Helicotrema

The narrow opening between the scala vestibuli and the scala tympani at the tip of the cochlea in the ear.

Full-scale

1.(of a model or plan) of the same size as the thing represented.
2.Complete and thorough; a full-scale invasion.

Occupation

1.A job or profession.
2.The action of occupying or state of begeing occupied: the roman occupation of Britain
3.A way of spending time

Stick in the mud

Informal - a person who resists change.

Peyer's patches

oval masses of lymphoid tissue on the mucous membrane lining the small intestine.
[J.C Peyer (1653-1712), Swiss anatomist]

Olive Oil Wonders - Ulcerative Colitis Natural treatment

• Health benefits of Olive oil can be attributed to the presence of nutrients such as omega-3, oleocanthal, phenolic compounds, selenium and vitamins.
• Olive oil is an integral component of the Mediterranean diet which is considered to be one of the healthiest diets.
• It is known to provide protection against cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and even cancer. Olive oil has proved useful in skin and hair care, and if used in food instead of saturated fats, it may aid in weight loss as well.
• The mono-unsaturated healthy fats such as omega-3 give olive oil its anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation, as we know, is linked to number of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, asthma and cancer.
• Olive oil is also very high in anti-oxidant content. Anti-oxidants help prevent cell damage through free radical scavenging and also help repair cell damage. Increased anti-oxidants in the body slow down the process of aging and may even increase longevity.
• Scientists have recently discovered that a good quality extra-virgin olive oil contains a natural organic compound called oleocanthal which is responsible for the peppery sting of the oil and which has anti-inflammatory as well as anti-oxidant properties. This compound has shown to inhibit the activity of enzymes involved in inflammation much the same way as the NSAIDs.

• Ulcerative Colitis - a dreadful disease can be prevented by olive oil as per the new report from medical researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA). The conference at the Digestive Disease Week conference at New Orleans revealed that people with a diet rich in oleic acid i. e., a constituent of olive oil are less likely to develop ulcerative colitis.
• The disease which causes the inflammation of the lining of the colon or large bowel increases the abdominal pain and adds to diarrhoea and weight loss. It was an observational study performed by Dr Andrew Hart of UEA's School of Medicine, that included 25,000 respondents aged 40-65 living in Norfolk, UK.
• The respondents who were selected by EPIC study (European Prospective Investigation into Diet and Cancer) not suffering from ulcerative colitis and at the same time did not have olive oil in their diets, completed detailed food diaries which were later analyzed by specially trained nutritionists working in Cambridge. Within seven years 22 complained of the disease, to which Dr. Wart said, "We estimate that around half of the cases of ulcerative colitis could be prevented if larger amounts of oleic acid were consumed. Two-to-three tablespoons of olive oil per day would have a protective effect."

Bitch

1. a female dog, wolf, fox, or otter.
2. informal a spiteful or unpleasent woman.
3.( a bitch) something difficult or unpleasent  : life's a bitch
Informal - make spiteful comment
Origin - Old English

Sipples syndrome

(J.H Sipple - U.S Physician)
MEN - , designated as type 1 ( Wermers syndrome), type 2A (Sipples syndrome), and type2B.
These involve tumour formation or hyperplasia in various combinations of endocrine glands.
Type 1 involves the parathyroid, pituitary, and pancreas, whereas type 2A involves the thyroid medullary cells, the adrenal medulla (phaeochromocytoma), and the parathyroids.
Type 2B is similar to 2A, but patients tend to resemble people with Marfans syndrome and have multiple neuroma on their mucous membranes.

Xanthophyll

a yellow pigment found in green leaves.
An example of a xanthophyll is lutein.

Forgive

1.Stop feeling angry or resentful towards (someone) for an offence or mistake.
2.Excuse (an offence, flaw or mistake)
derivatives ; forgivable adj.

Noel

Christmas
Origin: French

Cataract extraction

Surgical removal of a cataract from the eye.
In Extracapsular cataract extraction the cataract  alone is removed, leaving the lens capsule behind to support the remaining lens tissue.
Intracapsular cataract extraction is the removal of the whole lens, including the capsule that surrounds it.

Endotracheal

within or through the trachea (windpipe) also check intubation

Spree

a spell of unrestrained activity: a shopping spree.

