stop obsessing over what might be an unreachable goal," she says. When having a genetically related baby seems unachievable, a couple may decide to stop treatment and proceed with the rest of their lives. Some may choose to lead an enriched life without children. Others may choose to adopt. And no, according to Resolve, you're not more likely to get pregnant if you adopt a baby. Drug Supply Restored The availability of sufficient supplies of the FDA-approved fertility drugs Pergonal, Metrodin, and Humegon, and the recent FDA approval of the fertility drug Fertinex have 2008-05-07T12:02:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Alcohol-Drugs-and-Tobacco-and-Their-Effects-on-Pregnancy-33593.aspx Parker 1 Our Plastic Prisons In the creation of our beings, we are blessed, and sometimes cursed with features we, as freethinkers, might not otherwise have chosen for ourselves. Certain circumstances however, may arise on the journey known as life, forcing us to reconstruct these features; in an effort to construct normal, healthy, lives. Often, we are compelled to reconstruct these features in an effort to enhance an otherwise normal, healthy life. For the individual unaware of the pros and cons, in to regards to the acquisition of cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery; I produce this composition in an attempt to inform you, the reader; as well as to expand upon my limited knowledge of this field. In researching the world of “Plastic Surgery”, we approach a dividing factor. There are two categories into which most operations are labeled. Cosmetic surgeries occur when an individual takes notice of a particular feature on his/her body and makes the decision to alter the imperfection. In humans, it is impossible to find a “flawless” being. Our bodies, in their own right, are not created equal. A certain degree of asymmetry exists within each of us. Symmetry is not a dominant trait in the human race. Take a picture of your face, photographing each side individually. Place each photo side by side. Notice the difference? Each feature, your eyes, your nose, and even your lips take on their own sense of symmetry, or asymmetry if you will. Reconstructive surgery takes place when an individual is blessed with features that hinder his/her ability to lead a normal, healthy, life. Parker 2 Breast augmentation is one of the most frequently requested cosmetic surgeries. Implants are inserted behind the breast tissue of each breast or behind the “pectoralis” a major muscle, helping to increase the size of the breast. Silicone implants are made of thick material and filled with either saline or an antibiotic solution during the operation. Women are classically partial to this type of operation. However, in recent years, males have exhibited an interest in cosmetic operations pertaining to the enhancement of the male physique, thus leading to the procurement of “pectoral implants”. Each sex concludes this course of action for similar reasons. Increased sex appeal, heightened sexual pleasure, as well as a new found sense of confidence, influence an individuals reservations regarding this operation. (Plasticsurgery.org) Augmentation 2007-12-13T13:34:03-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Our-Plastic-Prisons-33466.aspx Managing Irritable Bowel Syndrome Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)--also called irritable or spastic colon--is a common functional intestinal disorder characterized by recurrent abdominal discomfort and abnormal bowel function. The discomfort often begins after eating and goes away after a bowel movement. The symptoms can include cramps, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and a feeling of incomplete emptying. IBS occurs in about one in five Americans, more commonly in women, and more often at times of emotional stress. It usually begins in late adolescence or early adult life and rarely starts after the age of fifty. In severe cases, it can result in missed work days and curtailment of social activities. Although effective help is available, many people with IBS are too embarrassed, pessimistic, or afraid to seek medical care. Even worse, some people who consult a doctor receive insufficient guidance and conclude that nothing further can be done for them. Why Symptoms Occur During normal digestion, foods are broken down in the stomach and small intestine so that their nutrients can be absorbed into the body. Undigested or partially digested portions--mostly in liquid form--then enter the large intestine (colon), where most of the water is reabsorbed. Movement through the intestines results from peristalsis, a wavelike contraction of muscles in the intestinal walls that propel their contents forward. When all is well, the end result is stool that is solid but soft enough to be excreted easily. Diet, eating habits, stress, and various environmental factors can disrupt the normal function of the intestines. If the intestines squeeze too hard or not enough, the partially digested food can travel too rapidly or too slowly through the digestive system. Movement that is too fast will result in diarrhea, because not enough water is reabsorbed. Movement that is too slow can result in constipation, because too much water is absorbed. Overly hard squeezing (spasm) can result in cramps. However, the diarrhea of IBS can also occur without pain. IBS symptoms occur after eating because of the gastrocolic reflex--increased movement of the intestinal contents in response to food entering the stomach. The strength of this reflex can be influenced by the volume and temperature of the food and the number of calories it contains. Large meals (particularly high-fat meals) and large numbers of cold beverages can trigger IBS attacks. Medical Evaluation A thorough history and physical examination should be obtained. The extent of further evaluation depends on the patient's age, general health, and symptoms. If symptoms 2007-10-21T17:36:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Irritable-Bowel-Syndrome-IBS-33357.aspx What is an STD/STI? A sexually transmitted infection (STI) is an infection caused by a virus, parasite, or bacterium, and most commonly spread through vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and herpes are examples of some of the most common STIs. STD Testing Don't want herpes or other STDs? Get STD Tested and require your partners to get tested. It builds trust while demonstrating a commitment to health. [url=http://www.sxcheck.com/]I recommend getting STD Tested by SxCheck[/url] - they provide same day, confidential testing everywhere in the United States. This site also medicates and makes it easy to share test results online! Here are some statistics: * Approximately one in every three hundred Americans have HIV/AIDS, and 25% don't know it. * Approximately one in every five Americans are infected with genital herpes * Approximately 1/3 of Americans have an STI by the age of 35 * 19 million new infections occur each year, almost half of them among young people ages 15 to 24 * 2.8 million Americans (est.) are infected with chlamydia each year * At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives; by age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection Is there a difference between an STD and an STI? While the term "sexually transmitted disease," or STD, has traditionally been used to characterize many of the conditions described on SxCheck.com, many health care institutions have recently begun phasing out this label in favor of the more accurate "sexually transmitted infection" (STI). The main difference lies in the fact that "disease" implies physical illness or the presence of outward symptoms, which is not necessarily the case with most STIs. In fact, some individuals may be infected for years without ever knowing it. Everything You Need to Know About Herpes: Herpes Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease caused by herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2). Most genital herpes is caused by HSV-2 and results in a disease that infected people carry for life. Almost one quarter of adults in the US are infected. Nationwide, that’s at least 45 million people, or roughly one out of five teenagers and adults. Having genital herpes doubles the risk of getting HIV during unprotected sex. You can get them from having 2007-09-30T03:55:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/STD-Testing-including-special-information-on-Herpes-33338.aspx Health Assessment Americans always looking for the easy way out are now relying on diet pills to do the work for them. Many folks start taking these pills hoping for the weight to come off with no work needed, and don’t consider the side effects. The most popular drug being touted as the “wonder pills” is called ephedrine. “Ephedrine is an herb that contains a potent substance called ephedrine. It is a thermogenic agent, decongestant,”(Mitchell and Dodson 65). A combination of ephedrine, green tea, and kola nut, are used to increase the metabolic rate thus helping with the weight loss process. Mitchell writes that, “At least forty people have died and more than 800 have become ill after taking diet products that contain ephedrine, including the sudden death of a college student in 1997”(68). Dodson adds that the amount of the drug that is taken also plays a major role in side effects, and in December of 2000 scientist noted, that on the bottles containing the drug ephedrine the amount on the labels were not accurate. They said that the active ingredient varied from the stated amount by twenty percent of more, depending on the brand (69). This over-the-counter drug has many side effects including, insomnia; dry mouth; headache and dizziness; an increase in blood pressure; metabolic rate, perspiration rate, and urine output. In some severe cases they have found it can cause paranoid psychoses, coronary spasm, convulsions, respiratory depression, comma, and death (Mitchell and Dodson 69). After assessing my diet through the process of recording my intake of food over the course of two days and analyzing its nutritional value, relative to my gender, weight, height, activity level and age, I have successfully reached several conclusions about my current dietary habits. Prior to this analysis of my diet, I was unsuspecting of some of my bad habits which were unbeknownst to me at the time and as a result, I was fairly shocked to see the results. Since my assessment in early February, I have maintained a constant focus on everything that goes into my body. In addition to my annual tradition of starting up a more frequent exercise routine around this time of year, I have been exercising portion control with each passing meal. One major aspect of this is that I have been cutting down on my consumption of cheeses. Prior to analyzing my diet, I was unaware that cheeses 2007-07-30T18:23:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Health-Assessment--33304.aspx Health and Total Well Being • Why is it important to adopt positive health behaviors? • What are some of the influences over our health? Hauora, or total well being, refers to your own state of health encompassing the physical, social, spiritual, mental and emotional dimensions. To a certain level our level of health is entirely under our control and it is our responsibility to make the correct decisions so that we can reach our optimum level possible. Everyone has the right to a high level of health but it is up to you how healthy you are. Making the correct health decisions is vital and although people may not realise it almost everything that we do has an impact on our overall health. Effects may be very minor or very major ones. The four dimensions of your health also interact with each other and influence each other. For example you may have poor social health and not have the skills to make friends easily. This could lead to your feeling sad, lonely and depressed and therefore affect your emotional and mental states of health. An incorrect choice at this stage in your life may not mean a lot now but it can damage your life in the future. For example you may be smoking now and think nothing of it, but as you get older you will start to notice side effects, and your bad decision in the past could lead to illness or even death. Changing your heath habits to enhance your state of health is extremely hard and at times may even seem impossible. But you can combat this situation by assessing your own health and picking out the area most in need of attention. Then, in turn, set a series of short-term goals and identify the barriers (things that could stop you) and your enablers (things that could help you) from achieving your goals. However, some things that are beyond your control may dictate certain choices you have to make in regard to your health. For example, some influences over your health may be a certain medical condition, your likes and dislikes or even your religious beliefs. There are a number of aspects of our lives that positively influence us and our health without us realizing it. We also develop personal strengths that influence our lives and decision making, 2007-04-25T21:12:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Health-and-Total-Well-Being-33162.aspx Alternative Treatment To Drug Addiction Americans have a complicated war other than the one in the Middle East to be concerned about., a war that has gone on much longer -the war on drugs. According to a study at Brown University, if the current rate of people who have been incarcerated for drug violations continues, there will be more Americans in prison than out by the year 2053 (Alter 38). What many people do not realize is that drug addiction is a disease and if not treated properly this disease will continue to spread. When a person is arrested for drug addiction he or she should be treated for their disease rather than put in prison for it. In order to understand addiction a person must understand the effects drugs have on the brain and what outside forces have led the person to use. The brain is a very complex system, which produces various chemicals that can stimulate pain, pleasure, tension, etc. These chemicals, known as neurotransmitters, are responsible for transmitting information between neurons. Neurons are individual cells that distribute the information to receptor-cites, which stimulate a feeling or emotion (Weiten 60,62). Commonly known neurotransmitters are dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, and GABA. The brain produces different amounts of each neurotransmitter. If the brain does not produce enough of a certain neurotransmitter the effects could lead to depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder, (ADD) and other serious complications. When a person uses drugs however, the neurotransmitters become unbalanced. Drugs alter the amount of neurotransmitters released and determine whether the receptor cites accept or block them. For example, cocaine, heroin, amphetamines, and nicotine block the molecule that helps store dopamine. Alcohol on the other hand, releases dopamine (also known as the “pleasure circuit”) serotonin, and GABA. Once a neurotransmitter is released it cannot be reused -therefore it is wasted. “Experiences that used to bring pleasure become impotent” so the addict continues to use the drug to avoid depression and irritability (Begley 42). Some solutions for an addict’s depression are treatment, counseling, medications, and family support. However, if one does not seek treatment or if a facility is not available he or she will most likely end up dead, in prison, or on the streets. Some people feel that financing drug treatment facilities can be rather expensive and time consuming. However, money that has been collected from taxes and the national budget are 2007-04-19T21:09:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Alternative-Treatment-To-Drug-Addiction-33046.aspx Pathophysiology Case Study: Preeclampsia Caring for women in pregnancy presents a unique challenge to the healthcare team. Obstetrical nursing requires an in-depth knowledge of the physiological, psychological, and social processes of the high-risk childbearing woman and her fetus during pregnancy. In a community hospital setting, care challenges can be further complicated by the possible limitations of available resources. The following case study will explore the necessary insights and their implications in caring for the high-risk pregnant client in a community hospital setting. J.B. is a 24-year-old, gravida 1, para 0, at 25.2 weeks gestation per early ultrasound. She presented to the Labor and Delivery unit at 09:26 a.m. with complaints of feeling a gush of fluid and vaginal bleeding. Upon arrival, her blood pressure was elevated at 174/109. Her pulse was 98, respirations 24, and temperature 97.6 F (36.4 C). Her weight was 230 lbs. (103.5 Kg) with a reported prepregnant weight of 217 pounds. The fetal heart rate (FHR) was auscultated at 125-130 beats per minute (bpm) with audible decreases heard down to 60-90 bpm lasting 30-40 seconds. Uterine activity was palpated and confirmed J.B.’s complaint of abdominal tightening and cramping. However, due to her obesity and left lateral positioning, it was difficult to obtain a readable tracing on the electronic fetal monitor (EFM). Additionally, her reflexes were +1, clonus absent, 2+ pedal edema, and +1 urine albumin. The tocodynamometer and ultrasound transducers of the EFM were readjusted, but the FHR could not be verified despite several attempts. Labs were drawn for CBC, type and screen, drugs of abuse, and Chem 20 analysis. An IV of lactated ringers was started, oxygen 10L/snug facemask was administered, and the obstetrician was notified to report to the bedside. Other assessment data revealed her abdomen to be tender but soft per palpation, but again due to obesity, it was very difficult to assess timing, duration, and intensity of uterine contractions. The frequency was documented as every three to five minutes. She was leaking small amounts of pink fluid from her vagina and ferning was noted to be positive. Key indicators of the admission assessment data, such as the elevated blood pressure, proteinuria, and edema, pointed to the cardinal symptoms of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is one of the classifications that falls under the umbrella term of pregnancy induced 2007-04-18T20:10:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Pathophysiology-Case-Study-Preeclampsia-33019.aspx The Threats of Lung Cancer Lung cancer is a major problem due to the fact of the popularity of smoking in the United States. Smoking ids the major cause of lung cancer. In fact 8 out of 10 of people that get diagnosed with lung cancer are smokers. Another major problem is that because most cases of lung cancer are discovered in relatively late stages only 10% of all lung cancer patients are cured. “Early detection improves odds, but doctors have little success at screening people.”(News Week 59) The reason it is not detected earlier is because it can take ten to forty years for the cancer cell to become large enough to create symptoms. Lung cancer kills more men and women then any other form of cancer. “It is estimated that by the year 2000, over three hundred thousand people will die from lung cancer in the United States alone”(MedicineNet 1). The United States will spend up to two billion dollars a year to treat lung cancer. This is a real shame considering that lung cancer is one of the easiest cancers to prevent due to the fact that smoking is the major causes of it. It is a will known fact that lung cancer is caused by smoking, but not many people know exactly what it is about cigarettes that causes lung cancer. It is not exactly the smoke it self, it’s the chemicals in the smoke that causes it. Some of the chemicals that cause lung cancer include radon, asbestos, bischolomethylether, nickel, chromates, coal tar, copper radioactive materials and arsenic. There are four types of lung cancers that can form are squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, large-cell carcinoma, and small-cell lung cancer. “The major types are small-cell lung cancer and nonsmall-cell lung cancer.”(OnHealth 1) Squamous cell carcinoma commonly starts in bronchi, which is the largest of the bronchial tree. It is the most curable form of lung cancer and is most common in male smokers. Adenocarcinoma is common is women and non-smokers. It spreads in the outer edges of the lung in the smaller bronchioles. Its location makes it very hard to detect. Large-cell carcinoma is not very common form of cancer. It is a large abnormal cell that forms in the outer edges of the lung. Small-cell lung cancer is the most series form of lung cancer. It forms in the central bronchi and spreads 2007-04-18T02:02:15-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Threats-of-Lung-Cancer--32952.aspx Effects and Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is more than just arthritis. In deed, many doctors call it “rheumatoid disease” to emphasize its widespread nature. People with RA often describe feeling much as though they have a virus, with fatigue and aching acting on their muscles. It has been estimated that 2 million Americans with 60% of them women, have rheumatoid arthritis (Brewer, Earl J, 2000). The condition usually appears in middle-aged people, in the forties and fifties, although it can begin at any age. Since RA is so common, and because it can sometimes be severe, it is a major international health problem (Lorig, Kate, 1995). It can result in difficulties with employment and problems with daily activities, and can put severe stress on family relationships. In its most severe forms, and without good treatment, it can result in deformities of the joint. In RA, the synovial membrane lining in the joint becomes inflamed. We don’t have a good explanation as to why this inflammation starts, but the cells of the membrane divide and grow, and inflammatory cells come into the joint. Because of the bulk of these inflammatory cells, the joint becomes swollen, and feels puffy (Lorig, Kate, 1995). The increased blood flow that is a feature of the inflammation makes the joint warm. The cells release chemicals (called enzymes) into the joint space and the enzymes cause the further irritation and pain. If the process continues for years, the enzymes may gradually digest the cartilage and the bone of the joint (www.starttrial.com/facts.asp). This then is rheumatoid arthritis, a process in which inflammation of the joint membrane, over many years, can cause damage to the joint itself. SYMPTOMS Rheumatoid arthritis is an unpredictable disease with bouts of illness or remissions occurring for no apparent reason. Many patients say that one of the hardest aspects to cope with is never knowing when the next attack is going to strike. They can go to sleep at night feeling quite well and wake the next morning hardly able to get out of bed (http://www.healthtalk.com) Symptoms can also vary from person to person with some patients experiencing only minor aches and pains, while others are totally debilitated by the disease. Symptoms include: •Mild fever •Aches and pain in and around a joint (joints on both sides of the body are usually equally affected) •Joint stiffness, particularly in the 2007-04-18T01:19:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effects-and-Treatment-of-Rheumatoid-Arthritis-32948.aspx An American Artist In Paris, France In this art exhibition of, “ Paris and the Country Side, Modern life in Late -19th- Century France,“ artists and their selected works present a change from the highly polished style of the Neoclassicism, the Romantic, the mythological, and the historical subjects of pre-ninetieth Century art. Many artists of 19th Century Impressionism are presented in this wonderful exhibition, including an American woman artist, Mary Cassett. For the exhibition, three particular works of Cassatt were chosen for their subjects, style and personal expression in the art of French Impressionism. Mary Cassatt’s simple pastel of, “Simone in a Plumed Hat, 1903” Pastel over counterproof, 24 1/8 x 19 5/8, Scott M. Black, collection. “The Bath, 1902,” Oil on canvas, The Walters .# “Sara in a Green Bonnet, 1901” Oil on canvas, 16 ½ x 13 5/8, Gift of John Gellatly, National Museum of American Art, DC. # Mary Cassatt and her associates are the great masters from the impressionist era with their characteristic styles, techniques, and visual approaches to the political changes of their time. The impressionists would revolutionize a two hundred year tradition of the classical art form in the heart of the French Academy, and the Salon of official exhibition, which, cultivated the art of the French academic system. This major 19th Century French Exhibition presents, Mary Cassatt and her contemporaries, Claude Monet, Pierre Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Paul Cézanne, Georges Seurat, Edgar Degas and other artists The Impressionists reinvented not only landscapes and urban scenes but also more traditional subjects, such as portraits of people and the leisure life of Paris. Mary Cassatt’s portraits of children, mothers, and women, reflect a moment in time, innocence, and a glimpse into the family life of Paris, France. Cassatt’s pastel of “Simone in a Plumed Hat” shows a richness of an era in the attire worn by Simone, adorned in a high-style blue bonnet, atop of the girls flawless blonde hair. The artist sets the portrait of Simone at a slight right angle with the young girls wistful long look into an unknown audience, that captures the viewers eye and attention to the simplicity of the artists portrait. A large part of the paintings for the Modern Life in Late 19th Century France, focused on the life style of woman, as found in James-Jacques-Joseph Tissot’s L’Ambitieuse, 1909 (Political Women), Oil on Canvas, 56 x 2007-03-26T14:10:26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/An-American-Artist-In-Paris-France-32872.aspx Hepatitis B Analysis Essay General Information In the general population, hepatitis B is considered primarily a sexually transmitted disease. It is also transmitted in blood and, prior to the availability of hepatitis B vaccine, health care professionals such as doctors, nurses, and emergency personnel were at risk for contracting hepatitis B. Because it is easily transmitted by blood (one virus particle can cause disease), intravenous drug users who share needles and syringes are at extremely high risk. The other common mode of transmission is from hepatitis B infected mothers to the fetus prior to birth. There are many different viruses that cause hepatitis including hepatitis A, hepatitis C, Delta factor hepatitis, and hepatitis E. The initial course for hepatitis A and B may be similar but it is hepatitis B that can have long term consequences. Once infected with the hepatitis B virus, approximately 10% of the people develop a chronic permanent infection. In this group, a small proportion of people will develop slow but progressive liver damage leading to cirrhosis or Hepatocellular cancer . Hepatitis B is thought to be the leading cause of liver cancer in the United States. Hepatitis B has a long incubation period, occasionally taking up to 6 months to manifest itself. Symptoms Early symptoms may be a variety of skin rashes and achy joints. Systemic symptoms include fever, malaise, and abdominal pain or discomfort. Ultimately the yellow color of jaundice appears, first in the whites of the eyes and then the skin. Jaundice is usually associated with dark urine and light or clay colored stools. Hepatitis B is a serious disease and death rate during the acute stage is approximately 1%. The overall incidence of reported hepatitis B is 2 per 10,000 individuals, but the true incidence may be higher, because many cases do not cause symptoms and go undiagnosed and unreported. Pregnant women are now routinely screened for hepatitis B and, as it is a reportable disease, more accurate figures are available. One in 1,000 pregnant women are chronic carriers of hepatitis B. Prevention You can protect children from hepatitis B by getting them vaccinated with three doses of hepatitis B vaccine. Newborn babies whose mothers either are infected with the hepatitis B virus or have not been tested should get their first shot within 12 hours of birth, the second shot at 1-2 months 2007-03-08T00:29:40-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-Essay-on-Hepatitis-B-32777.aspx Diabetes Research Non – Insulin – dependent diabetes mellitus is the name given to a disturbed chemical balance in the body, which can affect a number of different organs. The word diabetes comes from a Greek expression meaning, “siphon”. (Nova) It refers to the increased urination and thirst that occurs in newly diagnosed cases. These symptoms are due to the high sugar (glucose) content in the urine. The sugar drags water out with it, the body gets dry and you feel thirsty. All this follows an excessive build-up of glucose in the blood, because there is not enough insulin in your body to deal with it. Cases of diabetes have been discovered dating back as far as 1550 BC. in Egypt, where archeologists have studied scrolls named Ebers Papyrus that describe symptoms of diabetes. (Nova) Non – insulin - dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is also known as maturity onset diabetes. (Colliers) This name can be misleading even though it increases with age NIDDM is also found in teenagers and young adults. Non – Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus is also commonly known as type II diabetes. In the Early stages of diabetes, there may be no symptoms at all. As glucose levels rise higher the following may occur. The person may have blurred vision. A person may have a severe or chronic infection, because the high glucose levels affect the blood’s defense system against infections. A person may have to urinate more frequently. This causes the person to feel thirsty. Excessive urination also results in the loss of essential chemicals, producing cramps, tiredness, weakness, and weight loss. (Medical Science Bulletin. statistics) Genetics appears to play a part in how type II diabetes develops. Type II appears to “run” in families and it is most likely due to the inheritance of certain genes. If a person with type II diabetes has an identical twin, there is a 60 to 75 percent