Thursday, May 29, 2008

Glucose test

It is otherwise called as Blood sugar levels or Fasting blood sugar or FBS

Blood is drawn from a vein, usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. A needle is inserted into the vein, and the blood is collected in an airtight vial or a syringe

You should not eat for 6 hours before the test. A random serum glucose test can be done at any time of the day, but results depend on what you drink or eat before the test, as well as activity.

This test is used to evaluate blood glucose levels. It may be used to diagnose or screen for diabetes and to monitor control in patients who have diabetes. Glucose is a major source of energy for most cells of the body, including those in the brain.

Normal Results

Levels up to 100 mg/dL are considered normal.

Levels between 100 and 126 mg/dl are referred to as impaired fasting glucose or pre-diabetes. These levels are considered to be risk factors for type 2 diabetes and its complications.

Note: mg/dL = milligrams per deciliter

Friday, May 23, 2008

Allergy

It is also called as Hypersensitivity. An allergy is a reaction of your immune system to something that does not trouble most other people. People who have allergies repeatedly are aware to more than one thing.

Substances that repeatedly cause reactions are

* Mold spores

* Pet dander

* Food

* Insect stings

* Pollen

* Dust mites

* Medicines

Allergies can cause a swelling, runny nose, sneezing, itching, rashes or asthma. Symptoms vary. Although allergies can make you feel bad, they generally won't kill you. But, a cruel reaction called anaphylaxis is life ominous.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Hemoglobin

Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells with the purpose of carries oxygen. A blood test can say to how much hemoglobin you have in your blood.

Blood is taken from a vein, normally from the in the interior of the elbow otherwise the back of the hand. The puncture place is cleaned with antiseptic, along with an elastic band or else blood pressure cuff is placed in the region of the upper arm to apply pressure and limit blood flow through the vein. This causes veins to fill up with blood.

A needle is penetrated into the vein, and the blood is collected in an air tight vial otherwise a syringe. During the process, the band is detached to bring back blood flow. One time the blood has been collected, the needle is detached, and the puncture site is enclosed to prevent any bleeding.

In baby or young children, the region is wash with antiseptic and punctured with a sharp needle or else a lancet. The blood can be collected in a pipette on a slide, onto a test strip, or else into a small container. Cotton otherwise a bandage may be applied to the puncture spot if there is any continuous bleeding.

Fever

Fever is otherwise called as Hyperthermia; Elevated temperature and Pyrexia. Usually body temperature varies by person, activity, ages well as time of day. The average ordinary body temperature is 98.6°F i.e., .37°C.

Fever is not a disease. Many baby and children extend high fevers by way of minor viral illnesses. While a fever signals to us that a fight might be going on in the body, the fever is fighting in favor of the person, not against.

Many bacteria as well as viruses that cause infections in people increase best at 98.6°F. Increasing the temperature a few degrees can give your body the winning edge. Also fever stimulates the body's immune system to produce more white blood cells, antibodies, as well as other infection fighting agents.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Food poisoning

Food poisoning is the effect of intake organisms or toxins in unhygienic food. Almost all cases of food poisoning are from ordinary bacteria like Staphylococcus or E. coli.

Food poisoning can affect one person or else it can take place as a rash in a group of people who all ate the same unhygienic food. Food poisoning is apt to occur at school canteen, picnics and huge social functions. These are situations where food may be left unrefrigerated too long or else food preparation practices are not hygienic. Food poisoning frequently occurs from eating dairy products, undercooked meats, or food having mayonaise.
Symptoms

The indications from the most common types of food poisoning usually start within 2 to 6 hours of eating the food responsible. That time might be even a number of days or shorter, depend on the toxin or else organism responsible for the food poisoning. The possible symptoms contain:

Nausea and vomiting
Abdominal cramps
Diarrhea (might be bloody)
Fever and chills
Weakness
Headache

Botulism is a very severe form of food poisoning that can be deadly. It can come from improper home maintenance.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Peptic Ulcer Disease

A peptic ulcer is a sore or hole in the inside layer of the stomach or duodenum i.e., the first division of the small intestine. People of any age can get an ulcer as well as women are affected just as frequently as men. Over 25 million Americans will endure from an ulcer sometime throughout their life. The good information is that nearly all ulcers are caused by an infection by the bacterium, Helicobacter pylori, and can be healed in about two weeks through antibiotics.
Ulcer information

• Nearly all ulcers are caused by an infection, not fiery food, acidic or strain.
• The mainly general ulcer indication is burning pain in the stomach.
• Your doctor can check you for H. pylori infection.
• Antibiotics are the latest treatment for ulcers.
• Reducing H. pylori infections by means of antibiotics means that your ulcer can be cured for fine.