Become

1. Begin to be.
2.Turn into.
3.Happen to.
Origin - from be- + come

Prevent diseases

Preventive advice to prevent diseases caused by contaminated food and water.

The following advice will help prevent diseases caused by contaminated food and water. These 'rules' need only be followed in areas of risk such as Africa, South America, India and other parts of Asia.

1. Purify all water by boiling for 10 minutes. Adding purifying tablets is not so reliable, but if the water cannot be boiled some protection is provided by adding Puratabs (chlorine) or iodine (2% tincture of iodine), which is more effective than chlorine—use 4 drops iodine to 1 litre of water and let it stand for 30 minutes.

2. Do not use ice. Drink only boiled water (supplied in some hotels) or well-known bottled beverages (mineral water, 7-up, Coca-Cola, beer).

3. Avoid fresh salads or raw vegetables (including watercress). Salads or uncooked vegetables are often washed in contaminated water. Bananas and fruit with skins are safe once you have peeled and thrown away the skin but care should be taken with fruit that may possibly be injected with water.

4. Be wary of dairy products such as milk, cream, ice-cream and cheese.

5. Avoid eating raw shellfish and cold cooked meats.

6. Avoid food, including citrus fruits, from street vendors.

7. Drink hot liquids wherever possible.

8. Use disposable moist towels for hand washing.

9. The golden rule is: If you can't peel it, boil it or cook it—don't eat it.

Uric acid level

Uric acid level and how to lower it naturally - danger of high uric acid level, research by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Uric acid is the end product of purine degradation. It is catalyzed by the enzyme xanthine oxidase, which is responsible for the production of uric acid and damaging free radicals. This is a central link in the association between serum uric acid and myocardial ischemia (lack of adequate oxygen to muscle tissue), myocardial dysfunction, which is determined primarily by impaired peripheral blood flow.

Natural ways to lower uric acid
Vitamin C may be helpful. See also gout for suggestions on how to lower uric acid levels.
Reduce your intake of sugared drinks. A higher intake of added sugars or sugar-sweetened drinks leads to higher blood levels of uric acid. Guidelines to a healthy diet are provided.

Role of vitamin C
The effects of vitamin C supplementation on serum concentrations of uric acid: results of a randomized controlled trial.
Arthritis Rheum. 2005 June. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
We undertook this study to determine the effects of vitamin C supplementation on serum uric acid concentrations. Study participants were 184 nonsmokers, randomized to take either placebo or vitamin C supplements 500 mg / day) for two months. At the end of the study period, serum uric acid levels were significantly reduced in the vitamin C group, but not in the placebo group. Supplementation with 500 mg / day of vitamin C for two months reduces serum uric acid, suggesting that vitamin C might be beneficial in the prevention and management of gout and other urate-related diseases.

A recent debate on uric acid has developed into a full blown war within the dog (Dalmatian) fancy community. Dalmatians have a fixed gene that causes them to have very high uric acid level which causes a small percentage of them to have urate stones. I read an article about Vitamin C and uric acid. From the information that I have gathered about vitamin C, I concluded that it might be a way to lower uric acid output in a dog. In the recent past, Dalmatian owners have been encouraged not to give vitamin C as it is a precursor to calcium oxalate. However, uric acid stones and calcium oxalate stones are two different types of urinary stones. The full blown war that I referred to above is not a small one. The research that is being done changes the breeds of dogs by genetic manipulation. This is a very well funded research program with no other option to solve the problem. I am looking for an option. I feel the researchers are “missing the boat”. Genetic manipulation is an extreme way to solve our particular problem. Would you know of any reason not to give high doses of vitamin C to a dog over its lifespan?
   I have not studied vitamin C and uric acid in dogs so I am not be able to provide an educated answer on this topic.
 

Apigenin
Many thanks to you for such a wonderful website! My uric acid levels are 10.4. Since altering my water intake and nutrition, my acute gout attacks have stopped. I have also been taking cherry extract and C in high dosages. I am looking for the best source of apigenin. Would a parsley extract or chamomile extract be sufficient? My uric acid levels drop to 7ish without drugs.
   Congratulations. We suggest a high intake of a variety of vegetables. See the gout link above. We really don't know at this time the best apigenin source, but parsley is easy to consume or a regular basis, and chamomile tea can be drank in the evening.