chance that the person will develop diabetes. (Research Activities) More evidence of the gene play comes from study on minorities. Compared to whites, African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans (except Cuban Americans), and Native Americans all get type II diabetes more often. Native Americans have the highest rate f type II diabetes in the world. (Research Activities) Researchers have not 2007-03-05T00:12:57-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Diabetes-Research--32724.aspx HIV and AIDS in African Americans The unit plan for a HIV/AIDS Peer Education program is targeting African American teenagers who have signed up for the S.A.F.E (Stopping Aids For Everyone) Program. The program is a community health based curriculum designed to increase the awareness of HIV/AIDS transmission in the African American community. The group will range in age between 13-17 years of age and will be attending local high schools. Group size will be approximately 20 students. The program would be on Saturdays at 12:00 noon for 5 weeks at a local community center. The program is situated on Saturdays so it would not interfere with the student’s schoolwork and school activities. The 5-week program is part of a 3-unit program designed for HIV/AIDs peer education. This first 5-week unit will focus mainly on HIV/AIDS transmission, while the other 2 units would focus on peer relations and methods of intervention/education. Statement of Purpose The unit for a HIV/AIDS awareness program, within the African American population, was developed because the transmission and impact of HIV/AIDS in this population has become alarming. The HIV epidemic in the United States is increasingly becoming an epidemic affecting this minority group. Out of an estimated 774,467 AIDS cases, in the year 2000, 292,522 cases occurred among African American according to the CDC, making African Americans 38% of new AIDS cases while only representing 12% of the total US population. According to the CDC, in the year 2000 more African Americans were reported with AIDS than any other racial/ethnic group. Almost two-thirds (63%) of all women reported with AIDS were African American. The 2000 rate of reported AIDS cases among African Americans was 58.1 per 100,000, more than 2 times the rate for Hispanics and 8 times the rate for whites. Data on HIV and AIDS diagnoses in 25 states with integrated reporting systems shows that during the period from January 1996 through June 1999, African Americans represented a high proportion (50%) of all AIDS diagnoses, but an even greater proportion (57%) of all HIV diagnoses. And among young people ages 13 to 24, 65% of the HIV diagnoses were among African American youths (CDC). HIV is the leading cause of death for African American females ages 18-35, and is the leading cause of death for African Americans ages 25-44. Although the daily headlines about HIV/AIDS have gone away, the disease has not, particularly among minority groups 2007-02-02T16:59:44-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/HIV-and-AIDS-in-African-Americans-32519.aspx Key Facts on HIV AIDS and its Prevention History: 2007-01-29T05:36:29-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Key-Facts-on-HIV-AIDS-and-its-Prevention-32490.aspx The Immunology of Aids Introduction Although HIV was first identified in 1983, studies of previously stored blood samples indicate that the virus entered the U.S. population sometime in the late 1970s. Worldwide, an estimated 27.9 million people had become HIV-infected through mid-1996, and 7.7 million had developed AIDS, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). AIDS is a disease of the immune system, and is caused by Human Immuno deficiency Virus (HIV). HIV targets and infects T-helper cells and macrophages. After infection, replication of the virus occurs within the T-helper cells. The cells are lysed and the new viruses are released to infect more T-helper cells. The course of the disease results in the production of massive numbers of virus (1 billion/day) over the full course of the disease. The T- helper cells are infected, and rapidly destroyed both by virus and by cytotoxic T cells. T-helper cells are replaced with nearly a billion produced per day. Over many years (average may be 10), the T-helper cell population is depleted and the body loses its ability to mount an immune response against infections. Thus, we mount a very strong immune response against the virus for a long time, but the virus is produced at a very high rate and ultimately overcomes the ability of the immune system to respond. Since HIV belongs to a class of viruses called retroviruses, it has genes composed of ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules. Like all viruses, HIV can replicate only inside host cells, commandeering the cell's machinery to reproduce. However, only HIV and other retroviruses, once inside a cell, use an enzyme called reverse transcriptase to convert their RNA into DNA, which can be incorporated into the host cell's genes. HIV belongs to a subgroup of retroviruses known as lenti-viruses, or "slow" viruses. The course of infection with these viruses is characterized by a long interval, up to 12 years or more, between initial infection and the onset of serious symptoms. Like HIV in humans, there are animal viruses that primarily infect the immune system cells, often causing immuno-deficiency and AIDS-like symptoms. Scientists use these and other viruses and their animal hosts as models of HIV disease. The CDC currently defines AIDS when one of 25 conditions indicative of severe immuno-suppression associated with HIV infection, such as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is present, or HIV infection in an individual with a CD4+ T cell count 2007-01-11T20:24:03-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Immunology-of-Aids-Introduction-32387.aspx Medical Research on Hepatitis B and C There are different ways that hepatitis B or C can be caught. They are spread by contact with infected blood or other body fluids of people who are infected with hepatitis B or C. Having sex with an infected person is an example of how you could be infected. When people who use intravenous drugs share needles with someone who has the virus, they can get hepatitis B or C. Health care workers, like nurses, lab technicians and doctors, can get infected if accidentally stuck with a needle used on an infected patient. Headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, jaundice (skin turns yellow), weakness and fatigue are included symptoms of hepatitis B and C. Bowel movements may be gray in color and your urine may be dark and look like tea. Though, hepatitis is a mild case sometimes. You may not even realize that you have it if you have a mild case. Symptoms are similar to stomach flu, but when it’s a mild case, there may not be any symptoms at all. Some people think they have the flu not knowing that they have hepatitis. Hepatitis is in the acute stage when you are having symptoms. It can last from several weeks to several months. Hepatitis B or C can become an illness in some people, which lasts a long time. This is called chronic hepatitis. Other people recover from the infection and have no long-term problems. Chronic hepatitis can set in when a person has recovered from acute hepatitis. When the liver is damaged by the acute illness and doesn’t recover chronic hepatitis occurs. Chronic hepatitis develops in 10% to 20% of people who have hepatitis B and in 30% to 50% of people who have hepatitis C. People who have hepatitis B or C may not experience any symptoms at all. But chronic hepatitis can lead to cirrhosis of the liver in some people. Cirrhosis occurs when the liver cells die and are replaced by scar tissue and fat. The liver stops working and can’t empty the body of wastes. People may not have symptoms when in the early stages of cirrhosis. When it gets worse, then symptoms start. Those symptoms could be weight loss, fatigue, 2006-12-13T01:22:24-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Medical-Research-on-Hepatitis-B-and-C-31985.aspx Research Essay on Brain and Head Injuries Head and brain injuries occur when you least expect them to. The seriousness can range from just a bump to a mental illness, paralysis, and even death. The minor bumps and bruises often have no long term effects, but more serious injuries often have long term or even permanent side effects. These serious head injuries often lead to a psychological disorder from either the injury itself or the aftermath of the injury (Lehr). To understand the way an injury to the head or brain would occur, one must understand the biology of the brain, and the areas that would be affected. The frontal lobe is the most anterior and it is right under the forehead. It is almost always injured because of its large size and its location near the front of the cranium. It is also easily injured because of its location near bony protrusions. The main functions of the frontal lobe are consciousness, judgements, emotional responses, expressive language, assigns meaning to the words that are chosen, and memory for habits and motor activities. There are many problems that can be associate to a frontal lobe injury. Some of these problems can be treated while other cannot. The main difficulties are paralysis, sequencing, inability to focus on a task, mood changes, changes in social behavior, changes in personality, difficulty expressing language, and a difficulty solving problems (Nettina 1038-1039). The paralysis is almost always permanent, while the others can usually be treated. Many times when changes in personality occur they cannot be reversed because it has become a permanent part of an individual’s being. The parietal lobes which are located near the back and top of the head have the functions of location of visual attention, location for touch perception, goal directed voluntary movements, manipulation of objects, the integration of different senses that allows for the understanding of a single concept (Lehr). There are several problems that can occur from a parietal lobe injury that can directly and indirectly lead to a mental illness. One of the most serious side effects that can occur from a parietal lobe injury is apraxia. Apraxia is the lack of awareness of certain body parts and/or the surrounding space. This is a problem because it can lead to the inability to care for ones self. Other problems are inability to focus attention, trouble distinguishing left 2006-12-05T15:44:52-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Research-Essay-on-Brain-and-Head-Injuries-31888.aspx Medical Essay on the Disease Polio Polio, more properly known as poliomyelitis, was one of the most feared and studied diseases in the first half of the Twentieth Century (Sass, 1). This disease has paralyzed thousands in American history (Health Education Facts Sheet, 1). Polio struck its victims, mostly children under the age of three, as it appeared unpredictably bringing on a panic in the 1940s and 50s. Then, a break through occurred when Jonas Salk’s research established an effective vaccine to the poliovirus. Today, the fear of obtaining the poliovirus has been banished from children and parent’s nightmares (PICO, 3). There are three viruses that can cause polio: type I, II, and III. The viral disease can range from a mild, sometimes unnoticed, infection to muscle paralysis and death. The viruses get into the body giving the host several symptoms like paralysis, fever, neck stiffness, nausea, and weakness in the muscle groups. There are three different kinds of the polio disease: spinal polio, non-paralytic polio, and paralytic polio (Diseases, 106). Spinal polio is the most common form of the poliovirus. It occurs when the polioviruses attack the nerve cells and begins to control the muscles of the legs, arms, trunk, diaphragm, abdomen, and pelvis (World Book Encyclopedia, 497). The non-paralytic form of polio has many symptoms including nausea, headache, sore throat, back pain, neck pain, stiffness, moderate fever, vomiting, irritability, and sluggishness. The non-paralytic form changes the host’s reflex and elevates its fluid count. This form of the polio disease lasts about one week with back pain persisting for about two weeks. About 65% of known cases during the outbreak of polio were non-paralytic (What Are the Symptoms…,1). Paralytic polio usually develops about five to seven days after the beginning of the fever. The symptoms are similar to non-paralytic polio with muscle weakness, loss of reflexes, extra sensitivity to touch, urine retention, constipation, and bloating. This causes the host to become paralyzed (Health Educations Facts Sheet, 1). The poliovirus enters the host through contaminated drinking water or through contact with contaminated surfaces, such as unwashed hands. It spreads by close personal contact, usually from saliva or waste. The virus passes through the stomach into the intestines. Inside the intestines, cells are infected and the virus is duplicated. 2006-11-17T02:04:53-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Medical-Essay-on-the-Disease-Polio-31787.aspx Studies on the Drug Codine The drug codeine is manufactured by the drug morphine, and could be made from the drug opium. The effects of codeine are similar to the effects of morphine, but codeine is not as potent and retains effectiveness when taken orally. Codeine is primarily used to relieve pain and to suppress coughing. A person that is on the drug codeine could build a tolerance and become addicted to it. Codeine is considered a narcotic drug when not prescribed by a doctor. Codeine is not usually taken by itself. It is usually mixed with another drug or cough syrup such as: Tylenol, APAP, Empirin and Robitussin. Codeine is used as an analgesic, or an anti-tussle. The physical and psychological dependence of the drug is moderate. When taking codeine the drug duration lasts for about three to six hours. Codeine can be taken orally or can be injected. The long-term effects of codeine are very harsh on the human body. Some of the long-term effects are: Euphoria, drowsiness, respiratory depression, constricted pupils, and nausea. Some of the withdrawal effects codeine has: watery eyes, runny nose, yawning, loss of appetite, irritability, tremors, frequent panicking, cramps, chills, and sweating. Codeine is a narcotic, one of two clinically useful phenanthine alkaloids in opium. It was discovered in the drug opium, in the year 1832, by a French chemist named Pierre Jean Robiquet. It appears sensitivity to the opiate; codeine varies with ethnic background, according to a recent study. Codeine’s analgesic properties stem mainly from the body’s ability to metabolize it into morphine, says J.J. Alastair Wood of Vanderbill University School of Medicine in Nashville. Wood examined the effects of codeine in men in European and Asian extraction. Both groups transformed codeine into morphine similarly, but the people in the Asian group experienced weaker effects from the drug. Morphine is responsible for the pain relief in codeine. Studies showed that some people lack an enzyme called CYP2D6 that chemically alters codeine into morphine. About eight percent of Whites, six percent of Africans, and one percent of Asians do not produce CYP2D6. Doctor’s think that people that do not respond to pain-killing drugs need higher doses. Doctor’s did a test on how codeine effected the breathing, blood pressure, and pupil dilation 2006-10-28T20:18:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Studies-on-the-Drug-Codine--31602.aspx The foundations of the Endocrine System consist of hormones and glands. These glands are ductless and their secretions are sent through the bloodstream. Endocrine glands also control bodily metabolic activity. The major glands that make up the human endocrine system are the hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroids, adrenals, pineal body, the pancreas, and the reproductive glands, which include the ovaries and testes. The endocrine system has three basic functions, regulate metabolic functions of the body, regulate rate of chemical reactions in various cells, and to influence the ability of substances to transport themselves through cell membranes. The endocrine system works in the following way, a hormone is secreted, it travels from the endocrine gland through the bloodstream to the target cells. Along the way to the target cells, special proteins bind to some of the hormones. The special proteins act as carriers that control the amount of hormone that is available to interact with and affect the target cells. Also, the target cells have receptors that latch onto only specific hormones, and each hormone has its own receptor, so that each hormone will communicate only with specific target cells that possess receptors for that hormone. When the hormone reaches its target cell, it locks onto the cell's specific receptors and these hormone-receptor combinations transmit chemical instructions to the inner workings of the cell. There are many things that can go wrong with the endocrine system. For example, Adrenal insufficiency, which causes weakness, fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, dehydration, and skin changes. Malfunctions in the endocrine system also result in diabetes type 1 and 2. Diabetes is when the pancreas, an endocrine gland, fails to produce enough insulin. Some symptoms include excessive thirst, hunger, urination, and weight loss. Another malfunction of the endocrine system can be growth hormone problems. Growth hormone in children who are still growing will make their bones and other body parts grow excessively, resulting in gigantism. This rare condition is usually caused by a pituitary tumor and can be treated by removing the tumor. There are many other problems that revolve around the endocrine system such as Hyperthyroidism, Hypothyroidism, and Cushing syndrome. In conclusion the glands of the endocrine system and the hormones they release influence almost every cell, organ, and function of our bodies. It is also in charge of cell growth and also works together with the nervous system to complete many task of the body. Lastly the 2006-10-03T00:21:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Endocrine-System-31477.aspx Learning about HIV and Aids and Valuable Help Resources HIV and AIDS are one of the leading causes of death among 24 to 45 year olds and yet so many Americans seem to know nothing about it. So many people in the world believe HIV and AIDS are the same thing, but they are sadly mistaken. HIV is a virus. The letters stand for “Human Immunodefiency Virus.” HIV is a virus that attacks your immune system. What it attacks are important immune-system cells called T-cells. HIV is a retrovirus, which means it is slow moving. By attacking and killing the immune system’s T-cells, HIV can cause AIDS. Although, “HIV may move more rapidly in some people, on the average it takes ten years for HIV to cause AIDS, even with out treatment.”(HIV Positive) AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. One does not have AIDS until their T-cell count drops below two hundred cells per cubic millimeter of blood, or if one begins to suffer from opportunistic infections. These include Pneumocystic Carnii Pneumonia (PCP), Kaposi’s sarcoma (a kind of skin cancer), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Candida (a fungal infection that can be found in the throat, mouth or vagina). So, just because a person is diagnosed HIV positive that does not mean they have AIDS, it just means the virus is in their body. AIDS does not come until the virus has beaten the T-cells. Therefore, the whole purpose of HIV treatment is to protect T-cells, and keep the HIV from turning into AIDS. There has been a broad spectrum of theories associated with the origin of HIV. “HIV has been blamed on everything from “The White Man”, to the polio vaccine, to the CIA.”(HIV Positive) The truth is HIV has been spread to humans from monkeys. The same virus as HIV found in monkeys is called SIV, for Simian Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV-1 the type found most common in Central and Southern Africa, the United States the rest of the world seems to have come from chimpanzees. HIV-2, the type found in West Africa, seems to have come from the sooty mangabey monkey. Researchers believe the first infections occurred in the 1930’s. “This was long before the polio vaccine, and long before anyone, including “The White Man” and the CIA knew much of anything about 2006-08-27T16:20:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Learning-about-HIV-and-Aids-and-Valuable-Help-Resources-31312.aspx Diptheria and the Dangers of Contracting It In 1996 a mother took her six-month-old son, Jonah, to the doctor to get his DPT vaccination. Two days later, Jonah came down with an ear infection. Bobbie took him into the doctor and the child was given a prescription of amoxicillin. The ear infection soon healed and all went well for about two months when the infection returned. Bobbie again took Jonah to the physician where he, this time, gave the boy a stronger form of amoxicillin. Again the infection soon diminished. About four months later Jonah received a third ear infection, this time accompanied with a fever of 103F. Seeing that the amoxicillin was not working, the doctor prescribed Jonah an even stronger form of antibiotics known as ougmitin. This is a mixture of amoxicillin and penicillin called clavulate. This time Bobbie was a bit more skeptical. She figured that if antibiotics didn’t work the last two times, why would they work this time? She then, with the help of her husband, decided it was time for a second opinion. She then took Jonah to a man named Dr. Eugene Pontius, a naturopathic doctor in British Columbia, Canada. After talking with Bobbie and looking at her son, Dr. Pontius asked Bobbie if Jonah was receiving his regular immunizations. Bobbie assured the doctor that Jonah was indeed receiving his immunizations. Dr. Pontius then informed Bobbie that if she wanted Jonah’s ear infections to stop she needed to cease his immunizations. According to Dr. Pontius, the “D” in DPT vaccine stands for Diptheria. Diptheria is a dangerous toxin-producing bacterium called Corynebacterium diptheriae. The diphtheria vaccine is what is known as an “attenuated” vaccine; meaning the bacteria has been weakened and modified, but is still alive. Corynebacterium diptheria, when alive in the human body, lives in the sinus and nasal tissues and migrates down to the larynx. It gives off a toxin that attacks the epithelial cells and causes tissue destruction. In extreme cases it may even attack the heart. Jonah had an ear infection due to the fact he had active diptheria present, but not a full-blown case. It was just a mild form that is common today and is associated with common ear and sinus infections…It does respond very briefly to antibiotics 2006-08-12T11:08:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Diptheria-and-the-Dangers-of-Contracting-It-31230.aspx Family Perspective on Donating Organs There are three people; a parent, a sick child in need of a kidney and a healthy child who is willing to donate a kidney (All three of them are in the same family). The parent feels very worried about this problem. If the operation does not succeed then there would be a very high risk of both her children dying. If the operation is not done then one of her children will be healthy and then the other one will always have to go to the hospital to use the kidney dialysis machine to clear out all the un-wanted waste that the body cannot do without any healthy kidneys. However if the operation does succeed then both her children will be quite healthy and she would be able to save a lot of money on medical fees. The parent feels that taking the risk is better then leaving one of her children un-healthy. She feels that if she does not do it earlier then it may affect the sick child’s health and give the sick child many disadvantages when he grows up. One of the disadvantages would be very little travel to other countries. Because if the sick child goes to other country and has no kidney dialysis machine then he will die. The sick child feels very different to all the other people. Because every week he has to go to the hospital for very long periods of time to use a kidney dialysis machine. The kidney dialysis machine helps him to extract waste from his body which his body cannot do without any healthy kidneys. He does this a couple of times a week. It wastes a lot of time and feels very un-comfortable for him. If he had a wish it would be to have healthy kidneys that worked. The healthy child in the family feels very disturbed that his brother is in need for a kidney. He feels very guilty that he is healthy but his brother is not. He wonders why he was not the chosen one to be un-healthy and why his brother was. He always wonders how it would feel like to be his sick brother. By doing this is able to understand his brother’s feelings more. He feels that this is a very hard choice for him to make. His decision will either make him regret, feel guilty 2006-08-12T10:35:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Family-Perspective-on-Donating-Organs-31218.aspx Causes and Treatment for Epilepsy At least one person in every two hundred has epilepsy. A chronic disorder in which nerve cells of the brain from time to time release electrical impulses, causing a temporary malfunction of the nerve cells of the brain. This sudden disturbance in the nerve cells causes seizures. A very old disease mentioned in the Code of Hammurabi, epilepsy is also the subject of the earliest of scientific work to survive, The Sacred Disease, attributed to the Greek Hippocrates. The most prominent feature of epilepsy is the seizure; That is not to say that seizures occur in epileptics only. The seizure is a complex symptom, with many varieties, causes, and treatments. Virtually anyone can have a seizure under the right circumstances; those who experience a seizure have a low seizure threshold. . Seizures can have many causes, brain injury, poisoning, head trauma and stroke, are some examples, however, epileptic seizures are generally reoccurring without treatment. Originating from the central nervous system, most seizures start from around the site of brain injury. At the point where the injury occurred, brain neurons are destroyed; the nearby neurons remain functioning, but crippled. This point of destroyed neurons is called the epileptic focus, the neurons within a focus are electrically unstable, and lacking powers of inhibition they exert an electrical influence. While one damaged neuron is far to small to effect the brain, neurons are organized into groups of several hundreds of thousands. These groups of neurons all discharge electricity together, causing surrounding neurons to discharge as well and those neurons cause the neurons around it to discharge in a dominoes effect situation. The result of this domino effect is a seizure discharge; a neural impulse that rapidly runs out of control and causes such disruption to normal brain activity that a fit develops. While this is the general way that seizure discharge spreads, seizure discharge spreads differently for every type of seizure. Variation of the spread of electrical discharge seizure involves the difference between partial and generalized seizures. Partial seizures caused by abnormal electrical discharge originate from only one specific area of the brain, where in a generalized seizure the entire brain is involved. Partial seizures may become generalized if the electric discharge originating from the focus is strong enough to spread through the entire brain. However, if a partial seizure is progressing towards becoming generalized, the symptoms will 2006-08-07T07:54:52-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-and-Treatment-for-Epilepsy-31092.aspx Problems and Treatment of Peptic Ulcer Disease Peptic ulcers are open sores or raw areas in the lining of the stomach (gastric ulcer) or upper part of the small intestine (duodenal ulcer). They result when the bacterium, Helicobacter pylori attaches itself to the lining of the stomach. Another cause of peptic ulcers are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen. The bacteria or NSAIDs weaken the protective mucus coating of the stomach and small intestines. This process allows acid to get through to the sensitive lining. The irritation from the drugs or bacteria can cause the sensitive lining to become raw, which causes an ulcer to form. Peptic ulcers can also form when there is an imbalance between the digestive juices used by the stomach to break down food. The primary digestive juices, hydrochloric acid and pepsin, are very powerful substances that are necessary for breaking down food, which the body uses for energy. These acids are always present in the stomach in small amounts, except at meal times. Incidence About 25 million people in the United States have had a peptic ulcer during their lifetime. At least 90% of these cases are caused by H. pylori(Sonnenberg, 359). Patients who have duodenal ulcers are between the ages of 25 and 27. Gastric ulcers are less common with only 85,000 cases diagnosed each year (Zoler, 14). The patients who suffer from gastric ulcers are between the ages of 55 and 65. Men are more prone to ulcers, but there has been a steady increase of women being diagnosed each year. Because the ulcer is caused predominantly by the H. pylori bacteria, those living in underdeveloped countries and those with low socioeconomic status are more likely to develop ulcers. H. pylori is believed to be transmitted through oral to oral contact, so those living in crowed areas are also more likely to become infected. History of Ulcer Diagnosis and Treatment Early 20th Century Ulcers were believed to be caused mainly by stress and diet. Treatment focused on primarily hospitalization, bed rest, and a diet of bland foods. Later on in the century, cause of the ulcer changed from stress and diet to gastric acid. The treatment then was a prescription for antacids and medications that blocked acid production. Even with treatment, there was 2006-08-05T10:10:59-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Problems-and-Treatment-of-Peptic-Ulcer-Disease-31005.aspx Study on Human Gene Therapy In 1990, a three-year-old