Doxycycline

Doxycycline is used to cure from bacterial infections, including pneumonia and other respiratory region disease, acne, infections of skin, genital, Lyme disease, and urinary systems and anthrax. It is as well as used to prevent malaria. Doxycycline is in a group of medications term tetracycline antibiotics. It works with preventing the development and spread of bacteria. Antibiotics will not effort for flu, colds, or other viral infections.

How should this medicine be used?

Doxycycline comes as an ordinary and a coated capsule, a tablet, syrup, and a suspension (liquor), each and every one to take by mouth. Doxycycline is generally taken once or twice a day. Drink a full glass of water with every dose of the tablet or capsule. If your stomach turns out to be upset while you take doxycycline, you might take it with milk or food. Although, taking doxycycline with milk or food may reduce the amount of medication captivated from your stomach.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Back Pain

Back Pain is also called as Backache. Back pain is one of the mainly ordinary medical problems, affecting 8 out of 10 people sometime at some stage in their lives. Back pain can range as of a dull, steady ache to a sudden quick pain. Sharp back pain comes on suddenly and regularly continues from a few days to a few weeks. Back pain is called chronic if it continues for more than three months.

If your back pain is severe or else doesn't get better after three days, you be supposed to check with your family physician. You should too get medical attention if you have back pain following a wound.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Nausea and vomiting

Nausea and vomiting are otherwise called as Emesis, Stomach upset, Vomiting, Upset stomach.

Vomiting is a forceful act consummated by a stern, downward tightening of the diaphragm. Simultaneously, the abdominal muscles stiffen against a stress-free stomach with an open sphincter. The contents of the stomach are push up and out. You may have more saliva a minute ago previous to vomiting. Vomiting is regular. Almost all children will vomit a number of times in their childhood. Generally, it is because of a viral gastrointestinal illness. In general, nausea and vomiting do not need urgent medical attention. But, if the symptoms maintain for days, they are cruel, or you cannot remain down any food or fluids, you may have a more severe state.

The subsequent are possible reason of vomiting:


* Seasickness or motion sickness

* Bulimia

* Alcoholism

* Food poisoning

* Food allergies

* Brain tumors

* Chemotherapy in cancer patients

* Migraine headaches

* Morning sickness during pregnancy

* Viral infections

* Medications

Monday, May 5, 2008

X-Ray (Radiography)

X-Ray (Radiography) is a type of electromagnetic radiation, just similar to visible light. In a health care setting, equipment sends are individual x-ray particles called photons. These particles pass throughout the body. A computer or else special film is used to record the images that are produced.

Structures that are dense for example bone will obstruct most of the x-ray particles, and will show white. Metal and contrast media will also show white. Structures having air will be black and muscle, fat, as well as fluid will show as shades of gray. The test is performing in a hospital radiology department or else in the health care provider's office by an x-ray technologist. There is no restlessness from x-ray exposure. Patients may be asked to stay at a standstill in awkward positions for a small period of time.

Risks

At some stage in a single radiograph, a small little bit of the x-rays pass all through the body. The remaining photons are immersed by tissues in the body. The energy of the immersed photons can split apart into ionize compounds, and this may possibly cause cell damage. Most cell injure is soon treated. But, some is permanent.

For the experience encountered in predictable radiography, the risk of cancer or else transmissible defects is very low. Most specialists feel that this little risk is largely compensate by the benefits of information gained from appropriate imaging. X-rays are checked and regulated to provide the least amount of radiation exposure required to make the image.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Penicillin

Make use of of penicillin and other antibiotics are very frequent nowadays. The discovery of penicillin has often been express as a wonder drug, and that is accurately what it was. Earlier to the discovery of penicillin, death could occur in what would seem, today to be very minor injuries and diseases. It could arise from minor wounds that became infected or from diseases for example Strep Throat, and venereal diseases for example syphilis and gonorrhea were a much more serious problem.

Early on in 2005, an email came asking for information regarding penicillin. The email was from Dr. Morton Paterson, a retired philosophy professor. He is now living in Canada. He was writing his biography for his grandchildren as a bequest for them. Part of that biography had to do with the impact penicillin take part in in his life. When he emailed me the story, I knew that it was one that I required to share. As a boy, just prior to the discovery of mass producing penicillin, Dr. Paterson had roughly scraped his knee, an injury that he almost died on or after. The following is his account of this injury and how it was treated at that time.