Cherry juice
Lowers uric acid levels when given to marathon runners. Cherry extract and juice have other health benefits.

Weight loss
I was on a diet and had just lost 25 pounds when I got a gout attack. What could cause this since losing weight is supposed to help reduce uric acid levels and prevent gout.
   Rapid weight loss has the potential to temporarily raise uric acid levels and precipitate a gout attack.

High blood uric acid, danger and side effects
High uric acid levels in the bloodstream is called hyperuricemia, a condition in which serum urate concentration is above 6.8 mg per deciliter. Too much uric acid may not cause gout symptoms for years, but after a time it can cause painful joint inflammation. The problem is often not with the amount of uric acid produced by the body, but the fact that the body, or more specifically the kidneys, cannot excrete it well. High blood levels of uric acid are significantly associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, also know as hypertension, in blacks, particularly black men.

High blood levels of uric acid are a strong predictor of death from cardiovascular disease, stroke and all causes. Uric acid is a product of the breakdown of nitrogen compounds, and is normally excreted in urine. It has been recognized for decades that uric acid is found at high levels in the joints of people with gout. Uric acid may trigger inflammation and a strong immune response. Arthritis & Rheumatism, February 15, 2009.

Stages of gout
Asymptomatic hyperuricemia, acute flares, intercritical segments, and advanced gout. For quite a number of years, high uric acid levels deposit uric acid in tissues and during this time there are no gout symptoms. Then, an acute gout attack occurs, followed by periods of remission and more acute gout attacks, eventually leading to advanced gout.

Treatment of chronic gout
Drugs are used to help the kidneys excrete more uric acid. These are called uricosuric drugs. These drugs include allopurinol, probenecid, and sulfinpyrazone. Allopurinol blocks the conversion of hypoxanthine to xanthine to uric acid. Allopurinol is appropriate for gout patients who are overproducers of uric acid. Allopurinol is taken once daily. Rare and life-threatening hypersensitivity reactions are possible with allopurinol use. Other agents include uricase enzymes that catabolize uric acid to a more soluble form which is readily excreted by the kidneys. One such drug is Rasburicase which became available in 2002, however serious side effects such as anaphylaxis, hemolysis, and methemoglobinemia can occur.

Uric acid and memory
Older adults with high-normal levels of uric acid are significantly more likely than those with low-moderate concentrations to experience mild cognitive impairment (loss of mental ability or memory).

Malarial prevention

Travellers should be advised that malaria may be prevented by following two simple rules:

Avoid mosquito bites; and take antimalarial medicines regularly

In order to avoid mosquito bites, travellers are advised to:

·         keep away from rural areas after dusk

·         sleep in air-conditioned or properly screened rooms

·         use insecticide sprays to kill any mosquitoes in the room or use mosquito coils at night

·         smear an insect repellent on exposed parts of the body; an effective repellent is diethyl-m-toluamide (Muskol, Repellem, Rid)

·         use mosquito nets (tuck under mattress; check for tears)

·         impregnate nets with permethrin (Ambush) or deltamethrin

·         wear sufficient light-coloured clothing, long sleeves and long trousers, to protect whole body and arms and legs when in the open after sunset

·         avoid using perfumes, cologne and after shave lotion (also attracts insects)

DENGUE

Symptoms of Dengue fever

Aedes mosquito

•  Dengue is a viral disease.
• It spreads after bite of an infected Aedes mosquito.
•  Aedes is called " Tiger Mosquito" as it has black and white stripes over its body, legs and wings.

Breeding of the mosquito:

Aedes breeds in domestic & peri domestic areas (i.e in and around the houses) especially in

• over head water tanks,
• water storage tanks,
• discarded tyres,
• coolers,
• pitchers,
• discarded and broken buckets,
• coconet shells,
• discarded containers,
• artificial collection of water used as ornamental ponds and water falls,
• water discarded from air conditioners etc. in which water stagnates more than a week.

Habits of the Vector:

Aedes breeds in artificial collection of clean water and rests at cool and shady & dark places.

 Aedes aegypti, the mosquito for dengue transmission bites during the day time.

