AIDS/HIV Information

AIDS is an acronym for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome it causes a destruction of the immune system. It is the most advanced stage of the HIV virus (HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus). AIDS is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the presence of a positive HIV antibody test and one or more of the illnesses known as opportunistic infections.
The HIV virus, type 1 or 2 is widely known to be the cause of AIDS. HIV breaks down and attacks your T cells so your body is unable to defend itself against different infections. The HIV virus also attacks your peripheral nervous system, this causes nerve and muscle pain, especially in the feet, legs, and hands.
HIV is spread through direct contact with semen or blood of an individual that is infected. This can be transferred in many ways the most common is unprotected sexual intercourse. Other means of infection are infected blood transfusions, mother to infant (at time of birth, or through breast milk), sharing needles with an infected person, and rarely a healthcare worker that gets pricked with an infected needle.

How To Treat Asthma

Nearly seventeen million people are affected with Asthma. Asthma is a condition in where it becomes difficult to breathe and needs constant medical attention. This is a condition that is very serious to take lightly. If you have asthma and want to find out exactly what can be done to better the situation.
Given below are some suggestions that you should keep in mind. No matter what efforts one may take as many he may land back at the doctors coughing and out of breath, its okay. This is all normal and one should not be discouraged.
While at the clinic you and the doctor should ask a couple of questions to come up with a plausible solution. The first question that one should ask is , has it got to do anything with the environment. The environment has a major role to play in this disease.
Almost all asthma patients are suffering of this disease because they are allergic to something in the air. Elements such as dusts, mites, pollen, inhaling smoke are some of the most common things that are the causes that irritate the disease. It is important to find out which one of these are the causes for the medication not working for you.
The doctor can help you in ways of removing such elements once the two of you have come to a conclusion of what is the cause of it is.
The second is the element at the office that makes the condition worse for you. This can be proven if you become better on the weekends or while you are on vacations. The third thing is that you might not be taking the medications properly.
Many patients do not follow the instructions given to them by the doctors seriously enough or find them hard to follow. If you have a hard time following the instructions ask your doctor to help you out. Another reason could be that you are not using the inhaler properly. If this is the case then not enough medication is reaching your lungs. Your doctor may advice you to use a device called a spacer which is used to get the medication deeper in the lungs.

Diabetes Care and Treatment

by: Michal

What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic disorder. One way it occurs is when the pancreas does not secrete enough of the hormone insulin.Diabetes is commonly categorized into two types. The first type of diabetes is sometimes called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM).The second type of diabetes is also known as noninsulin, dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). People with diabetes stand a higher than normal chance of developing heart disease and circulatory problems such as high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, heart attacks and strokes.

Two Types Of Diabetes:
IDDM Diabetes:
In type 1 diabetes, cells of the pancreas that produce insulin are destroyed.Without injections of insulin, the body of a person with type 1 diabetes cannot turn blood glucose into energy.

Tumor

Tumor is a general term used to describe the evolution of the mass (solid) or abnormal tissue in the body. These masses arise as a result of the imbalance of growth and cell regeneration. It also usually useless and not needed by the body. Different tumors with cysts (fluid) or abscesses (boils). 

Tumors there are 2 : benign and malignant tumors (cancer). 

Benign tumors, does not always mean 'harmless', although most are usually harmless. A benign tumor can still evolving, and can cause damage to tissue, nerves or organs nearby. Depending on the location and size, the tumor can still be a serious illness and life-threatening, such as brain tumors.

Symptoms & Treatment of Tumors 

Symptoms of the tumor is usually shaped lumps that appear on the body and painless. When you are disturbing the surrounding tissue, the doctor may recommend surgical removal (surgery). Current surgical techniques are evolving rapidly, even involving laser surgery technology, as well as cryosurgery (freezing) tumors. 

Types of Tumors:  

Fibroma 

Refers to all types of tumors that contain epithelial tissue fibers.

Do not Ignore Sore Throat

Sore throat tends to be ignored. In fact, if allowed to drag on, this inflammation can lead to the emergence of other diseases.

Almost everyone has experienced sore throat. However, not many want to see her doctor before the pain became more severe throat. In fact, they usually just go to the doctor when inflammation is severe, barely able to swallow food again.

Strep throat is actually not the name of the disease. He was but a symptom of various diseases that arise. In terms of health, sore throat usually called pharyngitis. 

Complaints that appear vary, from just itching in the throat to severe pain was so painful to swallow.  Does not end there, stress and overwork can weaken the immune system and trigger a throat infection. The cause of sore throat is mixed. Could be due to viral infection, bacterial infection, up to allergies and irritation. 

Can all be transmitted through saliva, which came out when coughing, or found on the hands or personal items with an infection. The average incubation period of sore throat between two to five days. However, if caused by viruses, the incubation period ranges from three days to two weeks.

