What is Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a disorder that can lead to easy or excessive bruising and bleeding. The bleeding results from unusually low levels of platelets — the cells that help blood clot.
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, which is also called immune thrombocytopenia, affects children and adults. Children often develop ITP after a viral infection and usually recover fully without treatment. In adults, the disorder is often long term. If you don’t have signs of bleeding and your platelet count isn’t too low, you may not need any treatment. In rare cases, the number of platelets may be so low that dangerous internal bleeding occurs. Treatment options are available.
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) may have no signs and symptoms. When they do occur, they may include:
Easy or excessive bruising (purpura)
Superficial bleeding into the skin that appears as a rash of pinpoint-sized reddish-purple spots (petechiae), usually on the lower legs
Bleeding from the gums or nose
Blood in urine or stools
Unusually heavy menstrual flow
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor if you or your child develops warning signs that worry you.
Bleeding that won’t stop is a medical emergency. Seek immediate help if you or your child experiences bleeding that can’t be controlled by the usual first-aid techniques, such as applying pressure to the area.
Causes
In some people thrombocytopenia is caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking and destroying platelets. If the cause of this immune reaction is unknown, the condition is called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Idiopathic means “of unknown cause.”
In most children with ITP, the disorder follows a viral illness, such as the mumps or the flu. It may be that the infection triggers the immune system malfunction.
Increased breakdown of platelets
In people with ITP, antibodies produced by the immune system attach themselves to the platelets, marking the platelets for destruction. The spleen, which helps your body fight infection, recognizes the antibodies and removes the platelets from your system. The result of this case of mistaken identity is a lower number of circulating platelets than is normal.
A normal platelet count is generally between 150,000 and 450,000 platelets per microliter of circulating blood. People with ITP often have platelet counts below 20,000. Because platelets help the blood clot, as their number decreases, your risk of bleeding increases. The greatest risk is when your platelet count falls very low — below 10,000 platelets per microliter. At this point, internal bleeding may occur even without any injury.
Risk factors
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura can occur in anyone at almost any age, but these factors increase the risk:
Your sex. Women are two to three times more likely to develop ITP than men are.
Recent viral infection. Many children with ITP develop the disorder after a viral illness, such as mumps, measles or a respiratory infection.
Complications
A rare complication of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura is bleeding into the brain, which can be fatal.
Pregnancy
In pregnant women with ITP, the condition doesn’t usually affect the baby. But the baby’s platelet count should be tested soon after birth.
If you’re pregnant and your platelet count is very low or you have bleeding, you have a greater risk of heavy bleeding during delivery. In such cases, you and your doctor may discuss treatment to maintain a stable platelet count, taking into account the effects on your baby.
Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/idiopathic-thrombocytopenic-purpura/symptoms-causes/syc-20352325
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Silent Heart Attack: Symptoms and Prevention
You May Have Had a Heart Attack Without Realizing It
However, a new study indicates that thousands of Americans may have had a heart attack and not known it. In the study, published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation, researchers analyzed the health records of nearly 9,500 middle-aged adults who were enrolled in a study focused on atherosclerosis, a condition that involves plaque build-up in the arteries. Researchers then looked at differences in heart attacks between several groups in the study, including men and women, and followed patients for nine years.
They found that 317 of them had silent heart attacks, while another 386 had heart attacks with obvious symptoms. By following patients for another 20 years, researchers found that silent heart attacks accounted for 45 percent of all heart attacks. These kinds of heart attacks also increased fatality rates. Those who had silent heart attacks were three times more likely to die from heart disease and were 34 percent more likely to die in general. Researchers also found another important distinction: women were more likely to die from silent heart attacks even though men were more likely to get them.
Why are silent heart attacks so deadly? Because if someone doesn’t realize they’ve had a heart attack they’re less likely to seek treatment for heart disease.
A heart attack is usually accompanied by symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, upper body pain in the arms, neck or jaw and nausea or lightheadedness. However, the symptoms of a silent heart attack are barely noticeable. According to the study’s authors, these heart attacks usually are detected later when patients get an electrocardiogram (EKG) to check their heart’s electrical activity.