Cleveland, Ohio, girl named Ashanthi DeSilva made history when doctors infused her with genes to produce an infection-fighting enzyme called ADA that she lacked. A decade later, the ashes of Jesse Gelsinger were scattered on an Arizona mountaintop after the 18-year-old died of respiratory distress -- essentially, his lungs shut down -- after getting a massive dose of a modified cold virus intended to carry a gene to his cells. Somewhere in between, the promise of gene therapy has fallen short. "This severe death in a relatively healthy individual makes us say that we have a lot more to learn," says Philip Marsden, an associate medical professor at the University of Toronto who conducts research on the genetics of blood vessels. "Clearly, with the development of gene therapy vectors, we will have to slow down." Last week, it was reported that a clinical trial in Philadelphia, intended only to prove the treatment was safe, allowed haemophiliacs to greatly cut their ordinary treatment with synthetic blood clotting drugs. Meanwhile, it was recently disclosed that James Dent, a Toronto brain cancer patient, died unexpectedly in April, 1997, two days after beginning the second stage of a gene therapy. Gene therapy has always sounded simple and elegant. Put a "healthy" gene inside a "harmless" virus, infuse a patient, and the virus will carry the gene into cells by infecting them. How can it fail? The answer is proving complicated. Much of the problem is caused by the viral vectors used to transport genes. In order to make a virus harmless, two things must be done. First, its toxic components must be stripped away. Second, it must be made "replication incompetent," so that it will not make billions of copies of itself, bursting cells apart and spreading throughout the body. Otherwise, the immune system will destroy the virus, along with the helpful gene it is transporting. "So you give the virus all you need but you leave out a couple of chapters of the book of how to live as a virus," explains Marsden. If too much of the virus is removed, it will lose its native ability to enter cells to inject its DNA. No viral vector is perfect. Some are too small to transport the large genes that rectify some inherited disorders. The larger 2006-07-29T16:10:52-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Study-on-Human-Gene-Therapy-30787.aspx Advances in the Detection of Cancer Most of us if not all of us have had someone in our lives that we know to have cancer. One of the worst problems in the world today cancer is an undetectable (until present) killer. Over the years scientist have been working on ways to either slow or stop the cancers process of killing. Cancer has many forms from breast cancer to lung cancer. The way it kills? Cancer causes abnormal growth of cells, these cells then choke of a source that we need to live or will destroy a vital source that we need to live. Now, scientists have created many things that can slow or stop this process. In the following I will show some of the many medical advances in the fight against cancer. The first is self-examination. The American Cancer Society has set forth a set of rules one can follow to give ones self a self-examination. The only problem with this process is by the time one can find this mass of cells on their body the mass has grown to large and operation may be too late. Also one cannot check their vital organs from the outside. This way has saved many lives but there are also many other ways through technology to prevent cancer. One of the easiest ways to tell if you're at risk for cancer is to look into your families past. Cancer can be genetic. If you’re a person that has a family history of cancer then extra precautions can be taken to make sure that if cancer were to develop it can be stopped before it becomes a problem. The most technical way to detect cancer that we have today is the use of molecular probes. The use of cells from anything from a blood test, urine sample, or Pap smear can be used to determine if you have cancer. The body will dump these extra cells into any liquid form in your body, then these cells can show up on many of the simple things we have done to check our health everyday! Overall cancer is a very terrible disease. Cancer claims more lives then any other disease in America every year. These numbers have been dropping slowly which shows our process. I hope one day we can live in a world were no one has to worry about these 2006-07-27T12:52:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Advances-in-the-Detection-of-Cancer-30730.aspx The Dangers of Contracting Skin Cancer from the Sun Have you ever had a sunburn that was so bad that about a week later your skin started to peel, well this happened to a woman named Sharon Lasky. In her childhood she got her share of sunburns and now is paying the price. Two years ago at the age of 40 she was diagnosed with an intermediate-stage melanoma. According to the health journal Heart and Soul, it has been proven that “people who experienced blistering sunburns earlier in their life are particularly susceptible to malignant melanomas later on in life”. Hi, my name is Christie and today I will persuade to you that the harmful effects of the sun far outweigh the novelty of having a tan. Many people particularly high school and college-age students want nothing to do with sunscreen. Myself included, until I saw my mother’s friend had to have her nose removed because she had skin cancer. Before she was a very beautiful woman but after the operation she looked like a monster because her nose was replaced by two large holes in the center of her face. No one will see her outer beauty again. All she has left is her inner beauty. Today I would like to encourage you to protect your self from the sun by wearing sunscreen and sunglasses. People with fair skin, light hair, blue eyes, and or freckles are the people who are most likely to get sun damage. It is important that they are aware of this so that they can take extra precautions to protect themselves from the suns harmful rays. Some of these extra precautions are: 1. Using no less than SPF 15 that shields against UVA and UVB rays 2. Apply sunscreen 15-20 minutes before going into the sun and reapply every 2 hours 3. Use liberally, it takes about an ounce of sunscreen to cover the body and 8-ounce bottle shouldn’t last more that a week at the beach. 4. And always wearing sunglasses when ever they are out side It is not only fair skinned people that have to worry about the harmful effects of the sun. Many people think or like to think that just because they are naturally tan or dark skinned that that they don’t have to worry about the sun. They are only kidding themselves by thinking that. The sun is 2006-07-25T15:48:40-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Dangers-of-Contracting-Skin-Cancer-from-the-Sun-30646.aspx Analysis of Traditional and Modern Medical Methods God has gifted us with medical information to know his great ability in creating us. He gave us mind and feelings to use them for our benefit and progress. Medicine reflects God’s sympathy for us, as it is the only means for curing and relieving pains. Doctors are like angels who help people and work hard to heal and cure their pains. They help patients to live happily and in a more comfortable way. Unfortunately, some doctors follow the traditional medicine schools blindly, they deal with patients as cases ignoring their feelings and stick only to their medical information’s and what they have been taught in the faculty of medicine while treating their patients. Other physicians treat their patients in a friendly way; they are concerned about their patients’ humanity and feelings. They comfort patients and help to relieve their pains. The latter method is better way in dealing with patients as it respects the patients’ humanity, help them to get over their fears and achieve its goals faster and in a more effective way. Doctors following the traditional method treat their patients as cases neglecting the patients’ feelings and stick to their medical knowledge only. They deal with their patients in a cold and unrespectable way as if they were problems to solve. They take medicine as a job not as a humane message as it supposed to be. However, others who take medicine as a message of mercy treat their patients in a friendly way, show them care and try to inform the patient of his/ her own problem to make him/her independent and capable of speeding his/her recovery. Another major drawback is that the traditional methods may raise the patients’ fears. As, the patients will become machines obeying the doctors without any thinking. Unfortunately, this method is useless, because doctors have forgotten that half of the patients’ recovery depends on their psychological state in addition to their awareness of their role to boost their own improvement. On the other hand, untraditional doctors comfort the patients and help them to overcome their fears’. They are equally concerned about the psychological state of the patient as a major and as a more reliable factor for treatment, thus speeding their recovery. Traditional physicians can not achieve their goals in properly in treating their patients. They only focus on the physical 2006-07-06T00:10:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Traditional-and-Modern-Medical-Methods-30066.aspx Letter in Response to Hospital Negligence This letter is in response to your communication dated November 21, 2001. The review you mentioned on your letter of the medical record of my mother, appears to be flawed and biased. In very few cases does the E.R. have the luxury of a patient arriving within minutes of the onset of an acute cerebro-vascular event (stroke). My mother arrived at the E.R. within twenty minutes of the onset of the symptoms. She was an ideal candidate for immediate use of intravenous T.P.A. If the E.R. physician had any concerns about the possibility of rectal bleeding due to a history of “recent” surgery, those concerns should have been totally dispelled as soon as I was consulted. I am the Chief of Surgery I was one of the surgeons who participated in the removal of a rectal polyp, which occurred months prior to this incident not two to three weeks as your letter proclaims. If an attending surgeon informs your resident of this fact, and requests that T.P.A. be administered intravenously, there should not have been hesitation in the timing of the infusion of this medication. This emergency room physician had been tasked to find as many cases as possible for intra-arterial T.P.A., because your Hospital was doing a study on this procedure. He was frantically paging the ‘team,’ and received no response to his queries. The ‘team’ was in the Hospital performing another procedure and had disconnected or turned off their pagers. A member of my family, my sister, was insisting that there should be no delay in administering the T.P.A., but her frantic requests were completely ignored; in fact, a member of the E.R. team threatened that if my sister continued to insist on this, nothing would be done for my mother. Six hours later, by the time my mother was taken to the cath-lab to receive the intra-arterial drug, the golden period to dissolve the clot had passed, and the procedure was just an exercise in futility. My family and I will never be able to forget the fact that my mother’s stroke could have been reversed, or at the least reduced in severity had the drug been administered within that crucial period of the first arrival at your E.R. I do agree with one item your letter, and that is that the decision to withhold and approve 2006-07-03T13:52:49-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Letter-in-Response-to-Hospital-Negligence-29932.aspx Results of Sexually Contracting Chlamydia We have always known of the existence of many diseases, but some of us don’t realize that, these diseases are very easy to catch. There are many diseases caused by bacteria, while others are caused by viruses. Diseases caused by viruses are genital herpes, genital warts and AIDS. Other sexually transmitted diseases that are caused by bacteria are: gonorrhea, syphilis and Chlamydia. Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection caused by bacteria. Chlamydia is spread by direct person-to-person contact. It is always transmitted through sexual contact. Because symptoms are not always present, one may be infected with Chlamydia and not know it. Therefore, it is possible for pregnant women to pass the bacteria to their infant during birth, or women can become sterile due to the disease. If Chlamydia present, symptoms may appear in a week to a month after infection. Seventy-five percent of persons with Chlamydia may show no symptoms, they are asymptomatic. Men are more likely than women to show sign of infection. Chlamydia in men causes painful urination, testicular pain, irritation around the opening of the penis and mild, sticky, milky or mucus-like discharge from penis. The symptoms may seem to “come and go.” Chlamydia is often silent in women, with up to 90% of women asymptomatic. Women can carry the bacteria for months or even years without knowing it. This makes screening very important. When the symptoms are present in women, they include the following: mild, milky or mucus-like discharge, painful urination and intercourse, bleeding between menses an abdominal pain. When treated early, there are no long term consequences of Chlamydia, but when is not treated, long term complications in men may include: epididymitis, prostatitis, Reister’s syndrome and sterility. In women the complications may include: perihepatitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, Reiter’s syndrome and sterility. Chlamydia is very dangerous when passed to infants. It can cause eye infections, blindness, ear infections, pneumonia, and death. Chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics. It is important that all the antibiotics are taken as prescribed, and the infected person to avoid sexual intercourse during treatment. Proper hand washing is essential, as the bacteria can be transferred to the eyes. Abstinence from both genital and oral sex is the only way to be 100% sure that you are 2006-06-26T17:13:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Results-of-Sexually-Contracting-Chlamydia-29849.aspx An Immodest Proposal for Cancer Treatment Before proposing my solution, I must first explain the problem that I intend to solve. The problem is breast cancer. At the current rate, over 192,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with it this year, 40,200 of which will die. It is the leading cause of death among middle aged women. If these facts seem impersonal, then you should know that one of every nine women in this classroom will be diagnosed with cancer and that in the length of one class period over eight women will die from it in the United States alone. Although a total cure has not been found, there are several treatments that can save lives. There is the possibility of surgery if detected at an early state, but most cases require intensive radioactive chemotherapy. These two most common treatments cause serious side effects. Surgery can be painful and leave scars both physically and emotionally. And many victims say that going through chemotherapy is worse than the cancer itself. A longtime friend of my parents, Janine Clements has had cancer for almost two decades. During that time she has gone through a series of chemotherapy treatments. The radiation neutralized the cancer and kept her bedridden for days, but the cancer came back in less than a year. By seeing the terrible suffering firsthand, I have seen the stark reality of cancer. I came to the conclusion that no one needs to go through the pain and agony that it brings. I have searched for a solution and after much time and energy I found it right under my nose, or should I say right under any woman’s nose. Breast cancer would not be a threat if women did not have breasts! If all women had their breasts removed, it would cure breast cancer and provide numerous other positives. In the following paragraphs I will address how the lack of breasts would help teen girls, middle aged women, and feminists. Please note that I am in no way trying to make light of the subject, and I have nothing to gain (or lose) by my proposition. With that in mind, here are the positives of worldwide breast removal. In today’s culture where teen women are so caught up in their image and whether or not they are catching the eye of that guy, the subject of who has 2006-06-22T16:26:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/An-Immodest-Proposal-for-Cancer-Treatment-29816.aspx Issues About Breast Augmentation Surgery Breast Implantation is a surgery being done across America within 40% of all women. Thought women do know that this surgery can be very dangerous, the effects are often being ignored. Most women have the want for a larger bust size, and enhanced cleavage. With doctors now saying implantation is a simple surgery and very affective, more women throughout America are now choosing to get the surgery done. There are many new ways to enhance the bust size of a woman, yet breast implantation is still the most common method being used. Breast implantation is a surgery that can be done to increase breast size. It can be used for many other situations, like when women have breast cancer they can be given breasts. When women get breast cancer they can have a vasectomy, which is a surgical procedure that can be done to remove the breast. Women that have had a vasectomy choose to have a breast implant surgery, which are bags of silicone gel, saltwater, and many other fillings. Breast implants are useful in many ways, but can be dangerous as well. Many people have different opinions on Breast Implantation. Many people think that breast implants are a big risk that should not be taken is women. It is estimated that since 1962, between one and two million women have had silicone breast implants to enhance their physical appearance. Some 30 years later, thousands of women are second-guessing the wisdom of this choice because they are now suffering with new illness make up everyday (Jordan, 1992). There are no cures to these new diseases because they are caused by a reaction to toxic chemicals that are spread throughout the body such as, silicone toxicity and immune dysfunction syndrome. It is possible to develop ripples in the breast if patience’s start without or little breast tissue, which will make the bag very noticeable and not camouflaged, like usually (Wesley, 1991, pp.2-3). This is especially true for textured implants over the muscle. the patience is also going to have really bad scars, which are going to there for the rest of their life. Breast implants bags are also known for busting, if the patient’s bag bust you are going to have to get immediate surgery. All of this surgery is going to cost thousands 2006-06-21T17:14:49-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Issues-About-Breast-Augmentation-Surgery-29786.aspx Important Facts about the AIDS Virus AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency, is a deadly virus that kills and damages cells of the body's immune system. When the immune system is attacked, the body's ability to fight infections and certain cancers becomes considerably weaker. (Malan, Rian p70) AIDS is caused by the human immune deficiency virus (HIV) and both can be transmitted through sex, contact with contaminated blood, sharing or syringes or needles, and through birth. Africa, unfortunately, is home to the world’s largest number of victims suffering from the AIDS virus. (Malan, Rian p70) Those experts who immediately began plotting graphs have seen their conclusion come true. Since 1983, when Pait accidentally discovered that AIDS had spread around the globe, AIDS in Africa has grown at a rapid pace year by year. As the epidemic continues to spread, it has had a severe impact on Africa. The virus affects people of all ages throughout the entire continent. It is at the point where AIDS in considered no longer a public health crisis, but rather a mass murderer. (Time Magazine – Death Stalks A Continent – 12 Feb 2001 – Vol, 157 No. 6) Since that first case back in 1983, twenty-five million people have died from the horrific virus, three and a half million of them children under fifteen. (Time Magazine) Currently, it is estimated that twenty-eight million people are currently living with AIDS in Africa. More than half of them will die. The twenty-eight million people who live with AIDS in Africa are three-fourths of the AIDS cases reported globally. In 2001 alone, the virus infected an estimated three and a half million people. (AIDSandAfrica.com) That is roughly 9340 people infected a day or one person every twenty-six seconds. (Time Magazine) AIDS is the leading cause of death in Africa, with statistics showing that roughly 6,000 Africans die each day. (Royal, Leslie & Alleyne, Sonia - Black Enterprise, October 2001, Vol. 32, p166). About 13 million children have been orphaned by AIDS in Africa. (Time Magazine) Those who have lost family are usually children under the age of 12 and must find ways to survive despite their dire poverty. (Time Magazine) AIDS itself as the disease, is not only the major killer of people. Many who have AIDS do not seek help for fear of fellow villagers discovering their problem and murdering them. AIDS infected individuals have two options. They 2006-06-21T15:31:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Important-Facts-about-the-AIDS-Virus-29766.aspx Methamphetamine abuse linked to brain cell damage BETHESDA, MD -- March 28, 2000 -- New research shows that those who use methamphetamine, often called "meth" or "speed," risk long-term damage to their brain cells similar to that caused by strokes or Alzheimer's disease. In an article published in the March 28 issue of Neurology, scientists at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California, used magnetic resonance spectroscopy to take measurements of three parts of the brains of 26 participants who had used methamphetamine and then compared them with measurements of the same regions in the brains of 24 people who had no history of drug abuse. "While the meth users in this study hadn't used the drug for some time--anywhere from two weeks to 21 months, this research strongly suggests that methamphetamine abuse causes harmful physical changes in the brain that can last for many months and perhaps longer after drug use has stopped," said Dr. Alan I. Leshner, Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). In their study, Dr. Linda Chang and Dr. Thomas Ernst measured levels of brain chemicals that indicate whether brain cells are healthy or are diseased or damaged. "We found abnormal brain chemistry in the methamphetamine users in all three brain regions we studied. In one of the regions, the amount of damage is also related to the history of drug use -- those who had used the most methamphetamine had the strongest indications of cell damage," Dr. Chang said. The researchers found that levels of one chemical marker, N- acetyl-aspartate, were reduced by at least five percent in the methamphetamine abusers. "Many diseases associated with brain cell loss or damage, such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and epilepsy, are also associated with reduced N- acetyl-aspartate," said Dr. Ernst. "Reduced concentrations of N-acetyl-aspartate in the drug users' brains suggest that long-term methamphetamine abuse results in loss or damage to neurons, the cells we use in thinking." Two other chemical markers, myo-inositol and choline-containing compounds, are associated with glial cells, which act to support neurons. "Methamphetamine abusers showed increases of 11 percent and 13 percent in levels of these markers compared with normal individuals," Dr. Ernst said. "This suggests an increased number or size of glial cells as a reaction to the injurious effects of methamphetamine." The researchers, who received funding from NIDA, plan to conduct more extensive studies to determine if these brain changes caused by methamphetamine abuse might be reversed or 2006-06-20T15:27:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Methamphetamine-Abuse-Linked-to-Brain-Cell-Damage-29689.aspx Analysis of Atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis is the hardening of the innermost portion of the arteries; it is also the most common form of arteriosclerosis. With atherosclerosis, fatty material containing cholesterol or calcium is deposited on the innermost layer of the artery. The result is a narrowing of the inside diameter of the blood vessel, constricting blood flow. . This can progress to the point where the artery becomes so narrow that a blood clot, or thrombus, forms and blocks blood flow to an entire portion of the body. This type of atherosclerosis is considered to happen with the gradual aging of the vessels and plaque build up. Eating foods containing high volumes of cholesterol and saturated fats speeds up this process. In another form of atherosclerosis, a rough area or ulcer forms in the diseased interior of the artery. Blood clots then tend to develop on this ulcer, break off, and travel further downstream, forming a blockage where the arteries get narrower. This kind of blockage resulting from a clot formed elsewhere in the body is called an embolism. Excessive alcohol use, direct trauma to the vessel, and bacterium tend to cause such lesions. Nicotine contained in tobacco, also tends to enhance platelet aggregation, which may lead to thrombotic (blood clot) events. Irritation to the endothelium causes immune system response. The injured endothelial cells release chemo tactic compounds and growth factors, which transport greater amounts of lipids, particularly LDLs, to the irritated site. LDLs then in turn become oxidized, and attract macrophages. Plaque becomes full of phages that migrate beneath interna, where they are transformed into foam cells, and loose there scavenging ability. The smooth muscle cells also deposit collagen and elastin fibers, thickening the interna and producing fibrous lesions with a core of dead and dying foam cells called fibrous or atherosclerotic plaques. As the inner portion of the vessel starts to die it is replaced with non-elastin scar tissue, and calcium salts begin to accumulate in the area. The once elastic vessel is now calcified, and scared, disabling its ability to stretch, increasing systemic blood pressure. The narrowed vessels, and increased blood pressure decreases localized blood flow to the area. As the artery becomes blocked, it can cause a noise very much like water roaring over rocky rapids. Your physician can listen to this noise, or bruit, directly, or can use special amplification systems to hear this noise. 