Medical Site

Tired of using anti-wrinkle creams or Botox injections? Here is the latest; researchers have developed a pillow which can wipe out those ugly wrinkles from your face. Clinical trials have proved that using a copper oxide pillow can actually decrease those wrinkle lines from your face. And it doesn’t end there, it also benefits in case of crow’s feet!

Clinical trials were done over a period of four weeks. It was seen that people who used these copper oxide pillows had fewer wrinkle lines than those using the normal pillows. The good part with this special pillow is that it feels exactly the same like any other conventional pillow. Its fabric is really not different. (more…)

The number of diseases especially the chronic ones like diabetes and hypertension is on a rise all over the world. More and more women are getting affected by these diseases. Cancer is another thing which is becoming increasingly common. There are two types of cancers which are extremely common in women- Cervical cancer and Brest cancer. As they say ‘prevention is better than cure’ so, a woman must undertake these 6 medical tests on a regular basis. These diseases are often unnoticed in the initial stages, and that’s why these tests become all the more important. The diseases need to be diagnosed early so that they can be treated effectively! Too late is too bad!

1. Breast examination: A self breast examination should be done by women on a regular basis. Look out for any change is the shape of the breast or the nipple. Try to feel for any mass in the breasts. Notice if there’s anything coming out of the nipple like blood or any other discharge. After 40 years, a mammography should be done every year. This helps in detecting breast cancer at a very early stage. If you have a strong family history, you should get an annual mammogram done starting at the age of 30-35. (more…)

I recently came across a very interesting piece of information about an ancient therapy for back pain. This method known as the Alexander technique was developed by an Australian actor named Alexander some hundreds of years ago. However it never really gained popularity because its effectiveness was never tested. During one of his performances Alexander lost his voice. He had this firm belief that he lost his voice because he stiffened his body while trying to speak.

This technique is basically all about the correct posture. A recent study has shown that this technique might actually cure long lasting back pain. People practicing Alexander technique are taught stand, sit and walk correctly. They are taught about the type of posture which they must maintain in order to avoid back pain. (more…)

Our body has many different types of cells like the red blood cells, the white blood cells and many more. One particular type of cells is the plasma cells and Multiple Myeloma is a very important disease associated with these cells. It is the most common primary malignant arising in bone of adults. Multiple myeloma is actually a malignant proliferation of plasma cell. However, what causes this disease is still not known.

The normal function of plasma cells is to produce immunoglobulins. The immunoglobulins have many heavy and light chains. The defect in multiple myeloma is that the plasma cells produce such immunoglobulins which have single heavy and light chain type. Most of the malignant plasma cells are present in the bone marrow and few in the blood. In some cases, only light chain immunoglobulins are produced and this usually appears in urine. These are known as Bence Jones proteins. (more…)

The heat in our body is generated by the basal metabolic activity and lost by evaporation (through sweating), conduction, convection (through dilatation of blood vessels) and radiation. The center for controlling our body temperatures is in an area called hypothalamus in the brain. Our core temperature is maintained at 37 degree centigrade with a 0.5 degree variation on either side. Now the hypothalamus maintains the body temperature within this range. However environmental and other factors can alter our core temperature and cause various symptoms! In fact it could also be fatal!

Our core body temperature rises when there is too much heat generation. The body is not able to loose enough heat to compensate for the excessive heat which is being produced. It can be due to excessively high environmental temperature or when sweating is impaired. If you are suffering from any other illness or taking drugs like diuretics, you are more likely to suffer from these heat illnesses. Old age is yet another risk factor. (more…)

It won’t be wrong if we name Scabies as the ‘Itching disease’ because the itching produced with this skin disease is extremely severe. Scabies is one skin disorder which is very common all around the world. It occurs when the human scabies mite (Sarcoptes scabiei, Acarus hominis) infest the skin. This bug actually cannot survive outside the human skin. It other words, it is an obligate parasite. The female mite is responsible for causing scabies. It penetrates the skin and lays eggs. The affected person becomes sensitive to the waste products of the mites and this leads to various symptoms.