Infections caused by influenza virus is contagious and is easily spread. In this condition, inflammation lasts about three to ten days. Generally, the inflammation was more severe in the morning and gets better as the days goes.

What is a stroke?

Stroke disease is a disorder of brain function caused by blood flow to the brain is impaired (reduced). As a result, nutrients and oxygen the brain needs not met properly. Cause there are two kinds of stroke, namely the existence of blockages in blood vessels (thrombus), and the presence of a ruptured blood vessel. 

Generally a stroke suffered by the elderly, because of the aging process causes hardening and narrowing of blood vessels (arteriosclerosis) and the presence of fats that clog arteries (atherosclerosis). But some recent cases showed an increase in cases of stroke that occurs in adolescence and childbearing age (15-40 years). In this group, stroke is the leading cause of stress, drug abuse, alcohol, heredity, and lifestyle is not healthy.

Causes of stroke 

In the case of stroke adolescence, genetic factors (hereditary) is the major cause of stroke. Frequently encountered cases of stroke caused by blood vessels are fragile and easily broken, or the blood system disorders such as hemophilia and thalassemia diseases are passed down from parents of patients. Meanwhile, if a family member with diabetes (diabetes), hypertension (high blood pressure), and heart disease, stroke likely to be larger in other family members.

The cause of stroke is a food with high levels of bad cholesterol (Low Density Lipoprotein) is very high. Bad cholesterol is widely available in junk food or fast food. In addition, other causes of stroke is a lazy habit of exercising and moving, lots of drinking alcohol, smoking, use of narcotic and addictive substances, much less rest time, and prolonged stress. Rupture of blood vessels are also often caused by high blood pressure (hypertension).

Symptoms of a stroke  

Know Your Liver disease or liver inflammation or hepatitis

Hepatitis term used for all types of inflammation of the liver. The causes can be various kinds, ranging from viruses to drugs, including traditional medicine.  
Virus hepatitis was also there are several types, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, C, D, E, F and G. Manifestation of disease caused by viral hepatitis can be acute (hepatitis A) can also chronic hepatitis (hepatitis B, C) and those that later become cancer liver (hepatitis B and C). 

• Hepatitis A   

Often hepatitis A infection in children does not cause symptoms, whereas in adults causes flu-like symptoms, fatigue, fever, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, yellow eyes and loss of appetite.
The symptoms disappeared completely after 6-12 weeks. People who were infected with hepatitis A if recovered will be immune to the disease. In contrast to hepatitis B and C, hepatitis A infection does not progress to chronic hepatitis.
The incubation period of 30 days. Transmission through contaminated food or water stool of patients, such as eating fruits, vegetables are not cooked or eating undercooked shellfish. Drink with ice cubes that the process is contaminated. 
There is now a hepatitis A vaccine, providing immunity for 4 weeks after the first injection, the length required for immunity vaccine injections several times. Narcotic addicts and anal sex, including homosexual is a high risk of contracting hepatitis A.

Type heart disease

Heart disease is a disease that interferes with the vascular system, or more precisely attack the heart and veins. Some examples of heart disease such as coronary heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, chest pain (commonly called "angina") and rheumatic heart disease. Coronary heart disease is heart disease sufferers the most. This disease attacks the blood vessels and can cause heart attacks. A heart attack caused by clogged arteries so that hamper the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the heart. Stroke is caused by lack of blood flow to the brain which sometimes causes bleeding in the brain. However, not all heart disease is caused by a blood vessel. Here are some other disorders of the heart, namely: 

• Abnormal Heart Rhythms 

Normally the heart beats 60-100 times per minute (or about 100 thousand times per day). Abnormal heart beats normally called arryhytmia (often also called dysrhythmia).  Heart that beats too slowly (under 60 beats per minute) is called bradyarrhythmias. While that is above 100 beats per minute is called the tachyarrhytmias.

• Heart Failure

Heart disease is the most frightening. Not that the heart can not work at all, except that the heart is not beating properly.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy steroid containing metabolites were found in cell membranes and circulated in the blood plasma. Is a kind of lipid which is a molecule of fat or the like it. Cholesterol is a special type of lipid called steroids. Steroids are lipids that have a special chemical structure. This structure consists of four rings of carbon atoms.

Other steroids, including steroid hormones such as cortisol, estrogen, and testosterone. In fact, all steroid hormones are made from chemical changes in the basic structure of cholesterol. When about to make a molecule of molecular changes that are easier, the scientists call it synthesis. 

Hypercholesterolemia means that too high levels of cholesterol in the blood.

Cholesterol can be made synthetically. Cholesterol synthetic current was applied in a wide-screen technology (billboards) as an alternative to the LCD. High levels of cholesterol in the body to trigger the emergence of various diseases. Healthy eating is a major factor to avoid this. However, not all cholesterol is bad for the body. Only the category of LDL cholesterol that include only the bad kind of cholesterol whereas HDL cholesterol is the bad cholesterol that can dissolve in the body. The normal range of cholesterol in the body is 160-200 mg. High cholesterol levels can be lowered by simvastatin.