2006-06-16T15:01:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Atherosclerosis-29612.aspx Important Information on Cervical Cancer The following guide is organized to help you find all the information you need on cervical cancer. This folder contains a fact sheet full of information regarding this disease including definitions, symptoms, causes, treatments, prognosis, etc. After reading this fact sheet you may want to use the footnotes to find further information on each subject. I have also included a guide to internet sites in this packet. On this guide you will find nine internet sites that will help you as you surf the net for more information. These websites are overflowing with interactive pages and helpful resources. Next, you will find a list of several local and online support groups. These will be helpful to you as you learn to cope with having cervical cancer. It is very important to surround yourself with loved ones and people to share your pain and feelings with during these hard times. I also added three magazine articles that I believe you will find interesting and helpful to read. They all deal with cervical cancer in one way or another and are a good source of information. Finally, I have included a medical journal that I found to be extremely helpful in learning what to expect after treatment is over. This article gives detail about what you may experience when you finish treatment. Being diagnosed with cervical cancer is not an easy thing to deal with. It is my hope that after you finish reading through this guide you will better understand your disease, what has happened, what is happening and what lies ahead for you. I encourage you to use any and all of the information that I have provided. It is there for you to use as much as you need to. May the Lord Bless You and Keep You May His Grace Shine Upon You. “Cervical cancer is an uncommon, slow growing cancer that usually takes several years to fully develop. If caught in its pre-cancer stage, the abnormal cells (cervical dysplasia) are almost always easily treated and cancer doesn’t develop. This helps to make cervical cancer the most preventable cancer in the United States.” Approximately 12,900 women in the United States and 400,000 women worldwide are diagnosed with cervical cancer each 2006-06-13T03:09:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Important-Information-on-Cervical-Cancer-29395.aspx Global Medical Treatments for Multiple Sclerosis Traditional Chinese medicine is today the second largest health-care system in the world, after modern Western medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine holds that the causes of most diseases originate from spiritual, emotional, behavioral, dietary, and climatic factors, in contrast to the biological and biochemical basis seen by practitioners of modern Western medicine. Chinese medical treatment is aimed at adjusting the environmental and human influences through lifestyle adjustments the use of medicinal herbs, and n and physical therapies. Since modern Western medicine, with its reliance on the latest research findings and technologies describes the causes of most diseases as originating from genetic, structural pathogenic (infective or toxic), nutritional, and behavioral factors, treatments are bioengineering, surgery, chemotherapy, dietary restriction, nutritional supplements and behavior modification. As relates to Multiple Sclerosis, the Chinese believe that the disease most likely originates with a combination of spiritual and emotional factors, and that the trigger for the disease may be an experience of a feverish illness, usually an infectious disease. The weakening of and loss of control over the musculature may come about because the critical energizing and regulating functions of the internal organs have become disturbed due to the loss of spiritual focus, perhaps because of a frightful experience which has scattered one’s soul from its resting place. The disease consumes vital fluids essences that are essential to nourishing the body and providing a relaxing medium for the spirit. According to the Chinese medicine without spiritual relaxation, there is ongoing agitation, and destruction of bodily harmony. Western medicine is still pursuing the precise description of MS, but currently it is believed that a combination of genetic predisposing factors and an episode of a common viral disease initiates an autoimmune process which leads to the symptoms of the disorder (inhibition of nerve transmission to the muscles), exacerbated by subsequent infections or other stimulants to the autoreactive immune system. In other words, the disease has nothing to do with either personal experiences (other than having an infection) or general bodily balance, but rather is attributed to an inherited coil of DNA and another slice of DNA provided by the virus. Therefore, TCM diverges from Western medicine by placing human experiences above inheritance and biology as a cause. Although the Chinese see anxiety, depression, fright, and fear as contributors to the disease process, Western doctors 2006-06-12T21:19:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Global-Medical-Treatments-for-Multiple-Sclerosis-29389.aspx Strategic Managment of the Canberra Hospital Introduction The Canberra Hospital is the primary public medical facility within the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and provides health care to Canberra and surrounding regional New South Wales (NSW). The organisational goals for The Canberra 2006-06-12T20:37:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Strategic-Managment-of-the-Canberra-Hospital-29368.aspx Important Information People Should Know about Cancer The Mysterious Face Of Cancer Every person on earth will eventually one day have to leave it behind. It is not the choice of the person whether they go peacefully or whether they go with pain. More often than not a person will go with pain. This is the case with cancer. More and more people die everyday from cancer and it appears to ruin the lives of all those associated with it. What people need to understand though is yes cancer is a life altering chain of events but cancer is not the end of the world. Death is inevitable; there is no way around it. Perhaps cancer patients realize this more than anyone. “All creatures born upon this earth must, in the end, die. Some live long and peaceful lives. But others are caught up in struggles-must fight for their lives” (Silverstein 12-13). This is the case with cancer. Cancer patients will struggle and fight for their lives and not have the luxury of dying peacefully. The cause of cancer is still unknown to scientists but they have been able to come up with some possible explanations. Cancer affects newborn babies, boys, girls, women, men, animals and even plants. The possible causes of the cancers that affect each of these groups include chemicals in the body, viruses, ultraviolet rays, smoking, and it has been proven to be hereditary in some cases. Many people who develop cancer have had repeated or prolonged contact with one or more of these cancer causing agents (Silverstein 27). With the many different types of cancer it may, for some people, seem impossible for scientists to discover a cure. There are more than one hundred known types of cancer. Scientists are sure there are many more they just have not yet been diagnosed. The cancers that are most common in women are breast cancer and cancer of the uterus. The cancers that are most common in men are lung cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer. Lung cancer kills more than 50,000 men a year. More men are likely to get lung cancer because in general men smoke more than women. Along with these leading cancers among women and men there are several other cancers that are common in both. Cancers of the colon, rectum, and large intestine kill more than 45,000 Americans a year (Altman and Sang 78). With 2006-06-12T18:44:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Important-Information-People-Should-Know-about-Cancer-29345.aspx Examination of Liposuction and Cosmetic Surgery Procedures Fat cells lie beneath the skin throughout the body, but accumulate in greater amounts in certain areas. When we gain or lose weight, we are not adding or subtracting fat cells but rather changing the amount of fat within each cell. It is not surprising, therefore, that many people find that in spite of the weight they lose, they are left with bulges or fat deposits in undesirable places. Liposuction surgery is a technique that uses a high suction attached to special probes which are passed through tiny punctures made in inconspicuous places around the body. Fat cells are literally suctioned out, allowing the surgeon to shape or contour various parts of the body. The technique used at our Center combines the use of very tiny cannulas with the injection of fluids to minimize the risk of bleeding We can treat most areas of the body through this approach that virtually eliminates visible scars. Breast Augmentation Breast augmentation has been one of the most gratifying cosmetic operations from the standpoint of both the patient and the surgeon. Although controversy in the early 1990's led to widespread fear about the possibility of silicone breast implants causing autoimmune diseases, a significant body of recent scientific research has validated the overall general safety of silicone breast implants. Although every operation involves some risks, breast augmentation is generally not considered to be dangerous. The operation is carried out in our Cosmetic Surgical Center under anesthesia on an outpatient basis. It generally takes one to two hours. While breast augmentation will enlarge the breasts, it will not alter basic defects in breast shape or form. Major asymmetries may be improved, but will not be corrected. Slight differences in the size or shape of the two breasts is considered normal and should not be a cause for concern. Long experience with this operation has demonstrated highly satisfactory results for the majority of patients who are considered suitable candidates for the surgery. Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Surgery) Eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, is an operation which corrects drooping eyelids as well as bags and bulges about the eyes. These conditions develop as a result of laxity of the eyelid skin and protrusion of fat around the eyes. It is not limited to older patients, as many individuals inherit a predisposition toward development of fat pouches at an early age. Surgical correction is appropriate for all age groups. In some cases, the 2006-06-12T02:09:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Examination-of-Liposuction-and-Cosmetic-Surgery-Procedures-29268.aspx Abnormal Cell Growth Leading to Cancer Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Half of all men and one-third of all women in the U.S. will develop cancer during their lifetimes. Although it is common knowledge that cancer is generally inherited, this paper will further explore the causes and what happens on a cellular level when cancer develops in the human body. Basics of signal transduction Cell communication, or signal transduction, is simply the means by which cells in the body respond to signals coming from outside those cells. The purpose of this chemical communication is to coordinate functions inside the cell, between cells or between organs in the body, allowing us the means to respond to our external environment. Normally, cell division is a very carefully regulated process that ensures the body has neither too few nor too many of a given cell type. Some cell types in the body wear out quickly and need to be continuously replaced as they die, such as most blood cells and cells lining the digestive tract. The production of these cells must be precisely regulated based on their rate of cell death so that the body has the exact number of cells it needs. (Kruh, 2000) The relationship with cancer Abnormal - or more specifically - uncontrolled, rapid cell growth is a central feature of cancer. Virtually every cancer is caused by mutations of DNA, the genetic material that controls how cells behave. Genes that regulate cell division are most susceptible to mutations, which may lead to abnormal cell growth. Cancer is a disease of the genes - it arises from defects in certain genes, the genes that normally regulate cell growth and cell death. Some genes, known as oncogenes, promote normal cell growth. Other genes, known as tumor suppressor genes, have the opposite effect, to retard cell growth. The normal division of our cells is a delicate balance of positive and negative growth signals from these genes. This balance may be upset by either the abnormal over activation of oncogenes or the abnormal inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. These genetic events may be caused by environmental toxins, random internal changes, and also may be inherited from a family who has a history of cancer where a defective growth-regulatory gene is passed down through generations. Cell division can get out of control when damage to specific genes in the cell’s DNA results in abnormally 2006-06-11T19:43:35-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Abnormal-Cell-Growth-Leading-to-Cancer-29225.aspx Symptoms and Treatments for Grave's 2006-06-11T19:37:59-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Symptoms-and-Treatments-for-Grave-s-Disease-29222.aspx Damaging Effects of Cystic Fibrosis Cystic fibrosis is a debilitating disease facing many people today. At the present time there is no cure available. According to the cystic fibrosis foundation of America, cystic fibrosis can be traced back as early as 1595. The first documented case was not reported until 1936. One group of people that seem to be affected the most by cystic fibrosis is Caucasians. Recent statistics indicate that 1 in 3,200 live causcasian births are afflicted with cystic fibrosis. For reasons that are currently unknown African Americans have aslightly lower chance of developing cystic fibrosis usually 1 in 15,000 live births. Cystic fibrosis remains to be a rare disease in the asian population as well as the native American population. In the United States there are 1,000 children born each year with cystic fibrosis. Current numbers suggest that there is over 30,000 people in the United States alone living with this crippling disease. In the United states approximately 1 in 25 -30 people are carriers of the mutated gene that causes cystic fibrosis (Sheppard and Nicholson ). The cystic fibrosis foundation of America has repoted that there is over 10 million people who are possible carriers of the mutated gene. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited genetic disease. In actuality cystic fibrosis is an autosomal recessive disease(Lim and Zeitlin). Cystic fibrosis is now considered the most common genetic disease among Caucasians (Sheppard Nichsoln). Although cystic fibrous tends to display an ethnicity bias it does not have a gender bias. The autosomal recessive disease indicates that the mutated gene that causes cystic fibrosis is not located on the sex chromosome. In 1989 the mutated gene that causes cystic fibrosis was discovered, and this was one step closer to understanding a disease that affects so many people ( Sheppard and Nicholson). The mutated gene is located on autosomal chromosome number 7 . The mutation occurs in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene (CFTR). At the present time researchers have concluded that there are over 900 different mutations in the CFTR gene (Sheppard Nicholson). The severity of the disease is based upon the variations of mutations that are expressed (Panesear). For instance a gene with over 900 mutations can wreak havoc on the human body causing a plethora of problems. When a person is a carrier of the mutated CFTR gene , and is paired with a non-carrier the cystic 2006-06-11T01:48:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Damaging-Effects-of-Cystic-Fibrosis-29159.aspx The Development of Medicine in the 19th Century Diseases and illnesses have been present from the very earliest times, and medicine and cures have always been reliefs widely searched for. It was a long time however, before man acknowledged the ability to apply the appropriate medical treatment for certain diseases. This was due to the slow increase of knowledge of how the parts of the human body function. Before the great scientific discoveries and breakthroughs of the 19th and 20th centuries, medical procedures were very reliant upon nature. The medical practice involved little more than comfort for the patient until nature took it’s course. Doctors were not as refined and knowledgeable, operations were not as clean, and hospitals were not as sanitary as the conditions we are accessible to today. Natural instincts and intelligence are what have brought the medical practice to the discoveries and higher level of success in which we have today. Early medicine was a mixture of a great deal of magic, charms and superstitions. The modern operation of trepanning for example was mimicked by the prehistoric people using a cure far beyond herbs, berries and chants. Skulls were found with little round pieces cut out of them which was known to be done in order to relieve sever headaches caused by brain tumours. Evidently, these primitive people abided to do this in order to let out and release evil spirits which they thought were lodged in the head. Trepanning was also a remedy for insanity, epilepsy and headaches, yet this procedure killed many people. Those who were practised on by such harsh medical techniques would probably have been more comfortable if the had not been treated at all. Unlike these prehistoric methods, techniques today have been discovered in order to assure the patient of a fear free and painless operation. In this 21st century, a patient will be put unconscious by an anaesthetic gas or injection if they undergo a major surgery. The part of the body that is being worked on will be numbed by a local anaesthetic if the surgery is only minor. Great measures are taken to see that the surgeons and their assistants wear sterile clothing, and use clean, sanitary instruments, bandages and other equipment. These procedures were not yet evident at the start of the 19th century, making 2006-06-11T01:18:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Development-of-Medicine-in-the-19th-Century-29144.aspx Foreword: There is no culture in the history of mankind that did not ever use some kind (kinds) of drugs. Despite the well-known consequences of drug addiction, millions of people constantly consume different legal and illegal drugs. Affecting people's mind and changing their behavior, drugs become one of the most threatening factors of social risk, resulting in increasing rates of mortality, aggressive and criminal behavior, and dissolution of social ties. This paper is devoted to comparison of social science outcome characteristics for two of the most commonly used drugs in the groups of legal and illegal drugs--alcohol in the first and marijuana in the second. It is argued that hardly any of two can be seen preferable over the other, and both have negative impact on the society through changing the behavior of individuals consuming them. General discussion: Social problems of drug abuse or, more correctly, substance abuse (Timmons & Hamilton), can be divided into two groups. The first consists of problems resulting from the phenomenon of drug addiction, which are similar for any kind of drugs that caused this addiction. The second has to do with particular patterns of changed behavior and medical problems affecting someone's social position, characteristic for different kinds of drugs both immediately after intoxication and in long-term perspective. The symbolic interactionism theory does not depend on the drug but how people interpret the drug. Physicians may view a drug as a way to help people with an illness. Police usually see a drug (including alcohol) as a menace to society. Alcohol is usually accepted as a social interaction in the United States , as well as other countries. Functionalism study drugs, not on if they are legal or illegal, but on the functions and dysfunctions it has in society. They also identify a latent function that is associated with making a drug legal or illegal. "To make a drug illegal is to strengthen the agencies that have been established to control them." The moral entrepreneur has a lot of power and money to make drugs legal or illegal, whatever is in their best interest. Conflict theorist emphasize how drugs are used as a political tool. They decide whether a drug is criminalized or not. The conflict theorists used the laws against the Chinese immigrants in the 1800's. Continuous use of a certain drug results in the need to consume higher doses in order to achieve 2006-04-19T00:25:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Alcohol-vs-Marijuana--28724.aspx Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)—a fatal neurodegenerative illness, is one form of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) affecting humans. The suspected causal agent of these diseases is the prion—a proteinaceous infectious particle. Designated as PrPSC, this infectious protein is unique in that it does not contain nucleic acid, which is different from a virus, yet has the capability of replication and being transmitted to other hosts. This capability of transmission poses a major problem in that the detection of the disease caused by this prion while the individual is in the incubation phase is not currently possible. Hence the disease may be accidentally transmitted to another individual through medical procedures—as seen in the case study presented. Throughout the 20th century, various case studies evolved and were compiled to form a sketchy descriptive pattern for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. However, as time progressed, new forms of CJD emerged—usually as an epidemic, presenting similar yet distinct prodromal and clinical patterns. Accumulation of data has led to a finer delineation of symptomology and sub-type classification of the disease. Yet a test to definitively show that the individual has the disease during incubation is not currently available. With different methods of transmission and completion of the incubation periods, various epidemics have erupted. Those points in time have been reflected within the literature, e.g. iatrogenic CJD through growth hormone (HgH). Current known forms of CJD are sub-typed as sporadic (spontaneous), familial (genetic), new variant and iatrogenic (acquired by accidental medical introduction). Documentation of the transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease through blood products and other similar tissues is very limited. Currently, there are no cases found in the literature reflecting the onset of the disease via immune gamma globulin (IgG) treatment. One major reason for this may be due to the fact that even if the disease is transmitted, the incubation period may span beyond an individual’s lifespan. Therefore, the individual will die incubating the disease, never entering the clinical phase. Each of the different categories of the disease presents various clinical and neuropathological symptoms and patterns at onset and throughout the course of the disease. The prion strain, codon 129 and method of infectivity (exposure) are contributing factors in the incubation period and clinical presentation of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Prion strains present various protein sizes which are currently described as type I-IV. Each type is associated with a specific subtype of the disease, e.g. type I and II are associated with sporadic 2006-04-16T04:29:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Creutzfeldt-Jakob-Disease-Identification-and-Treatment-28718.aspx Asthma is a disorder that affects 20% of Australians in their childhood. It causes airways to narrow making it difficult to breathe. Symptoms may include loss of breathe in cold weather, wheezing and whistling. It may occur periodically in sudden sharp attacks. When an attack occurs - The muscles around the wind pipe tighten shrinking the airways. The wind pipe lining then swells (picture) and a mucus called phlegm develops causing the cough to intensify and slightly more painful. What are the Causes and Triggers for asthma ? Attacks of Asthma occur due to a blockage in the bronchial tubes. This blockage results from a spasm that narrows the windpipe causing breathing difficulty for the sufferer. Asthma Triggers are things that make Asthma worse. Usual triggers are - Respiratory infections eg. Colds, flu, sore throats and bronchitis Allergic reactions sometimes cause Asthma eg. Pollen, foods, dust, animal fur or some seed. Air irritants (similar to Allergic reactions) eg. Cigarette smoke, gases or dust. Excessive/strenuous exercise can cause an Asthma attack. Emotional Stress can also trigger an Asthma attack. Symptoms of Asthma Symptoms include wheezing from the chest or a slight whistling is heard when inhaling. It's even louder when exhaling. Tightness of the chest, lung and lung area are closely associated with Asthma. Treatment for asthma There is no cure for Asthma but there are steps that doctors take to help relieve the symptoms of Asthma. As a first step doctors try to remove or get the patient to avoid Asthma triggers such as "animal dander" (eg. Fur or hairs). These are very likely to trigger an Asthma attack. Places where animals dwell are advised to be kept clear of for a sufferer. Since it is impossible to remove or avoid all triggers there are medications that can be taken. Such as - - Anti - Inflammatory Drugs : these reduce swelling of the windpipe and it's lining. Oral Steroids - prednisone and prednisolone quickly reduce inflammation during an attack. Inhaled medicines - such as cromoyln sodium and inhaled corticosteroids keep inflammation from flaring up. - Bronchodilators : relax the muscles which have tightened around the windpipe. Adrenergic bronchodilators ("Beta 2 agonists") provide temporary relief but do not treat inflammation. These are available as an Inhaler or a tablet form. Unfortunately the tablets are slower and have a few side affects. Theophylline is available in a liquid, capsule or tablet 2006-04-15T22:21:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Symptoms-of-Asthma-Essay-28711.aspx Osteoarthritis is a degenerative arthritis, a condition in which joint cartilage degenerates or breaks down. New tissue, which grows at the ends of bones, now has no cartilage cap to control it. Instead, this new bone forms into strange lips and spurs that grind and grate and get in the way of movement of the joint. Osteoarthritis is common in older people after years of wear-and-tear that thin the cartilage and the bones. Osteoarthritis can also result from diseases in which there is softening of the bone, like Paget's disease in which the long bones of the body curve like a bow, or osteoporosis with its bowing of the shoulder called "dowager's hump," or other bone degeneration. Other forms of arthritis can also cause a secondary osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is not an inevitable problem of aging. Those who don't suffer from it may have their heredity and possibly the strength of their immune systems to thank. Medical science is not quite sure of all the factors that come into play in deciding who gets osteoarthritis and who doesn't. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory arthritis. It is second only to osteoarthritis in the number of its victims. It affects primarily the small joints in the hands and feet and the synovium, causing crippling deformities. This is an arthritis that usually starts in middle age or earlier. Estimates of the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis run as high as one person in every hundred, and females are two to three times as likely to suffer from it. It seems to start more in the winter and after some siege of sickness, but it is not considered an infective arthritis. Nobody knows what causes rheumatoid arthritis. There may be some hereditary trait, and there seems to be some connection to viral infections like German measles and serum hepatitis, the liver disease brought on by an injection of one kind or another. Because of this, scientists theorize that rheumatoid arthritis may be an autoimmune disease, one in which the body acts as though it were allergic to itself. The immune system gets mixed up and attacks normal joint tissue instead of the stuff it is supposed to attack. Polyarteritis Nodosa is also an inflammatory arthritis, fortunately it is a rare form of arthritis. It can lead to complications that are dangerous to life. It affects four times as many males as females, mostly young adults. There 2006-04-15T05:31:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Osteoarthritis-Disease-Summary-28709.aspx Anthrax (Bacillus Anthracis) Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis) is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium. The most common victims of anthrax are warm-blooded animals, but it can also infect humans. Anthrax spores can be produced in a powdery form for biological warfare. When inhaled by humans, these particles cause respiratory failure and death within a week. Because anthrax is considered to be a potential agent for use in biological warfare, the Department of Defense (DOD), in 1998, announced it would begin a systematic vaccination of all U.S. military personnel. (DOD, 1998) Anthrax infection occurs in three forms: cutaneous (skin), inhalation, and gastrointestinal. B. anthracis spores can survive in the soil for many years and handling animal products from infected animals or inhaling anthrax spores from contaminated animal products can cause humans to become infected. Anthrax can also be spread by eating undercooked meat from infected animals. Anthrax is diagnosed by isolating B. anthracis from the blood, skin lesions, or respiratory secretions or by measuring specific antibodies in the blood of suspected cases. (Dire, 2001) Demographics Anthrax is most common in the agricultural regions where it occurs in animals, such as South and Central America, Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. When anthrax affects humans, it is usually because of occupational exposure to infected animals or their products. Workers who are exposed to dead animals and animal products from other countries where anthrax is more common may become infected with B. anthracis. Anthrax in animals rarely occurs in the United States. Most reports of animal infection are received from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Dakota. Symptoms of disease vary depending on how the disease was contracted, but symptoms usually occur within seven days. (Dire, 2001) Types of Anthrax Cutaneous: Most anthrax infections occur when the bacterium enters a cut or abrasion on the skin, such as when handling contaminated wool, hides, leather or hair products (especially goat hair) of infected animals. Skin infection begins as a raised itchy bump that resembles an insect bite but within 1-2 days develops into a vesicle and then a painless ulcer, usually 1-3 cm in diameter, with a black necrotic area in the center. Lymph glands in the adjacent area may swell. About 20% of untreated cases of cutaneous anthrax will result in death. Deaths are rare with appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Inhalation: Initial symptoms may resemble a common 2006-04-15T05:02:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Anthrax-Bacillus-Anthracis-28706.aspx Beyond Orgasmatron by: Keesling, Barbara “...We’re walking around with a complete health care system inside our own body.” Keesling does a pretty good job of emphasizing the this idea throughout the entire article. I must admit that from personal experience I do indeed agree with Keesling in that sex is great for the mind and body, as well as the fact that it could even be used as therapy for menstrual problems. She also makes a point of stating that “...sex also creates an emotional and physical bond that is essential...”. I agree, because it is also my experience and belief that although sex is not the entire relationship, it surely makes up about 80% of it, and if there is an inability to be open about one’s sexual life with thier partner, then one will never be able to attain a health tight bond with their other half. In this article, Keesling also states that orgasms differ between both individuals of the same sex or of opposing genders. For instance, she believes that once each individual has gained a ful and thorough understanding of their own particular “physical and psychological intensity” they will each be able to reach untamable levels of excitement that they would have never before thought possible. or example, “when males reach orgasm they quickly ejaculate, ” when females reach orgasm some realize it and some just do not. Studies have shown that women could experience up to three different types of orgasm at a time but they each involve the stimulation of the clitoris which intern make the PC muscles spas out (concluded by Masters and Johnson). Keesling, if very prompt to establish that the female orgasm is controversial, but needless to say, so is that of the male orgasm. She also goes on to say, that after extensive studies in sex laboratories, it was also discovered that like males, females also ejaculate but it is often too little to be acknowledged. This idea was initially published in The G Spot by Alice Ladas, Hohn Perry and Beverly Whipple. The male orgasm, for years, has been some what of a discrepancy because for a long time, Keesling says that the average man was believed to be incapable of obtaining multiple orgasms. Believe it or not, these ideas are past on through generations and the mind is so powerful, that even if they are capable, if 2006-04-15T04:46:15-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Beyond-Orgasmatron--28701.aspx ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE Alzheimer’s disease is relentlessly destroying the brains and lives of our nation’s older adults, robbing them of memory, the ability to reason, and affecting their emotions and behavior. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the brain. The longer we live the greater the risk: one out of every two Americans aged 85 and older and one out of every 10 aged 65 and older are afflicted with the disease. It affects two groups of people: those with the disease and the loved ones who care for them. By the year 2050, an estimated 14 million Americans will be in its grip. (Medina xi, 2) Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive disease of the brain, which is characterized by a gradual loss of memory and other mental functions. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia -- a general term referring to loss of memory and the ability to think, reason, function, and behave appropriately. (Medina 4) The word dementia is derived from two Latin words, which mean away and mind, respectively. (Goldmann 2) It’s different from the mild forgetfulness normally observed in older people. Over the course of the disease, people with AD no longer recognize themselves or much about the world around them. (Medina 4) Alzheimer’s is marked by abnormal clumps, called senile plaques, and irregular knots, called neurofibrillary tangles, of brain cells. The plaque is an accumulation of an abnormal protein, amyloid. One theory regarding the cause of Alzheimer’s disease suggests that this plaque forms because the processes that normally operate to clear away this protein have become defective. Neurofibillary tangles are skeins of another abnormal protein, but the tangle is found inside the nerve cells. The reason why the tangles develop is not known, but the normal processing of protein by the cell seems to be disrupted. These tangles choke the nerve cells and prevent them for working properly. For reasons not well understood, these plaques and tangles take over healthy brain tissue, which devastates the areas of the brain associated with intellectual function. (Goldmann 6) There are a number of behaviors which may signal that a person might be in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Here is a list of warning signs: (1) difficulty with familiar tasks, (2) slipping job performance, (3) language difficulties, (4) confusion of place and time, (5) lack of judgment, (6) problems in abstract thinking, (7) misplacing objects, 2006-04-15T04:44:44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Alzheimer-s-Disease-28700.aspx Alternative Medicine Throughout recorded history, people of various cultures have relied on what Western medical practitioners today call alternative medicine. The term alternative medicine covers a broad range of healing philosophies, approaches, and therapies. It generally describes those treatments and health care practices that are outside mainstream Western health care. People use these treatments and therapies in a variety of ways. Alternative therapies used alone are often referred to as alternative; when used in combination with other alternative therapies, or in addition to conventional therapies they are referred to as complementary. Some therapies are far outside the realm of accepted Western medical theory and practice, but some, like chiropractic treatments, are now established in mainstream medicine. Worldwide, only an estimated ten to thirty percent of human health care is delivered by conventional, biomedically oriented practitioners ("Fields of Practice"). The remaining seventy to ninety percent ranges from self-care according to folk principles, to care given in an organized health care system based on alternative therapies ("Fields of Practice"). Many cultures have folk medicine traditions that include the use of plants and plant products. In ancient cultures, people methodically collected information on herbs and developed well-defined herbal pharmacopoeias. Indeed, well into the twentieth century much of the pharmacology of scientific medicine was derived from the herbal lore of native peoples. Many drugs commonly used today are of herbal origin: one-quarter of the prescription drugs dispensed by community pharmacies in the United States contain at least one active ingredient derived from plant material ("Fields of Practice"). Twenty years ago, few physicians would have advised patients to take folic acid to prevent birth defects, vitamin E to promote a healthy heart, or vitamin C to bolster their immune systems. Yet today, doctor and patient alike know of the lifesaving benefits of these vitamins. Twenty years ago, acupuncture, guided imagery, and therapeutic touch were considered outright quackery. Now, however, in clinics and hospitals around the country, non-traditional therapies are gaining wider acceptance as testimonials and studies report success using them to treat such chronic maladies as back pain and arthritis. The number of people availing themselves of these alternative therapies is staggering. In 1991 about twenty-one million Americans made four hundred and twenty-five million visits to practitioners of these types of alternative medicine; more than the estimated three hundred and eighty-eight million visits made to general practitioners that year (Apostolides). The U.S. Department of Education 2006-04-15T04:39:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Alternative-Medicine-Good-Read-28698.aspx COMPLIMENTARY and 2006-04-15T04:26:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Complimentary-and-Aletrnative-Medicine-28697.aspx Cholera, Scientific Overview Alternative names Return to top Polio; Infantile paralysis Definition Return to top Poliomyelitis is a disorder caused by a viral infection (poliovirus) that can affect the whole body, including muscles and nerves. Severe cases may cause permanent paralysis or death. Causes, incidence, and risk factors Return to top Poliomyelitis is a communicable disease caused by infection with the poliovirus. Transmission of the virus occurs by direct person-to-person contact, by contact with infected secretions from the nose or mouth, or by contact with infected feces. The virus enters through the mouth and nose, multiplies in the throat and intestinal tract, and then is absorbed and spread through the blood and lymph system. Incubation (the time from being infected with the virus to developing symtoms of disease) ranges from 5 to 35 days (average 7 to 14 days). Risks include: • lack of immunization against polio • travel to an area that has experienced a polio outbreak • pregnancy; very old or very young age • trauma to the mouth/nose/throat, such as recent tonsillectomy or dental surgery • unusual stress or physical exertion after an exposure to poliovirus (emotional and physical stress can weaken the immune system) Polio occurs worldwide. However, no cases of polio have been reported in the United States in recent years. (The last case of non-vaccine related polio acquired in the United States was in 1979.) There have been very few cases in the Western hemisphere. It once affected mostly infants and children, but now is mostly seen in people over 15 years old. It is more common in the summer and fall. Adults and young girls are more likely to be infected, but infection in young boys is more likely to result in paralysis. Between 1840 and the 1950s, polio was a worldwide epidemic. Since the development of polio vaccines, the incidence is much reduced. Outbreaks still occur, usually in non-immunized groups. Symptoms Return to top There are three basic patterns of polio infection: subclinical infections, nonparalytic, and paralytic. Approximately 95% of these are subclinical infections, which may go unnoticed. Clinical poliomyelitis affects the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and is divided into nonparalytic and paralytic forms. It may occur after recovery from a subclinical infection. SUBCLINICAL INFECTION • no symptoms, or symptoms lasting 72 hours or less • slight fever • headache • general discomfort or uneasiness (malaise) • sore throat • red throat • vomiting NONPARALYTIC POLIOMYELITIS • symptoms last 1 to 2 2006-03-28T09:41:15-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cholera,-Scientific-Overview-28622.aspx Smallpox Why has the threat of smallpox recently come up in the media? With the occurrences of anthrax in the United States the subject of biological warfare has been ignited. Adding to the threat of smallpox, secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Tompson proposed a contract to congress that would equip the defense department with three million vaccines to the smallpox virus. In this contract four large pharmaceutical companies would receive 500 million dollars to have these vaccines prepared before the end of 2002. With such high nation defense representatives moving for such actions the possibility of biological warfare utilizing smallpox seems to be closer than ever. What is smallpox and what does it do? Smallpox is a virulent infection that was considered to be eliminated form the world in 1977. Smallpox’s were highly contagious and were deadly for one and three victims. Upon exposure symptoms include high fever, fatigue, and head and back aches. Rashes then breakout on the face, legs, and arms. Red lesions then arise becoming pus-filled in the fallowing week. Smallpox is highly contagious within the first week of exposure and can be transmitted through Silvia conduction and face-to-face contact. Where as anthrax cannot be transmitted form person to person, smallpox can which presents a great possibility of an epidemic if introduced into the American population. Smallpox is believed to be the longest lived human pathogen with a history dating back 2000 years. The Spaniards brought smallpox to the states in the 1700’s were it then killed off ninety percent of the American Indians with in 100 years. Smallpox as a new threat? To date no cure has been found for smallpox and the use of smallpox vaccinations as a pre smallpox treatment was discontinued almost 25 years ago. Without a cure to the possible outbreak smallpox is a great threat if not controlled to a certain extent. If smallpox were to enter the U.S. it would be vital to use aggressive containment in stopping it from spreading further and quick response to ensure safety form an outbreak. Within the last twenty years the United States and the Soviet Union were the only countries allowed by the International Biological Study Center to study smallpox and control sample infections. Due to the fall of the Soviet Union it is believed that some of these warfare-based smallpox have fallen 2006-01-07T07:32:25-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Smallpox--28412.aspx Benecol Case Study In this case analysis I will address issues facing the Raisio group’s potential threats and opportunities. I will also include suggestive actions I believe to be the best for the firm. Raisio’s new product Benecol margarine is a functional food product which helps lower the LDL-cholesterol value of humans by approximately fifteen percent. This health argument is the main feature of the product. Raiso was under pressure from competitors, and needed to penetrate the market quickly. Introducing Benecol as a food would be a lengthy process. This led to the introduction of Benecol as a dietary supplement. The FDA was a threat to Raisio, stating the product was a food and not a dietary supplement. The U.S Food and Drug Administration regulate their name: food and drugs. They do not, however, deal with dietary supplements. Raisio cleverly devised a marketing plan around the FDA, by calling it a dietary supplement. It looks and tastes like margarine; but it is not food, it is a supplement. The FDA obviously disagrees with this form of thinking. The new margarine is controversial, not because of health concerns but because of the way it is being marketed. I believe the reason for the delay of Benecol is based on poor marketing decisions and strategy. To succeed, this product would have required a major change in the behavior of consumers. Benecol, a product to lower cholesterol, required eating a large quantity of margarine to benefit from the active ingredient. This was a behavioral change that should not have been expected realistically from US consumers trying to lower high cholesterol. These are the same consumers who have been conditioned to lower their consumption of margarine. The science behind the benefit of Benecol’s active ingredient had been proven in Finland, which had a higher usage of margarine compared to the US. The marketers of Benecol not only missed this essential flaw, but also they priced the product at an expensive level, which ignored the typical US consumer practice of choosing margarine based on price. These marketing mistakes led to a delay in what could have been a very lucrative market. In my opinion the Raisio group needs to focus on the food additive path. They also need to establish approval 2006-01-06T06:47:02-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Benecol-Case-Study--28404.aspx Ritalin Ritalin is a drug that many of us have probably heard of. It is a drug prescribed to students with ADHD. Is a drug whose use is very beneficial for our children, or is it a drug that should be cautiously prescribed and saved for only the worse ADHD? I feel that people should use more caution in the prescription of Ritalin. The term ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Its characteristics are people whose minds are often wondering, focusing on many different things at once. ADHD affects children as well as adults, but is far more common in boys than girls. The impairment ADHD has been increasingly diagnosed in resent years. It seems that everyone knows a person with the impairment. I feel that a lot of these diagnosis are simply because everyone has heard of the impairment. It is as if many people have suddenly decided what years ago was just a rowdy kid is now a kid with a neurological impairment. ADHD has now become the number one psychiatric disorder among Americas children. Experts believe 2 million children have the disorder. The drug Ritalin is a drug that calm the agitated by stimulating the brain. It helps students and adults to keep his/her concentration and keep the brain on task. It is often used as a quick fix in the attempt to control ADHD. In schools across America Ritalin is being taken more and more often to allow students with ADHD to focus on class and to help them keep their hyperactivity under control. To diagnose ADHD a student must be examined by a physician. In the past ten years the times Ritalin has been prescribed to students is up five fold. Many times Ritalin is suggested by a schoolteacher or counselor who causes the doctor to be pressured into prescribing it. This is not good. A drug as strong as Ritalin should not be prescribed simply because the doctor feels pressure to prescribe it because it is the “in” drug. Today 1.3 million children take a drug that is considered a Schedule II controlled substance, in the same class as cocaine and methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Agency would like for the drug to be prescribed less and maybe even have the restrictions increased. But the parents groups, the ones who should be the most cautious about give their children drugs of any kind, would like 2006-01-03T07:16:46-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ritalin--28390.aspx Euthanasia After talks with her husband, sons, minister, and local doctors; Janet Adkins decided she didn¹t want to undergo the sustained mental deterioration that Alzheimer¹s Disease caused (Uhlman 111). She began to realize she had the disease when she started forgetting songs and failed to recognize notes as she played the piano (Filene 188). ³She read in Newsweek about Dr. Jack Kevorkian and his ŒMercitron¹ machine, then saw him on the ŒDonahue¹ Television show² (Filene 188). With her husband¹s consent but objections by sons and doctors, she telephoned him to arrange to kill herself (Filene 188). She still had a life expectancy of at least ten years with the illness, but she wished to die. She wanted to die before the disease robbed her of her competence (Larson 229). Kevorkian later killed Adkins and faced the consequences boldly (Hendin, ³Suicide in America² 247). The background, process, and effects of Dr. Kevorkian¹s questionable first patient, Janet Adkins, have a very detailed story in them. Janet Adkins led a very productive life up to and even after she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer¹s, but she couldn¹t handle losing control of her brain (Filene 188). She was 54 years old and lived in a wealthy Oregon suburb with her stock broker husband, Ron. She was also the mother of three sons, taught English and piano, went hang gliding, trekked in Nepal, climbed Mount Hood, and generally behaved with a lot of energy (Gutmann 20). She and her husband were longtime Hemlock society members, which advocates Euthanasia in some cases (Betzold 22). ³Doctors at a Portland hospital told her that eventually she would be dependent on her husband for feeding and bathing² (Gutmann 21). She did not want to take her own life in case she messed it up, and her own doctors wouldn¹t help her (Hendin , ³Seduced by Death² 132). Though she was still able to carry on clear conversations and demolish her son at tennis; her husband explained that if she was going to go, she¹d probably want to go to soon rather than to late (Gutmann 21). After hearing about Kevorkian, Ron Adkins contacted him to employ his services (Wolfson 56). Her husband complained to Dr. Kevorkian that he had to 2006-01-01T21:12:36-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Euthanasia--28365.aspx Diabetes Treatment Introduction Type 1 Diabetes mellitus, formerly known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is a disease that is defied as a metabolism disorder. It affects about 5-10% of the diabetic population estimating to about 4.9 people worldwide. In this type of diabetes, the onset of elevated blood sugar levels usually begin abruptly in a fairly dramatic way before the age of 30 and about half of all the cases appear during childhood. The cause of diabetes type 1 is an autoimmune destruction in which the immune system produces antibodies that attack the pancreatic £]-cells. Insulin in the body that serves to suppress glucose production in the liver and its release from storage depots into the bloodstream. Without insulin, glucose in the blood remains virtually useless and the bodies cells are deprived of fuel, despite an increase in blood sugar levels (Alterman, 2000). The only possible type of treatment of Type 1 diabetes up until recently is taking daily insulin injections while constantly monitoring one¡¦s blood sugar level. The only permanent cure available for it is cell replacement therapy (Assady et. al., 2000). However, the lack of suitable donors opposed a major problem in accomplishing it. It wasn¡¦t until after the discovery of methods to isolate and grow human embryonic stem cells in 1998 by Professor James A. Thomson from the Univ. of Wisconsin that a feasible method came into view. Embryonic stem cells are derived from the inner cells mass of one of the earliest stages in the development of the embryo, the stage when it is a blastocyst. Blastocysts have the potential to self-replicate and is pluripotent (can give rise to cells derived to form all three germ layers), thus being able to differentiate into insulin producing pancreatic cells. Since type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, the use of stem cells to restore those destroyed cells would be reasonable. The embryonic stem cells of working pancreatic islets cells are extracted from a rodent (due to controversial issues dealing with the use of human embryonic stem cells) and cultured on mediums until they differentiate. They are then implanted into a person or another rodent with diabetes so that they would function in-vivo to process the glucose like an actual pancreatic islet cell would. Two Different Approaches to Stem Cell Differentiation In order to successfully differentiate stem cells to replicate normal insulin 2006-01-01T00:39:04-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Diabetes-Treatment--28347.aspx Lead Poisoning Lead poisoning is one of the most common environmental child health problems in the United States and is caused by too much lead in the body. Lead is especially harmful to children younger than 6, but anyone who eats, drinks or breathes something which has too much lead can get lead poisoning. Large amounts of lead in a child's blood can cause brain damage, mental retardation, behavior problems, anemia, liver and kidney damage, hearing loss, hyperactivity, developmental delays, other physical and mental problems, and in extreme cases, death. Where does lead come from? Lead in paint- About 75 percent of houses and apartments built before 1978 in the United States contain lead paint. Houses built before 1960 may contain old lead paint with concentrations up to 50 percent lead by weight. Lead in dust- Window sills and window wells often have high levels of lead dust. In addition to lead dust from paint, lead dust also comes from soil and airborne emissions, such as incinerators, smelters and other industries. Many children are poisoned by lead dust brought home by their parents from the workplace- millions of people are exposed to lead in their jobs. Lead in soil- Outside, in public playgrounds and in their own yards, the dirt where children play may contain high lead levels. Decades of peeling exterior building paint, air emissions from leaded car exhaust and pollution from smelters and other industries are significant sources. The highest levels of lead in soil usually are found close to foundations of homes painted with exterior leaded paint. Lead in water- The Environmental Protection Agency estimates drinking water from old lead pipes and service lines in city systems and from home plumbing. Even after lead pipes were banned, leaded solder was legal for use on drinking water lines until the 1980s and is still for sale in hardware stores. Faucets and plumbing fittings may legally contain up to 8 percent lead. The greatest risk is to infants using formula mixed with contaminated water. Other lead sources- Lead can leach into food or beverages stored in imported ceramics or pottery and leaded crystal and china. Certain hobbies use products with lead in them (fishing sinkers, stained glass, ceramics.) Why is there concern about low lead levels in children? Even small amounts of lead can harm a child's brain, kidneys and stomach. Lead poisoning can slow 2005-12-31T06:18:42-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Informative-Essay-on-Lead-Poisoning-28340.aspx ADD [Hyperactivity Disorder] Many people remembered that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder was once called hyperkinesis or minimal brain dysfunction. This disorder is one of the most common mental disorders among children. Seen through a child eyes with ADHD is like a fast-moving kaleidoscope, where sounds, images and thoughts are constantly turning. Every person has experienced some of these symptoms once in their life. Just not everyday all day like a person with ADHD. This does not only affect the person with the disorder but the people around them. Whether it is your mom and dad, teacher, friends, or siblings. They need to understand that ADHD is a real disability that effects all aspects of a person’s life. “Additionally, there are now brain studies that show that when someone with ADHD is told to “just try harder” and does, the result can be anxiety and a brain that actually starts to shut down it’s primary executive functions (Booth).” For a while now scientists have come up with many different theories about ADHD. Some theories have ended up short and some have opened up new and exciting doors of investigation. One theory was that anyone with ADHD has had some minor head injuries or undetectable damage to the brain. For a long time this disorder was called “minimal brain damage” or “minimal brain dysfunction.” But as researchers found out that only certain types of head injuries can explain some cases of attention disorder. In knowing that the theory was excluded. Because children with ADHD often struggle in their schoolwork, peer relations, and ability to follow rules at home and at school, it is reasonable to hypothesize that their feelings of capability suffer as a result. Thus, the self-image of children with ADHD were lower than those of other children with regards to their feelings about their behavior, their ability to get along with others, and their ability to succeed in school. The parents need to pay attention to the feelings that a child with ADHD has about him or herself. In many instances, particularly when parents are struggling to manage their child's difficult behavior, it can be easy to lose sight of the effects that ADHD can have on some children's self-esteem. When one considers how much negative feedback a child with ADHD may contend with on 2005-12-30T19:16:18-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/ADD-Hyperactivity-Disorder-28325.aspx Cancer Oral Presentation Good afternoon residents of Balle Cara – ladies and gentlemen, I’d like you all now to take a moment, clear your minds of any distracting thoughts and see if you can picture this scenario as I describe it. Consider this – You wake up one fine summer’s morning, as you would usually do. Today however, you’re feeling ever so mildly ill. Almost immediately you realise that cause of this, you’re red with sunburn. For most of the previous day you spent enjoying yourself in the sun and did not make much of an effort to protect yourself with sun cream or a hat. So you’re are suffering from a mild sun sickness. So you decide to have a shower to freshen yourself up for the day ahead. The cool water pouring all over in the shower allows you to detect something else out of the ordinary. There’s a funny, sore feeling emitting from the far side of your left arm. So you decide to inspect the case of this ache. It’s one of your moles. A previously tiny little thing that you’ve had since you were a child. However it has gone through some significant changes since you last inspected it. It’s gone from the small well rounded little thing to a giant, crooked shaped horrible black thing, something that looks like this (show ref.1) really hot and bumpy to touch. You don’t realise it yet, but your once friendly little mole has turned into a fully-grown melanoma, a horrible type of skin cancer. One big enough to cause you some serious harm and even eventually kill you if it’s not removed immediately. (pause) Ok that’s enough pretending for now. Your probably thinking, this could never happen to me, I don’t have many moles, and the ones I do have are well under control. Well I’m here to tell you today, ladies and gentlemen that even though you might think that was a pretty extreme scenario, something similar to that is very much a reality for many thousands of Australians today, and countless others around the world. Now melanoma isn’t the only type of cancer that can seriously harm you, all cancers can, cancers like Lymphoma, stomach cancer, cancer of the pancreas, cancer of the immune system and of course there’s the very common lung cancer. Now thousands upon thousands of people die per year in Australia alone from one sort of cancer or another and 2005-12-30T05:06:34-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cancer-Oral-Presentation-28307.aspx Mescaline and Peyote Mescaline comes from the Mexican peyote cactus, which is small, sporeless cactus that grows in the deserts of Mexico and the American Southwest. Whenever the crown is sliced and dried, it forms a hard brownish disc that’s known as a button. The buttons are chewed for its hallucegenic properties. The Indians first chewed them in the sixteenth century for religious and spiritual purposes, but when Spaniards reached the New World they outlawed peyotism which they thought had something to do with witchcraft or cannibalism. But peyote was still being used, like in Mexico during the Civil War. It spreaded north on a far scale. Even though eleven states wanted to ban religious use of peyote, federal courts affirmed the right to sacramental use by Native Americans. Then in 1990 they affirmed the right of ritual peyote use. Peyote users feel that the drug improves their ability to experience the truth, but when the effects wear off by time it doesn’t seem as mind-boggling. Peyote is believed to give special powers of insight and healing, plus it is believed to make you see the future. Mescaline is one of fifty psychoactive ingredients in peyote. It was first isolated from peyote in 1896 and was named after Mescalero Apaches. It was used as a widely experimental treatment for disorders such as alcoholism or psychosis. Mescaline makes your food temperature rise, increases your heart rate and dilates your pupils. Mescaline also effects your concentration too, and you don’t fully recover until about twelve hours. Neither mescaline nor peyote is addicting. It does produce a tolerance though. As both peyote and mescaline have grown users have always faces two dangers which are sudden panic attacks and feelings of intense fear or losing control of your self. It was one of the earliest psychedelic drugs to become popular in the twentieth century. The effect’s are very similar to LSD, but has less change in thoughts and mood. It’s also said to leave ones self intact. Like LSD it’s supposed to give colorful intense visual effects and complicates geometrical nature, but when mind disassociates with reality the only way to treat sometimes is by talking. That is similar to what happens people have bad trips with LSD. The only way to make one feel better 2005-12-29T07:34:37-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mescaline-and-Peyote--28298.aspx Breast Cancer Treatment In the United States women each year develop breast cancer. Although these statistics are alarming, there are a number of treatment options available for those