Dengue can present as:

1. Dengue Fever (DF)
2. Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF)
3. Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS)

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF DENGUE FEVER

• Abrupt onset of high fever.
• Severe frontal headache.
• Pain behind the eyes which worsens with eye movement.
• Muscle and joint pains.
• Rash over chest and upper limbs.
• Nausea and vomiting.

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF DENGUE HAEMORRHAGIC FEVER AND SHOCK SYNDROME

• Symptoms similar to dengue fever.
• Skin becomes pale, cold or clammy.
• Bleeding from nose, mouth & gumsand skin rashes.
• Frequent vomiting with or without blood.
• Restlessness.
• Patient feels thirsty and mouth becomes dry.
• Rapid weak pulse.

In case of any such symptoms, immediately report to nearest Govt. Hospital.

TESTING AND TREATMENT OF DENGUE:

DENGUE TESTING WITH IgM MAC ELISA IS DONE FREE OF COST IN PUNJAB AT -

1. GOVT. MEDICAL COLLEGE, AMRITSAR.
2. GOVT. MEDICAL COLLEGE, PATIALA.
3. CIVIL HOSPITAL, BATHINDA.
4. CIVIL HOSPITAL, JALANDHAR.
5. CIVIL HOSPITAL, LUDHIANA.
6. CIVIL HOSPITAL, SAS NAGAR.

• For treatment of severe cases of Dengue, blod component seperators have been installed at each district headquarters.
• For very severe cases of Dengue suffering from Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, Aphresis machines have been installed in punjab at -

1. CIVIL HOSPITAL, AMRITSAR.
2. CIVIL HOSPITAL, BATHINDA.
3. CIVIL HOSPITAL, JALANDHAR.
4. CIVIL HOSPITAL, LUDHIANA.
5. CIVIL LHOSPITAL, SANGRUR.
6. CIVIL HOSPITAL, SAS NAGAR.

• PLATELETS can be seperated from Whole Blood at these centres for treatment of DHF (DENGUE HEMORRHAGIC FEVER)

DOs AND DONT'S FOR PUBLIC:

DOs:

1. Remove water from coolers and other small containers and dried thoroughly at least once in a week.
2. Empty/ change water of flower vases once a week.
3. Cover the water filled buckets/ containers tightly.
4. Put oil on the non drinking water that can not be emptied e.g. in water tanks at the construction sites.
5. check the waste tyres at mechanic shops for water collection and mosquito breeding.
6. Tightly cover the over head water tanks.
7. Pet's water bowls need to be emptied daily.
8. Use mosquito killer aerosol during day time to prevent bites of mosquitoes.
9. Wear clothes that fully cover the body parts.
10. Children should be advised to play wearing sleeved clothes and not in short and half sleeved clothes.
11. Use mosquito nets or mosquito repellents during sleep at day time.
12. If you or any of your family member has fever with pain behind eyes, vomiting and rash on the body immediately consult a doctor.

DONT'S:

1. Do not use antibiotics.
2. Do not change the speed of fluid rapidly, i.e., avoid rapidly increasing or rapidly slowing the speed of fluids.
3. Insertion of nasogastric tube to determine concealed bleeding orto stop bleeding (by cold lavage) is not recommended since it is hazardous.

SIGNS OF RECOVERY:

1. Stable pulse, blood pressure and breathing rate.
2. Normal temperature.
3. No evidence of external or internal bleeding.
4. Return of appetite.
5. No Vomiting.
6. Good urine output.
7. Stable haematocrit.

CRITERIA FOR DISCHARGING PATIENTS:

1. Absence of fever for atleast 24 hours without the use of anti-fever therapy.
2. Return of appetite.
3. Visible clinical improvement.
4. Good urine output.
5. Minimum of three days after recovery from shock.
6. No respiratory distress from pleural effusion and no ascitis.
7. Platelet count of more than 50,000/mm3.

5-Hydroxytryptamine

Also called serotonin.

It is a compound widely distributed in the tissues, particularly in the blood platelets, intestinal wall, and central nervous system. Serotonin is thought to play a role in inflammation similar to that of histamine and it is involved in the genesis of a migranous headache. Drugs that act like serotonin are used in treatment of migraine. It also acts as a neurotransmitter and its levels in the brain are believed to have an important influence on mood. Drugs that prolong its effects are used as antidepressants.