Signs of a Silent Heart Attack
Silent heart attacks should be treated because they indicate underlying heart disease. If you aren’t sure if you’ve had a silent heart attack, here are some signs and symptoms you should be aware of:
Fatigue: if you have unexplained tiredness, it could be a sign of cardiac issues. During a heart attack, there is reduced blood flow to the heart, which puts extra strain on the muscles and leads to fatigue. If you feel tired and have other risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, don’t hesitate to see a doctor.
Soreness in the Limbs: If you feel sore in your arms, back or chest, it could be a sign of a possible heart attack. When the arteries are blocked, blood flow to the muscles is reduced, which leads to soreness.
Heartburn: Unusual heartburn that doesn’t occur after eating may be a sign of a heart attack, especially if it is accompanied by intense chest pain.
Nausea: If you have a severely upset stomach accompanied by nausea or vomiting, it may be a symptom of a heart attack. If you haven’t eaten something to disturb your stomach, you may want to see a doctor just for peace of mind.
If you experience any of these symptoms and have other risk factors for heart disease, it’s best to get an EKG. Though silent heart attacks often go undetected, they should be treated in the same way as other heart attacks, which may reduce your risk of a future episode or potentially fatal heart attack.
But as we often say, prevention is key. Heart disease is largely preventable with healthy lifestyle choices, including regular physical activity and a balanced diet that’s low in saturated fat, salt and sugar and high in whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
A heart attack is life-altering — and potentially life-ending. So whether you’re at risk for a silent heart attack or not, take steps today to be more proactive about your health health.
What can cause a silent heart attack? Are the causes different for men than women?
The causes of silent heart attacks are the same as those that cause heart attacks with symptoms. The most common cause of a heart attack is a blockage in a blood vessel that compromises blood supply to the portion of the heart that depends on that blood vessel. However, there are many different ways that blood flow to the heart can be compromised and women may be at higher risk for some of the less common mechanisms, which include:
Spontaneous coronary artery dissection, or SCAD (when a spontaneous tear forms in the wall of a blood vessel compromising blood flow)
Coronary vasospasm (a temporary, sudden spasm of a coronary artery that can impair blood flow)
Microvascular disease (disease of small blood vessels supplying the heart)
Because less is known about less common mechanisms, these causes are harder to identify and treat. There is still so much to learn about how to improve cardiovascular care in women, and this is a focus of Mass General’s Corrigan Women’s Heart Health Program
Ways to prevent a silent heart attack:
Eating a healthy diet
Walking 45 minutes a day
Maintaining an active lifestyle
Maintaining a healthy weight
Not smoking
Drink more water, one glass before sleep
Physical Health check once a year.
Doctors can help people identify whether someone may be at higher risk for developing heart disease and can help treat some of these risk factors—like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Women with a history of pre-eclampsia may also be at increased risk for heart disease.
It is very important that patients who already have heart disease or have had a heart attack see a cardiologist (a doctor who specializes in diseases of the heart) regularly to care for their hearts. Patients who have had a heart attack are at particularly high risk for another heart attack, and a cardiologist can help patients reduce this risk.
Source:https://www.massgeneral.org/heartcenter/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=5903
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Health benefits of eating garlic
In India and parts of Asia and Mid-East, garlic is used since last 1000s of years! They even used to prescribe garlic to treat a variety of medical conditions. In addition, Indians use garlic in everyday cooking. Modern science has recently confirmed many of these beneficial health effects.
1. Garlic Contains Compounds With Potent Medicinal Properties
Garlic is a plant in the onion family that’s grown for its distinctive taste and health benefits. It contains sulfur compounds, which are believed to bring some of the health benefits.
2. Garlic Is Highly Nutritious But Has Very Few Calories
A 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of garlic contains (5):
Manganese: 23% of the RDA
Vitamin B6: 17% of the RDA
Vitamin C: 15% of the RDA
Selenium: 6% of the RDA
Fiber: 0.6 grams
Decent amounts of calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B1
Garlic also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients. In fact, it contains a little bit of almost everything you need.