that are diagnosed with breast cancer. The best way to treat any disease is to prevent it. Since little is known about breast cancer, there are no established rules for prevention. women age twenty and older perform monthly breast self-exams, and it also suggests clinical examinations every three years. Mammography is also a wonderful tool for detecting tumors; however, there is conflicting data on when and how often women should have mammograms. It is known that mammography is the best way to determine if a palpable lump is actually cancerous or not. Treatment methods for breast cancer can be lumped in two major categories local or systemic. Local treatments are used to destroy or control the cancer cells in a specific area of the body. Surgery and radiation therapy are considered local treatments. Systemic treatments are used to destroy or control cancer cells anywhere in the body. Chemotherapy and hormonal therapy are considered systemic treatments. Surgery is the most common treatment for breast cancer. Although there are many different types of breast cancer surgery, they all fit into a few basic categories. An operation that aims to remove most or the entire breast is called a mastectomy. If at all possible, doctors shy away from mastectomies due to the side effects, which include loss of strength in the closest arm, swelling of the arm, and limitation of shoulder movement. If a mastectomy must be performed, the physician will often suggest post surgical reconstruction of the breast. Another type of breast cancer surgery is called breast-sparing surgery. This category would include lumpectomies and segmental mastectomies. In this situation, doctors remove only the tumor and make an attempt at sparing the rest of the breast tissue. These procedures are often followed by radiation therapy to destroy any cancer cells that may remain in the area. In most cases, the surgeon also removes lymph nodes under the arm to help determine whether cancer cells have entered the lymphatic system. However, radiation therapy is another common treatment for breast cancer. Radiation involves the use of high-energy x-rays to damage cancer cells and retard further growth. The radiation may come from a radioactive source outside the 2005-12-04T01:40:07-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Breast-Cancer-Treatment--28158.aspx Prosthetics Prosthetics first began as wooden and leather cups and simple crutches. This eventually developed into a peg which freed the hands for everyday functions. A peg leg held cloth rags to allow a wide range of motion. Since the birth of the great civilization Rome came a development in medicine and helped in the scientific field of Prosthetics. During the Second Punic War (218 to 210B.C.) Pliny the elder wrote about Marcus Sergius a general who had major injuries and had a right arm amputation. An iron hand was made and attached to hold his shield in place during the battle. During the Dark Ages their was little 2005-11-23T21:02:48-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Essay-on-Prosthetics-28120.aspx Klinefelter And Turner Syndrome In 1942, Dr. Harry Klinefelter and his coworkers at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston published a report about nine men who had enlarged breasts, sparse facial and body hair, small testes, and an inability to produce sperm. By the late 1950s, researchers discovered that men with Klinefelter syndrome, as this group of symptoms came to be called, had an extra sex chromosome, XXY instead of the usual male arrangement, XY. In the early 1970s, researchers around the world sought to identify males having the extra chromosome by screening large numbers of newborn babies. One of the largest of these studies, sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), checked the chromosomes of more than 40,000 infants. Based on these studies, the XXY chromosome arrangement appears to be one of the most common genetic abnormalities known, occurring as frequently as 1 in 500 to 1 in 1,000 male births. Although the syndrome's cause, an extra sex chromosome, is widespread, the syndrome itself-the set of symptoms and characteristics that may result from having the extra chromosome-is uncommon. Many men live out their lives without ever even suspecting that they have an additional chromosome. No one knows what puts a couple at risk for conceiving an XXY child. Advanced maternal age increases the risk for the XXY chromosome count, but only slightly. Furthermore, recent studies conducted by NICHD grantee Terry Hassold, a geneticist at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, show that half the time, the extra chromosome comes from the father. Dr. Hassold explained that cells destined to become sperm or eggs undergo a process known as meiosis. In this process, the 46 chromosomes in the cell separate, ultimately producing two new cells having 23 chromosomes each. Before meiosis is completed, however, chromosomes pair with their corresponding chromosomes and exchange bits of genetic material. In women, X-chromosomes pair; in men, the X and Y chromosome pair. After the exchange, the chromosomes separate, and meiosis continues. In some cases, the Xs or the X chromosome and Y chromosome fail to pair and fail to exchange genetic material. Occasionally, this results in their moving independently to the same cell, producing either an egg with two Xs, or a sperm having both an X and a Y chromosome. When a sperm having both an X and an Y chromosome fertilizes an egg having a single X 2005-09-14T01:00:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Klinefelter-And-Turner-Syndrome-27980.aspx Lorazepam Lorazepam is in the class of drugs called benzpdiazepines. Lorazepam is a sedative anxiolytic medication. It is noted for the management of anxiety disorders and for the short-term relief of the symptoms of anxiety or anxiety associated with depressive symptoms. Like most other benzodiazepines, patients using lorazepam can develop a tolerance to it. In other words, patients will have to use more and more in order to get the desired effect of the medication. As a tolerance to lorazepam builds, a sort of dependence is created. All patients who will begin using lorazepam as a drug therapy should be informed by their doctor of its dependence producing effect. It would also be wise for the patient to never increase their dosage without consulting their doctor, or to abruptly discontinue the medication. Since the habit-forming potential is very high, there is an increase chance in forming withdrawal symptoms. Some examples of withdrawal symptoms are convulsions, tremors, abdominal and muscle cramps, vomiting and, sweating. Generally milder symptoms such as insomnia have been reported following the abrupt discontinuance. Lorazepam is mainly prescribed for the relief of anxiety disorders. It can also be used to relieve the symptoms of pre-surgery anxiety. Anxiety and tension associated with the stresses of everyday life usually don’t require a treatment with an anxiolytic. Lorazepam can be a very dangerous medication when used with alcohol, opiates, or other prescription medications. Overdose symptoms can range from slight drowsiness all of the way to a coma. In mild cases, symptoms include drowsiness, mental confusion, and lethargy. In more serious cases some symptoms are hypotension, hyptonia, hypnotic states, coma, or very rarely death. Patients should always inform their doctor of any medications that they are on or will soon be taking. Patients should be strongly advised not to use this medication with other CNS depressants. Peak serum concentrations of free lorazepam after oral administration are reached in 1 to 6 hours. Lorazepam is 85% bound to plasma proteins. Lorazepam is rapidly conjugated to an inactive glucuronide. The serum half-life of lorazepam is approximately 12 to 15 hours while the half-life of the conjugate is 16 to 20 hours. Ninety-five percent of the drug was excreted within 120 hours, 88% in the 2005-09-14T00:23:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Lorazepam-Drug-Used-for-Anxiety-Disorders-27969.aspx DOWN SYNDROME Down syndrome, also known as mongolism, is where a person is born with an extra chromosome on the 21st pair, which equals 47 chromosomes. The average person only has 46 chromosomes with 23 pairs. These extra chromosomes trigger a tremendous chain reaction. The extra chromosome, like all other chromosomes, contains genes. These genes produce enzymes, which make metabolites that have nowhere to go, this is where we get the problem. Extra metabolites containing calcium clog up the tissues and blood vessels. They aggregate into larger quantities, causing calcification of the soft tissues, which is always a serious problem. This prevents growth, assimilation of nutrients, and prevents proper elimination of waste products. Now we have reached the end of the chain reaction which all started with one extra chromosome. The chances of a woman giving birth to a baby with Down syndrome increases with age. A woman that is 25 years old has a 1 - 1,250 chance of having a child with Down syndrome. If you are 35 years of age the chances of have a child with this terrible disease increases to 1 - 378 children born and there is a 1- 30 chance of having a baby with this disease if you are at least 45 years old. An estimated 1 in 600 to 800 infants is born with Down syndrome. This is because a woman’s eggs age, this means there is a greater inclination for the chromosomes to divide improperly. There are many complications that come with Down syndrome. Children with Down syndrome have a distinct facial appearance. They usually have a small head, flat face, and upward slanting eyes. Infants born with Down syndrome may be of average size, but typically they grow slowly and remain small. The mortality rate is higher for children with this disease than with other children. Almost half of the children with Down syndrome have congenital heart defects. They also may be at increased risk for development of a variety of problems, including gastrointestinal blockage, respiratory infections, thyroid problems, hearing loss, poor vision, heart problems, or leukemia. Many children with Down syndrome are happy, loving, and easygoing. However, some children develop behavior problems, such as anger, resistance to conformity and unwillingness to obey. One in three people with Down syndrome past 2005-09-05T20:33:04-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Down-Syndrome-aka-Mongolism-27897.aspx Weak Bones - Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a disease that gradually weakens bones, so they become more and more fragile and likely to break (Osteoporosis 2). The disease causes brittleness in the spine, wrists, and hips. Bones become weak because of bone loss. Bone loss is when you are losing some of the material that makes up your bones, which causes a loss of bone density and thickness. Bone density is what makes your bones strong and less likely to break. If not prevented or left untreated, osteoporosis can lead to bone breaks. Broken bones can lead to pain, height loss, deformed backbone, and difficulty moving around. The curve in the backbone, also called “dowager’s hump,” can lead to permanent disability (Osteoporosis 2). There are several factors that can increase your chances of developing osteoporosis. One factor is having a thin or small boned frame. In woman, having menopause before the age of 45 increases their chances. Also advanced age, low calcium diet, and having an inactive lifestyle will all increase your chances of developing osteoporosis. Even cigarette smoking and excessive use of alcohol can increase your risk of the disease. Women are at a higher risk than men in getting osteoporosis. “The decrease in estrogen production that occurs during menopause, in conjunction with generally lighter, thinner bones, are the primary reasons that osteoporosis affects more woman that men” (Stand 7). Eighty percent of women are at risk of getting osteoporosis. Most women do not talk to their physicians about the disease. “A woman’s risk of developing a hip fracture is equal to her combined risk of developing breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer” (Stand 10). There are many ways you can help reduce your chances of osteoporosis. In your home you can minimize the clutter throughout your home. Also, you need to remove all loose wires or cords. Handrails should be installed and remain secure on all staircases. At night, you should use nightlights in the bathroom, kitchen, and stairways. In the kitchen and bathroom, nonskid rugs should be placed to avoid slips and falls (Living). Finally, when driving, seat belts and seats should be adjusted properly. Osteoporosis is a 2005-08-31T21:50:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Osteoporosis-Weak-Bones-27846.aspx Changes In Medicine A) In source A we are looking at a private picture from a 14th century manuscript. First of all we notice that this is a wealthy man being treated because you had to pay for treatment, hospitals were scarce and uncleanly, so he would have been treated in his home. The treatment by two lat sisters (nuns of study); the invalid could have had lay brothers (monks of study) Source A shows the nuns were sought after. The picture describes the types of medical instruments and practises used by women. Firstly the two lay sisters who are treating him are clean, with their hair tied back with one sister holding a sterilised basin. I can tell this as the artist has over exaggerated the basin’s shininess. One sister can read as she has a book of remedies. She must have seen the man and diagnosed his illness, showing her knowledge of symptoms. The sister must also have knowledge of herbs and drugs. In the picture it looks to me as there is one sister with doctrine knowledge, (the one reading), and one with nursing knowledge (the one with the bowl). This shows women had experience of both medical sides in the 14th century. There is not much written about the role of women in that period, but we do know that women were important in local areas. There is also some evidence of a woman doctor in the Middle Ages known as Trotula of Salerno. Not only did Trotula study, she taught medicine in the Salerno University and wrote a book called ‘Diseases of women’. Trotula was not alone. There was a women named Calenda Constanza who was noted in 1423 for lecturing in medicine. This was good, but women doctors tended to come from very eastern European cities where the Renaissance started, like Venice and Rome. Very few women were allowed to study doctrine in England and France. Many women could not read so this was a problem. In the 2005-08-29T04:35:15-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Changes-In-Medicine-27818.aspx Heart Cell Regeneration Italian and American Researchers demonstrated last year that heart muscle cells multiply after a heart attck, and now they have evidence that primitive cells travel to the new heart in a transplant patient and grow new muscle and blood vessels. The evidence comes from male transplant patients that received hearts from women; when male cells were discovered in the donated female hearts. This is the first evidence in humans that human hearts can regenerate. The regeneration is possible through stem cell-like primitive cells, which are master cells that can transform themselves into many types of tissue. The findings can possibly be used in the future to help patients with weak hearts recover. The findings in this article will affect most men and women over 50 years old. This is when there is the greatest risk of heart disease. With the findings in the article, the risk of heart disease could be lowered, and the survival chance of a person that already has heart disease will be much higher. In the future, I may be affected by the findings in this article. The number of people with heart disease has been rising, and it is the leading cause of death in America. With the findings in the article, the chance of dying from heart disease could be lowered drastically, and my generation might not have to worry about heart disease. ";"96";"229";"1013026543";"29913";"13" "monarch1176";"Human Rights";"Human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent. Human rights are what make us human. When we speak of the right to life, or development, or to dissent and diversity, we are speaking of tolerance. Tolerance will ensure all freedoms. Without it, we can be certain of none. The raging ethnic cleansing in Kosovo is an example of intolerance. The Serbians will not tolerate the Albanians at any cost. They are forcing them from their homes, turning the streets into killing fields. This civil war seems unstoppable because of the intolerance of one race against another. No respect for individual rights, basic human rights. Another example is right in our own back yard. I am speaking of hate crimes which plague our society. They are no different today than centuries ago when slavery was allowed. One race against another. One religion against another, it is all the same. Hate is the opposite of tolerance. We can only live together through an expression of tolerance of the differences each of us 2005-08-29T02:14:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Heart-Cell-Regeneration--27808.aspx Tourette's Syndrome Tourette's Syndrome is a disorder in motor skills, movements, and behavior. It is caused by a genetic disturbance that affects the central nervous system. There is a chemical imbalance in the brain. It is just one of many movement or “tic” disorders. It was discovered by Gilles de la Tourette's, which is where the name comes from. When a person has tourette's syndrome, their muscles twitch and they uncontrollably shout out noises or in some cases, obscene words. They just come out. It is found more often in boys, usually between the ages of 2 and 16, and will last for the remainder of their lives It is found more often in Jews and rarely found in blacks. If the person concentrates, they can control their tics for awhile, but then later the tics will erupt violently and they will come all at once. For example, a lawyer with tourette's syndrome may show no tics while he is in court, but when he get home or back to the office, he’ll have a many more tics that are more severe than normal. These involuntary motor tics are very rapid, and sometimes, very different and interesting movements. Facial tics usually begin the attacks in about 80% of the people with the disorder. Vocal tics, like barks, grunts, hisses, and offensive words, only show up in the other 20%. Other tics include the muscles in the face, head, and shoulders, like sniffing, shrugging, blinking, and scowling. When tourette's syndrome is found in girls, behavioral problems are found more often than muscle and facial tics. One of the most common ones is obsessive-compulsive behavior. These symptoms will seem better sometimes, and worse other times. They go back and forth. These symptoms sometimes get worse with age, but many times, the symptoms just fade away as the patient gets older. There are different classifications of tourette’s syndrome. The most common of course is the facial and vocal tics that I’ve mentioned before. Blurting out dirty words is called coprolalia. It is the least common level of tourette’s syndrome, but it is the most well-known one. Echolalia is when the patient repeats what someone else said. Palilalia is repeating words or phrases, and then there is also obsessive-compulsive behavior. All of 2005-08-25T06:43:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Tourette-s-Syndrome-27781.aspx Nuclear Medicine & The Use Of Radioactive Tracers Nuclear medicine is a medical specialty that uses safe, painless, and cost-effective techniques both to image the body and treat disease. It is a way to gather medical information that may otherwise be unavailable, require surgery, or need more expensive diagnostic tests. Nuclear medicine uses very small amounts of radioactive materials or radiopharmaceuticals to diagnose and treat disease. The radiopharmaceuticals used in nuclear medicine emit gamma rays that can be detected externally by special types of cameras. These cameras work in conjunction with computers used to form images that provide data and information about the area of body being imaged. By performing measurements of radiation intensity, Pierre and Marie Curie were able to eliminate non-active fractions and in this way invented the method of radioactive tracers. The discovery of isotopy by Frederic Soddy and Kasimir Fajans 2005-08-25T06:36:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nuclear-Medicine-amp-The-Use-Of-Radioactive-Tracers-27777.aspx Does HIV cause AIDS? The AIDS Controversy "Science is nothing but perception" ---Plato--- In the first part of my discussion on the HIV/AIDS controversy, I discussed some of the reasons some people were unwilling to believe that HIV causes AIDS. I did not focus on the scientific community nor did I explain how the science handles data that conflicts with accepted scientific theory. This essay will explore these themes. It will concentrate on the scientific establishment and how it formulates its theories and the HIV/AIDS controversy within that context. Specifically, it will examine how shifts in current theories happen and how this is relevant to the HIV/AIDS situation. WHAT IS THE HIV/AIDS CONTROVERSY? The HIV/AIDS controversy centers around the premise that in spite of the seemingly overwhelming evidence that HIV causes AIDS, there is an impressive audience of scientists who contend that HIV does not cause AIDS. The grounds these scientists give for refuting HIV's role in AIDS are quite persuasive. These grounds range from innocuous banter to claims that HIV is harmless. In order for a scientific revolution to take place, as will be discussed later, only empirical evidence is acceptable as grounds for change. To determine weather or not enough evidence exists to constitute a controversy, I had to research the role of the HIV virus. In my research I found one article that claims Gallo, the co-founder of the HIV virus, never proves that HIV isolation is possible let alone that it has a specific role in the AIDS virus. It states, "The data and arguments that have been presented by Gallo and his colleagues do not constitute proof of HIV isolation or an unambiguous role for HIV in the pathogenesis of AIDS." (Gallo Article, P. 11) The article further states, " while the HIV antibody tests are useful prognostic markers in the high risk groups, their use as diagnostic and epedemiological tools for HIV infection is questionable." (Gallo Article, P. 11) This is important, because if isolation of HIV is dubious, then all of the research efforts connected with and an AIDS treatment and cure are fruitless. Another important question to ask is if this information is correct, how will the scientific community handle it? Will the community choose to ignore the proof as trivial or will it find some way to explain it so that it can be incorporated into entrenched existing theories? THE SCIENTISTS BEHIND THE CONTROVERSY One 2005-08-18T09:29:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Does-HIV-cause-AIDS-The-AIDS-Controversy-27725.aspx Understanding those Diagnosed with ADHD We are all created equal, albeit unique; and yet, some of us are different from "everybody else". Adults and children come in all shapes and sizes, with many different characteristics and traits, different abilities and inclinations. Some are smarter than others, some are quick, some are slow, some are left behind. At the age of 5 or 6 children begin their long journey in the world of education. They are taught how to read and write, how to AD/HD, subtract and multiply, some history, grammar, literature and geography and many other things. Children are required to sit still in class, be quiet and attentive, do all their homework, succeed. Most children go to first grade, not all of them graduate from high school. Some find school a reasonably easy task to tackle, some struggle and sweat throughout school, failing or barely making it. The failure of some children in school is sometimes the outcome of a learning disorder: a 'dysfunction in one or more neuropsychological systems that affect school performance.' (Pennington, 1991, p. xii). Pennington makes a distinction between "school problems" that are entirely due to emotional, motivational, or cultural factors and "learning disabilities"[1] that are a subset of learning disorders and include problems such as dyslexia, developmental language disorders and attention deficit disorder. Attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity (AD/HD)[2] is the centre of this discussion. AD/HD is an inherited developmental disorder characterised by impulsivity, inattention and often motor restlessness or hyperactivity (Mould, 1993). People with AD/HD have difficulties in staying on a task, following through, paying attention, sitting still, controlling impulses, dealing with frustrating situations and remembering details. They tend to procrastinate, fidget, get side-tracked, be late and be forgetful. Like blindness, deafness, Down's syndrome and other impairments, AD/HD has a physiological source, yet, it is often perceived as a psychological problem or as a character deficiency rather than a neurological disability. AD/HD cannot be "cured" but with the help of educational assistance, therapy, behaviour management and medication the individual can learn to cope with AD/HD and to overcome some of its disabling aspects. The limitations of people who have AD/HD are hard to perceive and understand. Their behaviour is often mistaken for stupidity, bad education or a character deficiency such as lack of motivation, laziness or malignancy. In recent years awareness of AD/HD has increased, but it is still not widely known or understood by 2005-08-16T09:14:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Understanding-those-Diagnosed-with-ADHD-27701.aspx AIDS In Africa AIDS in Africa is the single greatest threat to Africa’s efforts to reach its full potential. It has taken the lives of over 15 million Africans, has left over 34.3 million infected, and continues to be the leading cause of death in Africa. AIDS has impacted Africa’s 2005-08-15T00:46:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/AIDS-In-Africa--27646.aspx Crohn's Disease What is Crohn’s Disease? Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines. It primarily causes ulceration’s in the small and large intestines, but can effect the digestive system anywhere between the mouth and the anus. It is named after the physician who examined the disease in a landmark paper written in 1932. It is also called Morbus Crohn’s, Granulomatous enteritis, Regional enteritis, or Terminal ileitis. The disease is found in equal frequency in men and women, and usually effects young patients in their teen s of early twenties. Once the disease begins, it tends to be a chronic, recurrent condition with periods of remission and disease exacerbation. The disease tends to be more common in relatives of patients with Crohn’s disease. What are the symptoms of Crohn’s Disease? The terminal ileum is commonly involved in Crohn’s disease. Since the terminal ileum is located adjacent the appendix, right-sided abdominal pain and tenderness mimicking appendicitis is common. The pain of Crohn’s disease can also be crampy in nature, and may reflect bowel obstruction. Diarrhea is also common. Diarrhea may be a result of a partial bowel obstruction, excessive growth of bacteria in the small bowel, poor absorption of nutrients and bile acids and inflammation of the large intestine. The diarrhea may be bloody and associated with abdominal pain and cramps. Rectal bleeding and bloody diarrhea are common. While massive bleeding (hemorrhage) from Crohn’s ulcer is rare, it can occur. Diseases affecting the anus are common. Up to one third of patients with Crohn’s disease may have diseases involving the anal area. Anal diseases include tears of the anal tissue (fissures), infections (abscesses) adjacent to the anus and draining abnormal passages or tubes (fistulae) between the inside of the anus and the surrounding skin. What causes Crohn’s Disease? The cause of Crohn’s disease is unknown. Some scientists suspect that infection by certain bacteria, such as strains of mycobacterium, may be the cause of Crohn’s disease. To date, there has been no convincing evidence that the disease is caused by infection. Crohn’s disease is not contagious. Although diet may affect the symptoms in patients with Crohn’s disease, it appears unlikely that diet is responsible for the onset of the disease. Currently, Crohn’s disease is believed to be related to abnormalities 2005-08-12T04:16:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Crohn-s-Disease--27597.aspx Sleep deprivation is a sickness that mainly adults deal with, though is still seen in various age groups. I chose this topic because studies show that a healthy individual should get about 8-10 hours of sleep each night. Myself only get 6 to 7 hours at the most. Getting this much sleep can really run me down after a while. I think if I could get more sleep and experience less drowsiness it would help me function better in school. To get help for a sleep deprivation I could go to a psychologist such as Harrison Psychology Associates at 6195 West Quaker Rd. in Orchard Park. They could give me very essential information on how to develop better sleeping patterns, or possibly prescribe a medication such as melatonin, which helps you overcome insomnia (which is sleep deprivation). I could try to stabilize my personal habits by cutting down on caffeine or other stimulants during the day, though caffeine does help me cope with my lack of sleep. I could start an exercise program for myself that would help me cope with my problem by making me more fatigued when my bedtime comes around. If I do not deal with and change my sleeping patterns I could experience various negative consequences such as mood swings or mental blocks. You may also develop stress and anxiety from schoolwork or if you have a job due to your lack of sleep. Because of the stress and anxiety problems I could then develop a form of depression. Sleep walking and nightmares are usually other problems that people who inhibit insomnia experience. To help me surpass my sleeping problems I could try reading at night. Studies have shown that reading at night makes an individual more sleepy before bedtime. I could try to make my sleeping environment a more enjoyable place where I would feel more comfortable sleeping in. I could do that by playing soft music to calm me down and helping me forget my daily frustrations. Or on the weekends I could try to regulate my sleeping pattern by not going to bed really late and then sleeping in to a time unrealistic to my school schedule. Usually on the weekends I wake up around noon so when I have to go to bed Sunday night I can’t fall asleep till really late 2005-08-07T07:11:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Insomnia-Sleep-Deprivation-27577.aspx Canine Parvovirus - Common Dog Virus There are many diseases and viruses that come in conflict with the average dog today. If no precautions are taken to prevent these viruses, chances are the dog is more than likely to contract one. One of the most common among these viruses is called canine parvovirus. “Since the discovery of the canine parvovirus in 1978, the number of dogs infected has increased rapidly and tremendously” (Welch). Canine parvovirus has appeared worldwide making it one of the most common viruses to dogs. It can be transmitted from canine to canine by way of contaminated feces or coming in contact with other bodily fluids of an infected animal. Since the parvovirus can be transmitted outside the animal for many years, this makes it one of the most contagious viruses. Canine parvovirus can survive outside the infected animal from one to two years, if conditions are favorable. Parvoviruses can be carried on shoes, hands, other inanimate objects, and even through dust particles in the air. Canine parvovirus is one of the most common and most contagious viruses in the United States today. The canine parvovirus is not an old virus. It developed around the year 1978. “Canine parvovirus contains similar properties and characteristics of feline parvovirus, a disease found in cats. Feline parvovirus appeared before canine parvovirus, and it is believed that feline parvovirus is a variant of canine parvovirus. Both diseases are similar antigenically, and they both cause epidemic enteritis and myocarditis. Canine parvovirus though very similar biologically to the feline parvovirus, has its own recognizable properties that distinguish it from feline parvovirus” (Breaux). When first discovered the canine parvovirus caused thousands of deaths among both wild and domestic canines. “Canine parvovirus is a type II ssDNA virus. It is also one of the smallest viruses known to man. The canine parvovirus molecules contain palindromic sequences. This simply means the DNA sequence reads the same way forward as backwards. The virus multiplies in the nuclei very rapidly and takes place in infected cells. This virus causes the cell to require the virus to be able to pass through the S-phase (a phase in the cell’s reproduction), which helps the virus to spread quickly” (Breaux). “This virus mainly targets the intestinal track, white blood cells, and sometimes the heart muscle” (American Veterinary Medical Association). Canine parvovirus mainly causes deterioration of tissues causing extreme pain to the canine. 