One can get scabies by coming in contact with a person who is already suffering from this skin disorder. Scabies is known for the severe itching it produces. The physical signs are all due to the excessive itching and scratching. Vesicles are commonly seen on skin which looks excoriated. If the skin becomes secondarily infected, one can also see oozing and crusting. The burrow which the mite makes on the skin can also be seen sometimes. (more…)

Before we talk about benign prostate hyperplasia or BPH as it commonly known, we should understand what does the term hyperplasia means? Well hyperplasia is an increase in the number of cells in a tissue or an organ. Hyperplasia can occur due to hormonal or antigenic stimulation. Benign prostate hyperplasia is a very common condition in men; in fact it is so common that it is considered by many as a part of the normal ageing process. Its incidence increases with age. Almost 80% of men above the age of 80 are likely to have BPH. The prostate enlarges in size but it is not a pre-malignant condition.

The exact cause of BPH is still unknown. However it has been suggested that androgens play quite an important role in its pathogenesis. Estrogen (the female hormone) and Androgen (the male hormone) are found in both the sexes though estrogen levels are more in females and androgen levels in males. With advancing age, androgen levels go down in males and there is a corresponding increase in the estrogen levels. The increased estrogen stimulates the prostate gland and leads to BPH. (more…)

In my last article on acne, I discussed about its cause and its clinical features. Here, I will be talking about the treatment options that are available for acne. Now, the treatment for acne is mainly aimed at decreasing the bacterial population which is present in the hair follicles. Drugs which promote the shedding of horny plugs that obstruct the hair follicles are also used. Such drugs are known as comedolytic agents. Excessive production of sebum is one of the main features of acne and thus treatment is also aimed at reducing its production.

Patients suffering from acne often become depressed and thus need moral support and counseling. There are few general rules that these patients must follow. They should always keep their skin clean. Face should be cleaned using a mild soap or face wash. Hair should be tied in a way that it does not touch the face and forehead. Pillows, bed sheets which come in contact with the face should be kept clean. Also, one should never touch the inflamed skin with fingers. It can lead to further infection. The use of cosmetics should be kept to minimal. Any oil based cosmetic should never be applied. One should reduce the consumption of nuts, chocolates, cocoa and fatty meat. Any form of stress should also be avoided. (more…)

Allergies are a common cause of illness, affecting all age groups. Allergic diseases can range from mild illness to even life threatening conditions. The underlying problem is with the IgE immunoglobulin which is produced in large amount. We do inhale a number of particles and eat various types of food in a day but usually our body does not react to them. It does not form any antibodies against them. However the case is different in a person who is allergic to something. The body recognizes that allergen (which leads to allergy) and activates the B cell of the immune system. This produces IgE antibodies and leads to what is known as the ‘antigen-antibody’ reaction.

Allergen binds with IgE and this leads to activation of a special type of cells- the mast cells. These cells then release a number of vasoactive mediators which then cause a number of symptoms. The chief mediators of allergy are histamine, leukotrienes, prostaglandins and thromboxanes. The symptoms can vary raging from simple sneezing to the life threatening, anaphylaxis. They occur immediately after the affected person comes in contact with the allergen. In few patients, the early response is often followed by local inflammation and swelling. This late response is usually due to a number of cells like eosinophils, basophils and macrophages. (more…)

Autoimmune diseases are quite common throughout the world. The main defect here is with the body’s immune system which fails to distinguish self from ‘non-self and produces auto-antibodies which act against its own cells. These are a group fascinating diseases because no one really knows what triggers the formation of auto-antibodies. Various theories have been proposed but the exact cause still remains unknown. They are more common in females.

When we are born, we have what is known as ‘immune tolerance’. It basically means that body is able to recognize self tissues and antigens. It can differentiate between self and non-self. The body is able to do so due to the presence of certain cells like the T cells. It is a defect with these cells which leads to autoimmune diseases. Genetic factors have long been associated with autoimmune diseases. The HLA gene has been associated with diseases like Rheumatoid arthritis, Graves’ disease, Ankylosing spondylitis and many more! Infections with viruses, bacteria and several other microorganisms have also been shown to cause autoimmune diseases. (more…)