This comes with 42 calories, 1.8 grams of protein and 9 grams of carbs.
3.. Garlic Can Combat Sickness, Including the Common Cold
Garlic supplements help prevent and reduce the severity of common illnesses like the flu and common cold.
4. The Active Compounds in Garlic Can Reduce Blood Pressure
High doses of garlic appear to improve blood pressure for those with known high blood pressure (hypertension). In some instances, supplements may be as effective as regular medications.
5. Garlic Improves Cholesterol Levels, Which May Lower the Risk of Heart Disease
Garlic supplements seem to reduce total and LDL cholesterol, particularly in those who have high cholesterol. HDL cholesterol and triglycerides do not seem to be affected.
6. Garlic Contains Antioxidants That May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
Garlic contains antioxidants that protect against cell damage and aging. It may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
7. Garlic May Help You Live Longer
Garlic has known beneficial effects on common causes of chronic disease, so it makes sense that it could also help you live longer.
8. Eating Garlic May Help Detoxify Heavy Metals in the Body
Garlic was shown to significantly reduce lead toxicity and related symptoms in one study.
9. Garlic May Improve Bone Health
Garlic appears to have some benefits for bone health by increasing estrogen levels in females, but more human studies are needed.
Garlic appears to have some benefits for bone health by increasing estrogen levels in females, but more human studies are needed.
10. Garlic Is Easy to Include in Your Diet and Tastes Absolutely Delicious
The last one is not a health benefit, but is still important. Garlic is very easy (and delicious) to include in your current diet. It complements most savory dishes, particularly soups and sauces. The strong taste of garlic can also add a punch to otherwise bland recipes. Garlic comes in several forms, from whole cloves and smooth pastes to powders and supplements like garlic extract and garlic oil.
sourcehttps://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-health-benefits-of-garlic#section11
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What is Kawasaki Disease?
Kawasaki disease is an illness that almost always affects kids, most of them under the age of 5. It’s one of the leading causes of heart disease in children. But doctors can treat it if it’s found early, and most children recover without any problem.CausesWhen a child has Kawasaki disease, the blood vessels throughout his body become inflamed. This can damage the coronary arteries, the vessels that carry blood to his heart.But Kawasaki disease doesn’t affect just the heart. It can also cause problems with lymph nodes, skin, and lining of the mouth, nose and throat.Scientists haven’t found an exact cause for Kawasaki disease. But they think it’s probably linked to a combination of genetics, exposure to viruses and bacteria, and other environment factors, such as chemicals and irritants.
Doctors don’t think it’s contagious, though the disease sometimes occurs in community clusters. And kids are more likely to get it in the winter and spring, but they can have it throughout the year. Children of all ethnic and racial backgrounds get Kawasaki disease, but those of Asian descent are more likely to have it.
Symptoms
One of the most important things to know about Kawasaki disease is that it comes on fast and symptoms show up in phases. It can lead to heart trouble in as little as 10 days to 2 weeks after the symptoms start.
Signs of Kawasaki disease may include the following:
High fever, above 101 and minimally responsive to meds that normally bring down a temperature -usually lasting more than 5 days
Rash and/or peeling skin, often between the chest and legs and in the genital or groin area, and later on the fingers and toes
Swelling and redness in hands and bottoms of feet, followed by sloughing of skin of hands and feet
Redness in the eyes
Enlarged glands, especially in the neck
Irritated throat, inner mouth, and lips
Swollen, bright red “strawberry tongue”
Joint pain
Stomach trouble, with diarrhea and vomiting
If your child has a fever between 101 and 103 degrees that lasts more than 4 days, and shows several of the symptoms noted, contact his doctor. Treating him early can help reduce his chances of any permanent effects.
Treatment
Your child may have a lot of pain from the fever, swelling, and skin irritation. His doctor might prescribe medication to relieve these, including aspirin and others that prevent blood clots. You shouldn’t give your child any medication without talking to your doctor first.