2005-08-04T07:06:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Canine-Parvovirus-Common-Dog-Virus-27550.aspx STD's - Sexually Transmitted Diseases Sexually transmitted diseases, STD's, also known as Venereal diseases, VD, are spread through sexual contact, and the exchange of body fluids. Anyone who is sexually active can contract an STD. Most STD's don't show symptoms, so you can have, spread and even contract an STD without even knowing it. Some STD's are serious and others can have long term consequences. Some of the consequences could be infertility, certain cancers, and other chronic diseases years after initial infection. If symptoms do appear it may take anywhere from two days to a couple of months after initial exposure to appear. Some may take years to show up. One out of every five Americans carry a sexually transmitted disease. More than thirteen million are affected every year. Nearly one-fifth infected are younger than twenty-five years of age. Every year three million American teenagers acquire an STD. Adolescents are at a higher risk because they may have multiple partners, unprotected intercourse, and their partners are at higher risk. You would be at a higher risk of acquiring an STD if: you or your partner have had unprotected sex with someone, if you or your partner has had sex with someone after using drugs or alcohol, you or your partner have had sex after using cocaine, or you or your partner have used IV drugs. General Symptoms Some general symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases are genital sores, bumps, or blisters, pain and itching. In men some common symptoms could be penile discharge, pain during urination, and testicular swelling or pain. In women general symptoms could be vaginal discharge, lower abdomen pain, painful intercourse, and painful urination. Bacterial STD's like gonorrhea and chlamydia, can be cured with antibiotics. Viral STD's like genital herpes are life long infections. Ways to Prevent The number one way to prevent STD's is abstinence. If you do decide to become sexually active, you can do a few things to prevent a STD. For example you could talk to your partner about other sexual partners they may have had, ask them if they have ever had an STD, been exposed to one, or even symptoms of one. Another thing that you could do if you have sex is to use a condom or another form of a contraceptive that helps to prevent STD's. Gonorrhea Gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. If gonorrhea is not 2005-08-04T06:41:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/STD-s-Sexually-Transmitted-Diseases-27541.aspx Prostate Cancer Prostate Cancer is a malignancy of the prostate gland, a walnut-sized organ located under the bladder in males. The prostate gland surrounds the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the penis. The American Cancer Society estimates that 317,100 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States and that 41,400 men die from the disease each year. It is the second leading cause of cancer death after lung cancer in American men. The specific causes and development of prostate cancer are still unknown, but several risk factors for the disease are known. The older you are, the higher chance of getting the disease is. Prostate cancer usually doesn’t develop before the age of 40 and is mostly found in men over the age of 65. It is common in North America affecting 15 percent of American men in their lifetimes and in northwestern Europe, but rare in South America, the Near East, and Africa. In America, black males suffer from the disease 37 percent more often than white males. Evidence links diets with a lot of animal fats with prostate cancer. One study found that human prostate cancer tumors grew only half as fast in mice with diets of 21 percent fat as in mice with diets of 40 percent fat. Diet differences are believed to explain why prostate cancer is 120 times greater in the United States than in China, where fatty foods are not part of the general diet. Some foods seem to act as a shield against this disease. A nine-year study published in 1995 suggests that tomato products protect against prostate cancer, possibly because tomatoes are rich in a substance called lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant, a chemical that messes up the cellular process of oxidation. Too much cellular oxidation can be dangerous to a person’s health because it produces molecules called free radicals that increase the risk of cancer developing in body tissues. Environmental factors, such as workplace exposures to cadmium, have also been associated with increased risk of prostate cancer. Family history plays another important role. Men whose fathers or brothers develop prostate cancer are more likely to develop the disease. Researchers are beginning to identify genetic markers of prostate cancer. For instance, hereditary prostate cancer (HPC1), a gene detected in 1996, appears to significantly predispose men to prostate cancer when inherited in a mutated form. Symptoms 2005-07-31T06:41:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Prostate-Cancer-Essay-27466.aspx What Is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy? DMD is caused by a change in a gene responsible for making the protein dystrophin, which keeps muscles strong and healthy. This change is referred to as a mutation. When there is a mutation in this gene, the protein dystrophin does not work. The muscle cells become weak and they gradually break down. DMD usually affects boys; it is extremely rare in girls. DMD is a progressive disease. At first, the weakness is mostly in the legs and hips. Those affected fall frequently, have trouble running and climbing stairs, struggle to get up from a sitting position and often walk on their toes. They also develop larger than normal calves. Eventually, the muscle weakness makes walking more difficult and a wheelchair is needed. Gradually, all the muscles become very weak - including the heart muscle and the muscles used for breathing. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is an inherited disorder caused by a mutation in the gene that produces dystrophin. This mutation is passed down from mother to son because the dystrophin gene is located on the X chromosome. If the mother passes on an X chromosome with an altered dystrophin gene to her son, he will develop DMD because he has only one copy of the X chromosome. Girls have two X chromosomes. When they inherit the DMD mutation from their mother, they also inherit a normal copy of the DMD gene from their father. That is why they do not develop the disease. However, they may be carriers and pass DMD on to their sons. Daily Life with DMD There is no cure yet for DMD. A healthy lifestyle, exercise and medication can contribute to a better quality of life for those with the disease. Jonathan takes a steroid-based medication called Deflazacort to help maintain his muscle strength. One of the side effects of steroidal medication and a lack of physical activity (as a result of wheelchair use) is a loss of calcium in the bones. This may increase the risk of fractures. Jonathan takes daily doses of calcium, in conjunction with vitamin D, to keep his bones strong. Other possible treatments that may help with some aspects of DMD include physiotherapy to help maintain correct foot position, chiropractic treatments, nutritional supplements and naturopathic preparations. One of the challenges that Jonathan's family had to face was adapting Jonathan's environment to his needs. The local community service centre (CLSC) in 2005-07-30T06:57:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-Is-Duchenne-Muscular-Dystrophy-27447.aspx Effects of Alcohol on the Nervous System Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. It acts at many sites, including the reticular formation, spinal cord, cerebellum and cerebral cortex, and on many neurotransmitter systems. Alcohol is a very small molecule and is soluble in "lipid" and water solutions. Because of these properties, alcohol gets into the bloodstream very easily and also crosses the blood brain barrier. Some of the 2005-07-29T06:13:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Alcohols-Effects-On-The-Body-27433.aspx Why you don't want herpes Herpes Genital is the name of a widespread sexually transmitted disease. It is also generally known simply as herpes. Genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus or the Herepes Simplex Virus 2. HSV-2 is one of the herpes viruses, a group of viruses that cause a wide variety of diseases (Banikowski, S 1999). HSV-2 infects only human beings and is transmitted during intimate sexual activity. Infection 2005-07-18T06:04:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Why-you-Don-t-Want-Herpes-27320.aspx As early as the 1940's, psychiatrists have labeled children with hyperactivity and extremely distracted and impulsive. Such children have said to have "minimal brain dysfunction," "brain-injured child syndrome," hyper kinetic reaction of childhood," "hyperactive child syndrome," and "attention-deficit disorder (ADD)." These frequent label changes show how uncertain researchers are about the causes of, and the diagnostic criteria for the disorders. In the past several years, the people who study ADHD have commenced to clarify the disorder's symptoms and causes, and have reason to believe that it may be genetic. Today's view on this disorder is very different from the beliefs of just a few years ago. Researchers are finding that ADHD is not a disorder of just attention, but is from a developmental failure in the brain's circuitry and control for inhibition and self-control. The loss of self-control weakens other important brain functions mandatory for maintaining attention. ADHD involves two sets of symptoms: inattention and a combination of hyperactive and impulsive behaviors. Most children are more active and distractive than adults are. Children are more inconsistent, affected by brief actions and dominated by objects in their environment. The younger the child, the less aware of time they are. This behavior is a sign of a problem when it is displayed more in them than in their peers. Boys are at least three times more prone than girls to develop ADHD. Studies have found that ADHD in boys outnumber girls 9 to 1, this is believed to be because boys are genetically likely to develop disorders in the nervous system. These behaviors generally occur between the ages of 3 and 5, even though some children don't start to develop the disorder until late childhood or early adolescence. Researchers are unable to find the reasons why this delay occurs. Studies estimated that between 2 and 9. 5 percent of all school-age children have ADHD; this is true in every culture and nation studied throughout the word. Researchers had believes that this disorder only existed in childhood and went away with age. Now they have found that ADHD can continue into adulthood. Approximately 2/3 of 158 children studied with ADHD in the 1970's, still had the disorder in there twenties. Many of these people still have major adjustment problems at work, school or in other social places. Psychiatrists and psychologist are trying to better understand the causes of ADHD to help children and adults 2005-07-14T05:06:52-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Facts-about-ADHD-27298.aspx Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Research Paper Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) refers to a group of physical and mental birth defects resulting from a women's drinking alcohol heavily or at crucial stages during pregnancy. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was first named and treated in the late 1960's. This condition results from the toxic effect of alcohol and its chemical factors on the developing fetus. FAS is the leading cause of mental retardation occurring in 1 out of every 750 births. The frequency of FAS occurs about 1.9 times out of every 1000 births according to the latest figures, and minor effects can be seen in up to 20% of pregnancies per year. This number changes drastically for women who are clearly alcoholics. As high as 29 children out of every 1000 births will suffer from FAS if the mother is an alcoholic. The overwhelming consistency of this disease is that it is 100% preventable if a mother would drink no alcohol while pregnant. There are three major effects or hallmarks of drinking while pregnant. First, alcohol will cause pre- and postnatal growth retardation for the baby. Second, alcohol can cause central nervous system dysfunction and neurodevelopmental defects for the child. The third consequence of drinking while pregnant causes facial disformaties. Studies comparing children of women who drank continually throughout their pregnancy with women who abstained from drinking that alcohol exposed offspring were smaller in weight, length, and head circumference. The greatest effect of FAS appears to be the overall size of an alcohol-exposed child. Children exposed prenatally to alcohol continue to be smaller than their non-exposed peers. A study has shown that there is a relationship between alcohol exposure during the second and third trimesters and growth at 8 months, 18 months, and 3years of age. Children exposed to an average of one drink per day or more during the second or third trimester were significantly smaller in weight, length, and head circumference when compared with children who had not been exposed to alcohol. Children that were exposed to less than one drink a day were smaller than the non-exposed children but larger than the more heavily exposed children. The attempt to understand FAS has lead to new areas of research attempting to discover the mechanism that causes defects. As of now the 2005-06-21T22:30:04-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Fetal-Alcohol-Syndrome-Research-Paper-27116.aspx Asthma Research Paper Asthma Research Paper Asthma is a chronic illness that affects many people. Asthma affects approximately 155 million people around the world. The pharmaceutical industry approximates $5.5 billion in sales for asthma medication per year for a condition that is incurable. Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways. The narrowing of airways occurs due to inflammation and excessive mucous secretion. The constriction of the airway gives rise to common asthmatic symptoms of wheezing, coughing, tightness in the chest, and shortness of breath. The usual form of control for asthma is bronchiodilators and corticosteriods. Although, bronchiodilators are used in asthma therapy they have no effect on the inflammatory process. Bronchiodilators are a class of drug that relaxes airway smooth muscle by increasing cAMP and opening potassium channels. Corticosteriods on the other hand are now considered the first line of treatment for patients with severe and chronic asthma. Corticosteriods bind to a receptor in the cytosol, which translocates to the nucleus and binds DNA to activate genes. The main action of corticosteriods is to suppress multiple inflammatory genes, such as cytokines, inflammatory enzymes and adhesion molecules. The effectiveness of the corticosteriod is in most part due to the inhibition of transcription factors, such as AP-1 (activation protein 1), Nuclear factor-b (NF-b), and nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NF-AT), which are required for inflammatory response. The FcRI is the receptor for the IgE antibody. The FcRI is composed of a  chain that binds the Fc portion of the IgE, the  chain and the  chain together form a tetrameric structure. Due to the fact that release of mediators from mast cells in asthma is IgE-E dependent one approach would be to block the activation of IgE using blocking antibodies that do not result in mast cells. A humanized murine monoclonal antibody directed to the FcRI-binding domain of human IgE (rhuMAb-E25) reduces allergen specific IgE after intravenous administration. RhuMAb reduces early and late responses to inhaled allergen and eosinophils counts from induced sputum. Although reduction in early response to allergen, which is due to mast cells bound to IgE the reduction in late response and sputum eosinophils is unexpected, but it could be explained by blocking the effect of IgE on low affinity IgE receptors such as CD23 on antigen presenting cells (APC). Anti-IgE in mice inhibits IL-4,5 secretion and pulmonary eosinophilia by blocking Th2-cell activation in response to allergen, and this is mimicked 2005-06-21T22:24:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Asthma-Research-Paper-27111.aspx PCP and its Effects on the Human Body PCP or Phencyclidine is a very deadly drug in today's society. PCP was developed in the 1950's as an anesthetic. Use of PCP in humans was discontinued in 1965, because it was found that patients often became agitated, delusional, and irrational while recovering from its effects. PCP is illegally manufactured in laboratories and is sold on the street by such names as "diabolic" "wet" and "digital". The variety of street names for PCP reflects its bizarre and irrational effects on those who use it. (Andersen) PCP can be mixed easily with dyes and turns up on the illegal drug markets in a variety of tablets, capsules, and colored powders. PCP can be taken in multiple ways, it can either be smoked, snorted, or eaten. For smoking, PCP is usually mixed with marijuana. PCP use often leads to psychological dependence, craving, and compulsive PCP-seeking behavior. It was first discovered as a street drug in the 1960s and quickly gained a reputation as a drug that could cause bad reactions in its users. Some continue in using PCP because of its addicting properties. Others say its the feelings of strength, power, invulnerability and a numbing effect on the mind as reasons for their continued PCP use. (Andersen) Many PCP users are brought to emergency rooms because of PCP's bad psychological effects or because of overdoses. In a hospital they often become violent or suicidal, and are very dangerous to themselves and people around them. At a low dose, physiological effects of PCP include a slight increase in breathing rate and a more pronounced rise in blood pressure and pulse rate. Respiration becomes shallow, and flushing and profuse sweating occur. Numbness of the extremities may also occur. Psychological effects include distinct changes in body awareness, similar to those associated with alcohol. (www.nida.com) At high doses of PCP, there is a drop in blood pressure, pulse rate, and breathing. This may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, rolling of the eyes, and dizziness. High doses of PCP can also cause seizures, coma, and death. Psychological effects at high doses include hallucinations. PCP can cause effects that mimic the full range of symptoms of schizophrenia, such as delusions, paranoia, disordered thinking, a sensation of distance from one's environment, and catatonia. Speech is often slurred or distorted to the point of no understanding. (www.nida.com) People 2005-06-21T22:15:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/PCP-and-its-Effects-on-the-Human-Body-27105.aspx Prostate Cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate gland. The prostate is part of the male reproductive system. This gland is locates inside the body at the base of the penis, just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It is composed of the glandular and fibrous tissue enclosed in a capsule of connective tissue. The prostate is in the shape of a donut and about the size of a walnut. It surrounds the first inch or so of the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder. Normal functions of the prostate depend on the presence of the male hormone testosterone, which is produced by the testes. The prostate produces semen, the thick, whitish fluid that carries sperm. Cancer of the prostate has become the number one cancer in American men. In the United States, approximately 1 in every 11 men will develop prostate cancer during his lifetime. Prostate cancer becomes increasingly common with each decade of life. Over 80 percent of all cases are diagnosed in men over 65. The incidence of prostate cancer increased 47 percent from 1973 to 1987, about a 2.6 percent increase each year. It is estimated that 106,00 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed in the US during the 1990. Black men in the US have the highest incidence of prostate cancer in the world. Little is known about the cause of prostate cancer, and it is seldom possible to explain why a man has developed this disease. Scientists believe that cancer of the prostate develops over a period of many years as a result of gradual changes in the cells. No single theory explains the development of this disease, but a number of possible causes have been suggested. Investigations have focused on four general areas: genetic predisposition (heredity), hormonal influences, environmental and lifestyle factors, and sexually transmitted agents, including viruses. Data from population studies have produced opposite results. Some studies suggest a genetic predisposition to prostate cancer and an increased risk for blood relatives of men with the disease. However, other studies have not confirmed a genetic link. Data from studies of people migrating from one geographic area to another point to the importance of the environment as a factor, including diet, in the development of prostate cancer. Some doctors suggest that a diet rich in fat increases the risk of prostate cancer. Scientists have suspected 2005-06-21T22:14:49-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Prostate-Cancer-Paper-27104.aspx Pharmacology: A Case Study in Polypharmacy Case Study: Mrs A is a 71 year old widow with CCF and osteoarthritis who has recently been exhibiting quite unusual behaviour. Her daughter is concerned about her mother's ability to remain independent and wishes to pursue nursing home admission arrangements. She fears the development of a dementing illness. Over the last two to three months Mrs A has become confused, easily fatigued and very irritable. She has developed disturbing obsessive/compulsive behaviour constantly complaining that her lace curtains were dirty and required frequent washing. Detailed questioning revealed that she thought they were yellow-green and possibly mouldy. Her prescribed medications are: * Frusemide 40 mg daily in the morning * Digoxin 250 micrograms daily * Paracetamol 500 mg, 1-2 tablets 4-hourly PRN * Piroxicam 20 mg at night * Mylanta suspension, 20 ml PRN * Coloxyl 120 mg, 1-2 tablets at night Critically discuss this case study in terms of the problematic nature of this patient's pharmacological management. Your answer should include a discussion of the problems of polypharmacy as it is related to this case study and the assessment/management and educational strategies which could have been implemented to improve the outcome of Mrs A. Introduction In analyzing the case study of Mrs A, a number of factors come into play. The patient has recently been exhibiting unusual symptoms including confusion, fatigue, irritability and apparent obsessive/compulsive behaviour. Her daughter fears the onset of a dementing illness. However, upon close examination of Mrs A's prescribed medications, very different conclusions can be drawn. Overview of each Mrs A's medical conditions The Online Medical Dictionary at www.mydr.com.au defines CCF as a condition where there is ineffective pumping of the heart leading to fluid retention and organ congestion. The site defines osteoarthritis as "Noninflammatory degenerative joint disease occurring chiefly in older persons." There are various drug treatments available for these conditions. Polypharmacy and Mrs A's problematic pharmacological management A close examination of Mrs A's drugs, serves to reveal the problematic nature of her pharmacological management and the results of polypharmacy. Frusemide 40 mg daily in the morning Loeb, S (2001:649) includes the following factors in his outline of frusemide. Indications & dosage: Hypertension - adults 40 mg P.O. b.i.d. Adjust dose according to response. Adverse reactions: Hypokalemia (low potassium), fluid and electrolyte imbalances. Relevant interactions: Care should be exercised in patients receiving potassium depleting agents. Nursing considerations: Monitor serum potassium level. Watch for signs of hypokalemia (for example fatigue, muscle weakness and cramps). Give P.O. and I.M. preparations in a.m. to 2005-06-21T22:05:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Pharmacology-A-Case-Study-in-Polypharmacy-27096.aspx The Bubonic Plague In this world we’ve seen many forms of death. From natural disasters of unfathomable and devastating proportions to war which shed the untainted blood of soldiers and civilians alike, our mass killings have all been delivered by visibly enormous forces, which have consumed and gratified their lust for life before our very eyes. This was true until the introduction of a killer so small and intangible it left almost an entire nations skeptic and dying, searching for the answers in the heavens and in god. This minute killer was known as the Black Death. This terrible epidemic exhausted small towns across Europe, including the British Isles, brutally killing an incredible amount of people. The disease had wiped out entire villages leaving dead bodies to decompose within the gutters of streets and corners of allies(Ziegler 17). Though people were introduced to the seriousness of the plague, they were still puzzled as to the causes of the deadly disease. Because of this fact, a group of unconfirmed myths and questionable facts rose concerning the sources of the epidemic for over five centuries(Coulton 493). In the nineteenth century, the causes of the terrifying disease was discovered and the Black Death was no longer unknown. One myth, of the origin of the deadly plague was said to be a result of medieval gas warfare. Yet another myth, stated that the murderous disease was an aftereffect of a great earthquake that occurred in Europe. Scientists even believed that the epidemic was caused by heaps of unburned corpses left in churchyards(Beatty and Marks 80). The last proven cause of the plague was found to be a disease of rats and other related animals(Rowling 186). One of the myths as to the cause of the Black Plague is an unusual story that was formed by people’s imaginations. One of the possible sources of the epidemic supposedly was born in a terrible war that had occurred between the deadly waters of the Indian Ocean and the sun(Ziegler 14). The immense waters of the dangerous blue ocean were lifted up like a solid wall of concrete to fight the sun. As the wall stood in the middle of the air still touching the base of the water, dangerous vapors began to disperse from the water. The high winds speeded the poisonous fumes out in every direction(Ziegler 14). The plague reached the nearby lands and the epidemic began to 2005-06-16T04:46:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Bubonic-Plague-Disease-Profile-26870.aspx Conquering Insomnia, Pharmaceutical and Natural Methods There is an old Chinese proverb that says, "Only when one cannot sleep does one know how long the night is." If you have ever had trouble falling asleep night after night after night, you know how true that is. This condition, known as insomnia affects nearly a quarter of adults in the Unites States. Insomnia not only ruins your night by your difficulty falling asleep, it ruins your day by as you are not physically and mentally prepared to go about and do your normal work and activities. There are many things you can to try to alleviate this problem. Look out for things going on in your life that may causes insomnia and seek help when necessary. There are a lot of treatments, both good sleep hygiene methods and sleep drugs, which can cure insomnia. First, it is helpful to know what insomnia actually is. It is the most common of all sleep disorders. It is a condition that can be characterized by one or more of these four things (NIH): • difficulty falling asleep at night • awaking during the night, and having trouble falling back asleep • waking up earlier than you should • getting sleep which is not refreshing to your body Chronic insomnia is the most unwelcome kind of insomnia. That is when you have difficulty falling asleep or with any of the above symptoms on a near-nightly basis, or having these symptoms for at least several weeks. Insomnia is a problem because sleep is a very important activity for your body. Why, then, is sleep such a vital thing for your body to get? When you sleep, your body is not just shutting down and completely resting. In the 1950s, much research was done on sleepers and they found that there are actually two major phases of sleep (U. of Mich.). The four-stage non-rapid eye movement sleep is where people gradually drift from mild, relaxing sleep, to a very deep slumber. Rapid eye movement sleep, or REM sleep, alternates with non-REM sleep in 90-minute cycles. This phase is where your eyes move quickly back and forth under your eyelids, and much of your dreaming occurs during REM sleep (U. of Mich) Without getting the sleep you need, you suffer during the day. You may feel tired or lazy. Your concentration is not at the level that you need. Your performance at work or school may suffer. Theoretically, if you 2005-06-16T00:44:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Conquering-Insomnia,-Pharmaceutical-and-Natural-Methods-26862.aspx Circumcision To Be Or Not To Be "Push! Push, I can see it crowning. Don't stop keep pushing." The doctor says in a deep but calming voice. "I can see it, I can see it! Here it comes!" says John with tears of excitement in his eyes, as he looks at his beautiful wife Nechelle, who is about to give birth to their first child, will it be a boy or a girl he wonders. "I see its head, one more push here it comes Oh my god it's here, it's a boy Yes it's a boy! We will name him John Jr." John shows all the signs of a man who is completely excited about having a newborn son, but the truth is that in the back of his mind there is question, a dark scary question, that John still has no answer to. "Should his son be circumcised?" To be or not to be that is really and truly the question. Before John can make a wise, educated decision he must first understand what circumcision is, why it is done, how it is done, how it affects the natural functions of the penis, and what the alternatives are. "Circumcision is a surgical procedure in which the skin covering the end of the penis (called the foreskin) is removed exposing the glans (head or tip of the penis)"(Love) The procedure is usually done on infants in the first few days of their life. A doctor does the procedure. Circumcision is an ancient and widespread practice. Some cultures as wide spread as the aborigines of Australia, to the Kazakh of Russia circumcises their male children. "An Egyptian inscription from around 4000 BC refers to the procedure. Male mummies have been found to be circumcised." (Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality 118) According to the Old Testament god commanded Abraham to circumcise all males of his household. The religious, spiritual and emotional reasons for circumcision differ greatly from a pact with god, to showing your faithfulness to a tribe by having your son publicly undergo the procedure. But are there any medical justifications for circumcision? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 1971 "There are no valid medical indications for circumcision in the neonatal period." Recently however the AAP reconsidered its position. In 1989 it concluded that circumcised male infants have " potential medical benefits and 2005-05-20T09:24:09-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Circumcision-To-Be-Or-Not-To-Be-26684.aspx Nutrition Paper: Self Assessment After assessing my diet through the process of recording my intake of food over the course of two days and analyzing its nutritional value, relative to my gender, weight, height, activity level and age, I have successfully reached several conclusions about my current dietary habits. Prior to this analysis of my diet, I was unsuspecting of some of my bad habits which were unbeknownst to me at the time and as a result, I was fairly shocked to see the results. Among the aspects which were particularly surprising to me was my level of protein intake. Compared to the recommended 92 grams of daily intake, I managed to consume 213 grams worth of protein on average during these two days. This was 230% of what the recommended value is. However, despite my mammoth protein intake, due to the fact that my calories intake (4,295.94) exceeded the recommended level (3,000) by 1,296 calories, I my protein intake was still in the ballpark zone of what it should have been, relative to my percentage of sources of daily calories. This number was 20%, whereas It should have been somewhere around 15%. This is seen as a recurring theme throughout my diet. That is that due to my enormous calorie intake, the levels nutrients I received from each category exceeded the recommended daily value in nearly every category. However, it seems that my percentages from sources of calories remained in the target area. As mentioned above, protein was 20% whereas the target was 15%, carbohydrates were 55% whereas the target was 55%, and fats were 26% whereas the target was 30%. Despite this favorable percentage of course of calories breakdown, the fact of the matter is that these are merely percentages and my total intake of calories was much too high. This is also seen in my intake of total fat which was at 122.8 grams or 119% of the recommended value and saturated fat which comprised 52.65 grams of that or 154% of the recommended value. My excessive intake of cheese was a strong contributing factor to these high levels of fat. The most appalling aspect of this breakdown is, without question, my intake of cholesterol. At a recommended daily value of no less than 300 grams, I consumed a staggering 631 grams which is over 2005-04-24T08:27:21-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nutrition-Paper-on-Self-Assessment-of-Physical-Health-26565.aspx Engineering in Medicine: Evoked Potentials Today, there are many forms of imaging available to the medical profession. Among the more well-known types include x-rays, ultrasounds, CTscans, PETscans, and the most groundbreaking, the MRI. One lesser known form of imaging is the technique of evoked potentials. The evoked potential uses stimulation of the body to force activity in the brain. Using electrodes, a clinician can take signals directly from the brain without any intrusive methods. The electrodes remain on the surface of the skin and unlike many other imaging techniques, evoked potentials do not involve any type of ionizing radiation that would be dangerous to the body. Since evoked potentials involve the stimulation of the body, they are directly related to the arousing of the sense. There are three main types of evoked potentials: visual, auditory, and somatosensory. Although there are also experimental studies being conducted with gustatory and olfactory evoked potentials, vision, hearing, and touch have shown the most successful clinical uses. In this paper, visual evoked potentials will be covered in depth and auditory and somatosensory evoked potentials will be reviewed in brief. The most common clinical uses of this technique are to obtain ideas of brain activity by monitoring the size of amplitudes and latencies and subsequently diagnosing diseases and disorders concerning neural activity. The most common potential obtained is the visual evoked potential (VEP). Before explaining how a VEP is obtained, however, the basic physiology of the visual system must be understood. Each individual eye receives light from both the right and left visual fields. Upon entering the eye, they hit the retina and then they are transferred to the optic nerve. The optic nerve is the eye’s connection to the brain. The optic nerve of each eye cross at the optic chiasm, where the information from both the right and left visual fields are separated. Thereafter, they are directed into the opposite hemisphere of the brain via the optic tract. The information is then brought to the occipital cortex at the rear of the brain. This is also called the primary visual cortex. Today, a more modern form of the VEP is the multifocal visual evoked potential, which through different testing techniques and forms of analysis can take signals from various locations, forming a more complete image of the 2005-04-20T05:12:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Imaging-Techniques-in-Medicine-Research-Paper-26532.aspx Immunohistochemical Detection of Her2/neu Protein p185Her2 in Feline Mammary Carcinoma <b>Background</b> A lot of work has been done recently to establish a Human Genome Model, a genetic map, physical map and comparative DNA sequence of human chromosomes. This work with the Human Genome Model cannot be achieved without a small part upon the parallel implementation of gene mapping projects in other species. One of these other species which has been associated with the human recently has been the feline (1). With exception to the primates, of the nonprimate mammalian species with developing comparative gene maps, the feline gene map (Felis Cat) displays the highest level of syntenic conservation with that of the humans gene map. The comparison of the human and feline map has shown many similarities between the human and feline, one of the most important similarities being the analogous relationship between felines and human diseases (2). <b>Her2/neu Gene</b> The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2)/neu proto-oncogene, sometimes seen referred to as c-erbB2, encodes a 185kDa transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor protein with homology to the epidermal growth factor (egfr) receptor (3). The Her2/neu gene has an important role in normal cell growth and differentiation (6,7). The egfr family of receptors (including the Her2/neu gene) is involved in cell-to-cell and cell-to-stroma communication primarily through a process known as signal transduction, in which external growth factors, or ligands, affect the transcription of various genes by phosphorylating or dephosphorylating a series of transmembrane proteins and intracellular signaling intermediates, many of which possess enzymatic activity (4). Receptor activation requires three variables, a ligand, a receptor and a dimerization partner (5). After a ligand binds to a receptor, that receptor must interact with another receptor of identical or related structure in a process known as dimerization in order to trigger phosphorylation and activate signaling cascades (picture 2b). The activity of Her2/neu transmembrane receptor seems to be regulated by a 30kDa glycoprotein ligand (8). This phosphorylation and activation of signaling cascades will sometimes cause gene alterations, including gene amplification (9). <b>p185Her2</b> All normal cells contain two copies of the her2 gene and produce low levels of protein, also referred to as p185Her2 (10). It is mostly the gene amplification of the Her2/neu gene that has caused p185Her2 protein to overexpression in many cells. This overexpression is almost always the result of gene amplification (6, 11-14), an increase 2005-04-20T03:52:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Immunohistochemical-Detection-of-Her2-neu-Protein-p185Her2-26515.aspx Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by synchronized excitation of large groups or neuron. To reduce seizures, patients are given drugs that act on the neurotransmitter GABA. How does this type of drug control seizures? Describe seizures and the drug effects on them in terms of synaptic transmission. This type of drug is very effective in prevetning 2005-04-20T03:39:21-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Essay-on-Drug-Help-for-Epilepsy-26512.aspx Medicine: "Microsurgery: Sew Small" A man came into the emergency ward at one o'clock. His thumb came in an hour later. The surgeon's job: get them back together. The successful re-attaching of fingers to hand requires long hours of painstaking work in microsurgery. In the operating room , the surgeon doesn't stand, but sits in a chair that supports her body. Her arm is cradled by a pillow. Scalpels are present as are other standard surgical tools, but the suture threads are almost invisible, the needle thinner than a human hair. And all the surgical activity revolves around the most important instument, the microscope. The surgeon will spend the next few hours looking through the microscope at broken blood vessels and nerves and sewing them back together again. The needles are so thin that they have to be held with needlenosed jeweller's forceps and will sew together nerves that are as wide as the thickness of a penny. To make such a stitch, the surgeon's hands will move no more than the width of the folded side of a piece of paper seen end on! Imagine trying to sew two pieces of spaghetti together and you'll have some idea of what microsurgery involves. Twenty-five years ago, this man's thumb would have been lost. But in the 1960s, surgeon's began using microscopes to sew what previously had been almost invisible blood vessels and nerves in limbs. Their sewing technique had been developed on large blood vessels over a half century earlier but could not be used in microsurgery until the needles and sutures became small enough. The surgical technique, still widely used today, had taken the frustrating unreliability out of sewing slippery, round-ended blood vessels by ingeniously turning them into triangles. To do this, a cut end of a blood vessel was stitched at three equidistant points and pulled slightly apart to give an anchored, triangular shape. This now lent itself to easier, more dependable stitching and paved the way for microsurgery where as many as twenty stitches will have to be made in a blood vessel three millimetres thick. The needle used for this can be just 70 millimetres wide, only ten times the width of a human blood cell. All this technology is focused on getting body parts back together again successfully. The more blood vessels reattached, the better the survival chances for a toe or a finger. The finer the nerve resection, the 2005-04-14T04:28:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Medicine-Microsurgery-Sew-Small-26495.aspx Lung Cancer Research Lung cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the lung. Normal lung tissue is made up of cells that are programmed by genes to create lung tissue in a certain shape and to perform certain functions. Lung cancer develops when the genetic material responsible for production of lung cells is damaged (genetic mutations). Repeated exposure to carcinogens such as tobacco smoke may cause damage in lung cells. While tobacco, is the leading cause of lung cancer, some other carcinogens linked to lung cancer include radon and asbestos. These mutations in the genetic material of the lung cells cause the instructions for those cells to go askew. Consequently, those cells and their offspring reproduce wildly, without regard for the normal shape and function of a lung. That wild reproduction causes the formation of tumors that block air passages in the lung and make it stop functioning as it should. Lung cancer is usually divided into two major types. The first type is small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The second type is non-small cell lung cancer NSCLC. Sometimes a lung cancer may have characteristics of both types. This is called mixed small cell/large cell carcinoma. About 20% of all lung cancers are is small cell lung cancer (SCLC). It is named for the size of the cancer cells. Although each of the cells is small, they can multiply quickly and form large tumors, and can spread to lymph nodes and other organs such as the bones, brain, adrenal glands, and liver. This type of cancer often starts in the bronchi and toward the center of the lungs. Smoking almost always causes small cell lung cancer. It is very rare for someone who has never smoked to have small cell lung cancer. Other names for SCLC are oat cell carcinoma and small cell undifferentiated carcinoma. Nonsmall cell (NSCLC) represents 75% to 80% of all cases of lung cancer and includes three distinct types of lung cancer: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma. These subtypes are grouped together and called "nonsmall cell lung cancer" because their pattern of spread and their treatment differ from small cell lung cancer, and when diagnosed at an early stage, may have the potential to be cured by surgery. In addition to the two main types of lung cancer, other tumors can occur in the lungs. Some of these are 2005-04-11T04:34:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Lung-Cancer-Research-Paper--26473.aspx West Nile virus was first isolated from an adult woman in the West Nile District of Uganda in 1937. The ecology was characterized in Egypt in the 1950s. The virus became recognized as a cause of severe human meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the spinal cord and brain) in elderly patients during an outbreak in Israel in 1957. Equine disease was first noted in Egypt and France in the early 1960s. The first appearance of WN virus in North America in 1999, with encephalitis reported in humans and horses, and the subsequent spread in the United States may be an important milestone in the evolving history of this virus. West Nile Virus" is a flavivirus commonly found in Africa, West Asia, and the Middle East. It is closely related to St. Louis encephalitis virus found in the United States. The virus can infect humans, birds, mosquitoes, horses and some other mammals. While all residents of areas where virus activity has been identified are at risk of getting West Nile encephalitis; persons over 50 years of age have the highest risk of severe disease. It is unknown whether people suffering from autoimmune disorders are at increased risk for West Nile Virus. West Nile Virus is an "arbovirus" that causes encephalitis (inflammation to the brain). Blood-feeding insects such as mosquitoes transmit these viruses. Mosquitoes draw the virus from infected birds and transmit it to animals and humans through bites. During the incubation period the West Nile Virus multiplies in the persons' blood system and crosses the blood brain barrier to reach the brain. The virus interferes with normal central nervous system functioning and causes inflammation of brain tissue. A person contracting WNV is assumed to develop an immunity that will be lifelong, but it may wane in later years. Most infections with WNV have been identified in wild birds, but the virus can also infect horses, dogs, cats, domestic rabbits, domestic birds as well as humans. West Nile virus may be transmitted when an infected mosquito bites a human to take in blood. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds, which may circulate the virus in their blood for a few days. The virus is located in the mosquito's salivary glands. During blood feeding, the virus may be injected into humans, where it can multiply and possibly cause illness. In addition, a recent investigation has confirmed West Nile Virus transmission through transplanted organs. Investigations of other 2005-03-29T01:36:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/West-Nile-Virus-Research-Paper-26444.aspx Abuse and Neglect Having a child is something that is supposed to be an experience that lasts a lifetime. Children need lots of attention when they are born, and they need to be properly taken care of by parents that are responsible and caring. As sad as it is there is a large problem with child neglect and abuse. I believe that every couple, or single parent that is going to raise a newborn should have to go through mandatory parenting classes before the child is born. I think that this will help parents to learn how to properly handle and raise their children. There are people all around the world that are unable to have kids, who would give anything for that chance. It’s truly a sad thing that some women find out that they are unable to bear children, when they really want to. Because of such things as abuse, there are babies that are found outside street corners with notes saying please take. With a list of over thousands of people waiting to even adopt kids, this is a sad thing going on. What’s even sadder is that there are people out there every day who take advantage of this. They have children and neglect to care for them. When children are growing up it’s the vital period of life in which they need the most attention. If they have parents that act like they want nothing to do with them then it leads to many problems down the road. Many studies have been done to show that children that are neglected are rougher on themselves. There are case studies from psychology that prove without love and nurture from your parents or elders, you are physically and mentally damaged for the rest of your life. Many of the largest murderers and serial killers known have been victims themselves of child abuse. It’s not a process that goes on when there younger, and when they grow up they suddenly forget about it. When a child is abused or neglected as a kid it sticks with them for the rest of their lives. There are many babies that are born to uneducated parents, who are not ready to bring another person into this world. They are parents who have no idea what it really takes to raise a child. These parents are the same parents who you see running with 2005-03-25T23:39:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Essay-on-Abuse-and-Neglect-on-Children-26398.aspx Acupuncture: Chinese Medicine There is quite a bit of mystery surrounding acupuncture. The part people see the most is a person with needles sticking out of their flesh. Understandably being wary of sharp pointed objects being wielded by a complete stranger, this is often an obstacle that needs to be over come. The best way to do this is by becoming educated about how acupuncture is performed, where it came from, what it does, some of the benefits vs. the problems, and the different views about it. Though out the many different texts on acupuncture you find there is room for interpretation on how to perform it, what to use, and even where the pressure is placed. One thing you will find in common among these texts is this, acupuncture works to varying degrees. The earliest recordings of the use of acupuncture go back 2,000 years. In China it is widely expressed that it has been in use for 4,000 years. The origins go back as early as the Stone Age where abscesses were punctured by sharp stones or bone fragments. ( History ) When you experience pain it is an instinctive reaction to apply pressure to that location. Such as when you get a toothache. Also the body may experience pain where the infection is not localized. Your body naturally sends you warning signals that something is wrong. The Ancient Chinese utilized these warnings, and developed an intricate system of these points over time through observation. It is easy to infer that applying pressure to relive pain with your hands evolved into the use of needles instead. Tortoise shells have been found and dated back to 1500 B.C. – during the Shang Dynasty - recording the use of acupuncture. The first actual written text acclaiming acupuncture is called Nei Ching Su Wen. It is written into two basic sections. The Su Wen, or easy questions and the Lung Shu, or hard questions. This book basically lays out all the different points, but it is mostly a book on concept and theory. The Nei Ching Su Wen lays the basic rules of philosophy and treaties on health. These philosophies branched form two mainstream religions that abounded during the Warring States period in Chinese history. The first is Confucianism. The teachings of this “ religion “ stress that the body is scared and are against dissection or surgery. This makes acupuncture a perfect means 2005-02-14T06:14:29-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Acupuncture-Chinese-Medicine-26263.aspx Cancer Today there are one in three people worldwide who are affected by cancer, and almost 60% of these people will almost certainly die. 7000 New Zealanders die every year from this disease. It is the second largest killer next to heart disease. Cancer does not just affect certain groups of people, it can affect anybody and it is not just one disease, it refers to more than a hundred diseases. Cancer is caused by carcinogens. At present, hundreds of chemicals are known to induce cancer. Normally, the body’s cells divide in an orderly way, allowing the body to grow and to heal after injury. Damage or mutations that occur to the proto-oncogenes (POG) and tumour suppresser Genes (TSG) in the genetic material (DNA and RNA) by these carcinogens bring about Cancer, which causes cells to have less control of cell division and differentiation. POGs lead to changed cells or transformed cells and cause excessive cell division. Further mutations cause the cells to become immortal. These cells continue to divide and form a ball of cells. These cells require a lot of energy and fluids flowing to maintain the high rate of the cell division. When these balls become too large for fluids to flow through, the middle of the ball dies. TSG’s act as anti-proto-oncogenes, they regulate the rate of cell division. POG’s and TSG’s constantly compete to overpower each other. These TSG’s can be mutated and this brings about a change in the control mechanism of cell division. Cells are stimulated to divide through a growth factor. Growth factor molecules bind to cell membranes of cells and send a chemical message to a receptor in the cell membrane. The receptor sends a message through the cytoplasm to the nucleus to stimulate cell division. Sometimes when these growth factors are absent the receptor in the cell membrane is mutated to send out the message to the nucleus. Cells are also stimulated to divide through the two proteins, cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases. When these two join together, this stimulates cell division. These proteins act on the growth inhibitor proteins P53 and PRP, which are growth inhibitor proteins. Tumours may be malignant, spreading or benign, non-spreading. Malignant tumours are aggressive, invasive, and mobile. They invade healthy tissue and continue to divide. The original cancer is called the primary tumour. If the tumour is malignant, the disease may develop in other parts 2005-01-19T08:32:14-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/An-Overview-of-Cancer-and-Its-Widespread-Effects-26165.aspx What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)? FAS is the leading cause of mental retardation in the U.S. today. FAS affects approximately 1 in every 500 born in North America. Mother drinking alcoholic beverages during pregnancy causes FAS. FAS is characterized by: · Smaller heads · Deformed facial features (small widely spaced eyes, underdeveloped jaw, thin upper lip, and short upturned nose). · Abnormal joints and limbs- these include deformities of the small joints of the hands as well as an incomplete rotation at the elbow. · Poor coordination · Problems with learning- difficulty sequencing, difficulty understanding cause and effect, and weak generalizing skills. · Short memories · Medical problems- vision problems, hearing problems, epilepsy, renal failure, heart failure, and death. · Inappropriate behavior- poor impulse control and poor judgement. How FAS Affects Functioning In School: Beginning with infancy, the children have problems at feeding and are highly irritable. They also exhibit unpredictable sleeping and eating patterns, which make it hard for the baby to be cared for and for maternal bonding to occur. During development, both physical and mental, FAS children have very fine and poor motor coordination skills and it becomes very apparent at the preschool age. They also are very affectionate but at the same time very hyperactive, which makes it a problem for the teachers who have them in class to deal with. This is why they are, during the first few years of school, given the diagnoses of having attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): this diagnoses is given because of there high activity level, short attention span, and poor short term memory. Many of these children require special education help regardless of the fact that their IQ falls between the normal range. Their hyperactivity calls for them to receive special attention that normal teachers cannot and at most times will not give them. As FAS children grow into FAS adults, their level of development and how they developed begins to show in everything they do. Since their social and mental health has been compromised as adults they exhibit inadequate communication skills, impulsivity, poor judgement, trouble with abstract thinking, and limited problem solving skills. With all these problems they often have difficulty holding down a job because of their unreliability, lack of social skills, and functional illiteracy. Without appropriate support services, these individuals have a high risk of developing secondary disabilities such as mental illness, getting into trouble with 2005-01-19T08:30:51-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Essay-on-Fetal-Alcohol-Syndrome-FAS-26164.aspx