Heart Disease

The heart is one of the most important organ whose main function to pump blood throughout the body. Like other organs, the heart can also be attacked by various diseases.

Heart disease is a condition that causes the heart is unable to perform its function properly. There are various kinds of disorders and diseases that can affect any part of the heart. The most common heart disease is coronary heart disease which can lead to sudden death heart attacks.

The cause of coronary heart disease is the narrowing and blockage of arteries due to excessive buildup of fatty substances in the lining of artery walls of the coronary vessels. It is influenced by a less healthy diet that accompanied sedentary lifestyle, cigarette addiction, hypertension, and high cholesterol that affects the formation of blood clots. As a result of blood flow to the heart is hampered thereby disrupting the blood vessels of the heart as a pump which in turn will trigger a heart attack.

In addition to coronary heart disease, there are also other heart diseases caused by abnormalities at birth such as an imperfect heart, heart valve disorders, and weakening of heart muscle. Another cause is the bacteria that cause infections of the heart.

Main Exposure to Risk Factors of Heart Disease  

To avoid the chance of heart disease, it helps us identify the risk factors. Here are some risk factors that warrant concern:

• Age and Gender -  Men Under 50 years of age have a higher risk compared with women in the same age group. After menopause, a woman's risk increases due to the sharp decline of the hormone estrogen is protective.
• Descendants of the family -  Research shows that if there is a history of heart problems in the family, their offspring are more likely to develop similar problems.
• Diabetes - Diabetics can suffer heart disease as a complication of the disease.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that causes AIDS. This virus can infect humans and cause the immune system (immunity) of the body, so the body becomes weak in fighting infection. In other words, the presence of this virus in the body will cause a deficiency (lack of) immune system.

History of HIV

In 1983, Jean Claude Chermann and Françoise Barré-Sinoussi of France managed to isolate HIV for the first time from a patient with lymphadenopathy syndrome. At first, it is called ALV virus (lymphadenopathy-associated virus). Together with Luc Montagnier, they proved that the virus is the cause of AIDS. In early 1984, Robert Gallo of the United States is also researching on the virus that causes AIDS, called HTLV-III. After further investigation, proved that the ALV and HTLV-III is the same virus and in 1986, a term used to describe the virus is HIV, or more specifically called HIV-1. Not long after HIV-1 is found, a new subtype is found in Portugal from patients originating from West Africa and later called HIV-2.  Through cloning and sequence analysis (genetic makeup), HIV-2 has a difference of 55% of HIV-1 and are antigenically distinct. The biggest difference between the two other strains (strain) virus glycoprotein is located on a sheath. However, further research estimates that HIV-2 originated from SIV (retrovirus that infects primates) because of the similarity of sequences and cross-reaction between antibodies against both types of virus. 

Signs of HIV

When someone starts contracting the HIV virus, When someone starts contracting the HIV virus of AIDS, there are many signs of HIV-AIDS which appeared in the person of the sufferer. To recognize the signs of HIV-AIDS, the authors will describe some of the stages when the virus began to spread to arise signs of HIV-AIDS.

Signs of HIV-AIDS Phase one

At this stage, the HIV virus enters the body, and HIV antibodies in the blood. At this early stage, there was no sign of special HIV-AIDS. Patients still looked healthy and he still felt fine. In fact, when done testing for HIV, the HIV virus has not been detected. This phase is called the window period, which usually lasts between 2 weeks-6 months.

Signs of HIV-AIDS Phase two

Positive HIV (without symptoms) on average lasts for 5-10 years. At this stage, the HIV virus has evolved and spread in the body, antibodies are formed and grow stronger. However, there are still specific signs, and people with HIV still look healthy and feel healthy. At this stage, when performed laboratory tests, the HIV virus can be detected because antibodies against this virus have been formed in the body. However, in general, patients still looks healthy and it lasts for 5-10 years, depending on stamina. The average condition will become weaker after 8 years.

Signs of HIV-AIDS Phase three

HIV Positive (symptoms).  At this stage, signs of HIV-AIDS began to appear. People with immune systems weakened and the HIV virus has started spreading and getting stronger. Began to appear signs of HIV-AIDS in the form of opportunistic infections, such as swollen lymph glands throughout the body, continuous diarrhea, flu, and other diseases are easy to attack and can not be cured. In general, the symptoms last for more than a month, depending on stamina.

Signs of HIV-AIDS Phase four

At this stage, the immune system is very weak.  Signs of HIV-AIDS is felt at this stage is arguably already has a very critical, because many other diseases (opportunistic infections) will be more severe. In addition, complications of other diseases had been much developed. Complications of this disease that can ultimately kill the patient.