He’ll probably also get an IV of immune globulin. This is more effective when given with aspirin than aspirin alone. It will lessen his chance of heart issues when used early in his treatment. Because of the risk of complications, most children are initially treated for Kawasaki disease in the hospital.
Problems
Because it involves the heart, this illness can be scary. But most children recover completely and have no lasting problems. However, in rare cases, children can have:
Abnormal heart rhythms (dysrhythmia)
Inflamed heart muscles (myocarditis)
Damaged heart valves (mitral regurgitation)
Inflamed blood vessels (vasculitis)
These can lead to further troubles, including weak or bulging artery walls. These are called aneurysms. They could increase the chance your child will have artery blockages, which can cause internal bleeding and even heart attacks. A baseline echocardiogram can diagnose many of these complications.
Some severe cases of Kawasaki disease require surgery, and a small percentage of children don’t survive the illness. Infants have a higher risk of serious complications.
Source:https://www.webmd.com/children/what-is-kawasaki-disease#1
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Why exercise won’t make us lose weight?
It couldn’t be more true,” nutritionist and CNN contributor Lisa Drayer said. “Basically, what I always tell people is, what you omit from your diet is so much more important than how much you exercise.”
Think of it like this: All of your “calories in” come from the food you eat and the beverages you drink, but only a portion of your “calories out” are lost through exercise.
According to Alexxai Kravitz, an investigator at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases — part of the National Institutes of Health, “it’s generally accepted that there are three main components to energy expenditure”:
Basal metabolic rate, the amount of energy it takes just to keep your body running (blood pumping, lungs breathing, brain functioning)
Breaking down food, scientifically referred to as “diet-induced thermogenesis,” “specific dynamic action” or the “thermic effect of food”
Physical activity
For most people, basal metabolic rate accounts for 60% to 80% of total energy expenditure, Kravitz said. He cited a study that defines this as “the minimal rate of energy expenditure compatible with life.” As you get older, your rate goes down, but increasing your muscle mass makes it go up.
About 10% of your calories are burned digesting the food you eat, which means roughly 10% to 30% are lost through physical activity.
An important distinction here is that this number includes all physical activity: walking around, typing, fidgeting and formal exercise,” Kravitz said. “So if the total energy expenditure from physical activity is 10% to 30%, exercise is a subset of that number.
“The average person — professional athletes excluded — burns 5% to 15% of their daily calories through exercise,” he said. “It’s not nothing, but it’s not nearly equal to food intake, which accounts for 100% of the energy intake of the body.”
What’s more, as anyone who’s worked out a day in their life can tell you, exercising ramps up appetite — and that can sabotage even the best of intentions.
According to calculations by Harvard Medical School, a 185-pound person burns 200 calories in 30 minutes of walking at 4 miles per hour (a pace of 15 minutes per mile). You could easily undo all that hard work by eating four chocolate chip cookies, 1½ scoops of ice cream or less than two glasses of wine. Even a vigorous cycling class, which can burn more than 700 calories, can be completely canceled out with just a few mixed drinks or a piece of cake.
“It’s so disproportionate — the amount of time that you would need to [exercise] to burn off those few bites of food,” Drayer said.
The sentiment here is that you’ve “earned” what you eat after working out, when instead — if your goal is to lose weight — you’d be better off not working out and simply eating less.
Of course, not all calories are created equal, but for simplicity’s sake, 3,500 calories equal 1 pound of fat. So to lose 1 pound a week, you should aim to cut 500 calories every day. If you drink soda, cutting that out of your diet is one of the easiest ways to get there.
“The other thing is that exercise can increase your appetite, especially with prolonged endurance exercise or with weight lifting,” Drayer said. “It’s another reason why I tell people who want to lose weight to really just focus on diet first.”
“All this is not to say that exercise doesn’t have its place,” Drayer said. “It’s certainly important for building strength and muscle mass and flexibility. It can help to manage diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. It can improve your mood. It can help fight depression. But although exercise can help with weight loss, diet is a much more important lifestyle factor.”
As the saying goes: Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/04/health/diet-exercise-weight-loss/index.htm
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What is Appendicitis?
Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix, a 3 1/2-inch-long tube of tissue that extends from the large intestine. One study suggests that the appendix may have some role in gut immunity, but nothing is definite. One thing we do know: We can live without it, without apparent consequences.
Appendicitis is a medical emergency that almost always requires prompt surgery to remove the appendix. Left untreated, an inflamed appendix will eventually burst, or perforate, spilling infectious materials into the abdominal cavity. This can lead to peritonitis, a serious inflammation of the abdominal cavity’s lining (the peritoneum) that can be fatal unless it is treated quickly with strong antibiotics.
Sometimes a pus-filled abscess (infection that is walled off from the rest of the body) forms outside the inflamed appendix. Scar tissue then “walls off” the appendix from the rest of the abdomen, preventing infection from spreading. An abscessed appendix can perforate or explode and cause peritonitis. For this reason, almost all cases of appendicitis are treated as emergencies, requiring surgery.
In the U.S., one in 20 people will get appendicitis. Although it can strike at any age, appendicitis is rare under age 2 and most common between ages 10 and 30.
Appendicitis occurs when the appendix becomes blocked, often by stool, a foreign body, or cancer. Blockage may also occur from infection, since the appendix can swell in response to any infection in the body.
What Are the Symptoms of Appendicitis?
The classic symptoms of appendicitis include:
Dull pain near the navel or the upper abdomen that becomes sharp as it moves to the lower right abdomen. This is usually the first sign.
Loss of appetite
Nausea and/or vomiting soon after abdominal pain begins
Abdominal swelling
Fever of 99-102 degrees Fahrenheit
Inability to pass gas
Almost half the time, other symptoms of appendicitis appear, including:
Dull or sharp pain anywhere in the upper or lower abdomen, back, or rectum
Painful urination and difficulty passing urine
Vomiting that precedes the abdominal pain
Severe cramps
Constipation or diarrhea with gas
If you have any of the mentioned symptoms, seek medical attention immediately, because timely diagnosis and treatment is very important. Do not eat, drink, or use any pain remedies, antacids, laxatives, or heating pads, which can cause an inflamed appendix to rupture.
How Is Appendicitis Diagnosed?
Diagnosing appendicitis can be tricky. Symptoms of appendicitis are frequently vague or extremely similar to other ailments, including gallbladder problems, bladder or urinary tract infection, Crohn’s disease, gastritis, intestinal infection, and ovary problems.
The following tests are usually used to help make the diagnosis:
Abdominal exam to detect inflammation
Urine test to rule out a urinary tract infection
Rectal exam
Blood test to see if your body is fighting infection
CT scans and/or ultrasound
How Is Appendicitis Treated?
Surgery to remove the appendix, which is called an appendectomy, is the standard treatment for almost all cases of appendicitis.
Generally, if appendicitis is suspected, doctors tend to err on the side of safety and quickly remove the appendix to avoid its rupture. If the appendix has formed an abscess, you may have two procedures: one to drain the abscess of pus and fluid, and a later one to remove the appendix. However, there is some research showing that treatment of acute appendicitis with antibiotics may eliminate the need for surgery in certain cases.
Appendectomy: What to Expect
Antibiotics are given before an appendectomy to fight possible peritonitis. General anesthesia is usually given, and the appendix is removed through a 4-inch incision or by laparoscopy. If you have peritonitis, the abdomen is also irrigated and drained of pus.
Within 12 hours of surgery you may get up and move around. You can usually return to normal activities in two to three weeks. If surgery is done with a laparoscope (a thin telescope-like instrument for viewing inside the abdomen), the incision is smaller and recovery is faster.
After an appendectomy, call your doctor if you have:
Uncontrolled vomiting
Increased pain in your abdomen
Dizziness/feelings of faintness
Blood in your vomit or urine
Increased pain and redness in your incision
Fever
Pus in the wound
Can Appendicitis Be Prevented?
There is no way to prevent appendicitis. However, appendicitis may be less common in people who eat foods high in fiber, such as fresh fruits and vegetables
Source: https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-diseases-appendicitis#1
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