Archive for April, 2009
Dealing With An Infectious Disease
There are four main kinds of germs that cause infectious diseases. Bacteria are single-cell germs that have the ability to multiply rapidly and release chemicals that will make you sick. Viruses are capsules containing genetic information and use your own cells to multiply.
Fungi are vegetable-like mushrooms or mildew that will make you ill and protozoa are single-cell predators that are looking for a host where they can eat and live. The idea of contracting communicable diseases is enough to make anyone want to live in a bubble, but the body is naturally very resilient, so simply washing your hands can avoid most trouble.
There are viral, contagious diseases like AIDS, Smallpox, Ebola, Hepatitis, sexually transmitted Herpes or HPV, Influenza, Measles, Mumps, Rabies, SARS, West Nile, Meningitis, Mono, Pneumonia and Yellow Fever. Then there are bacterial, transmittable diseases like Anthrax, Botulism, Cat Scratch Fever, Cholera, Diphtheria, Gonorrhea, Leprosy, Lyme disease, Strept Throat, Salmonella, Scarlet Fever, Tuberculosis, Typhus and Shingles. Some transferable diseases are transmitted via parasites, such as Chagas Disease, Malaria, Pinworm Infection, Scabies, Trichomoniasis, Giardiasis, Echinococcosis and other rare diseases. Other times, diseases are transmitted through fungus or prion (proteins).
When dealing with an infectious disease, the first step is the infection, when microbes enter your body and begin to multiply. Health experts say the infection becomes a disease when cells in your body become damaged and the symptoms of illness appear. White blood cells and antibodies will attempt to ward your body off from the infection, which results in fevers, coughing, sneezing or other ailments.
Once the disease takes hold, medication will be needed. It’s important to know the difference between infectious diseases caused by bacteria or by a virus because medications that may treat one are ineffective against treating the other. Bacterial infections caused by single-celled living organisms are treated with antibacterial antibiotics. Viral infections, which alter genetic capsules, cannot be treated with medication directly but may have the symptoms assuaged with lozenges, rest, water, decongestants, cough syrups and pain relievers.
Infectious diseases are no laughing matter. If you are coughing and nose blowing all over the place but feel tempted to go to work, then resist and rest. Not all diseases are contagious, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Avoid sharing drinks or personal items with people and remember that prevention is the best cure.
Avoid Infectious Diseases With Some Basic Hygiene
Pestilence, plague, contagion. Call it what you will, but infectious diseases have plagued (there’s that word again) humanity since the dawn of history. Throughout your life, you and your loved ones will be affected by infections, and you will be lucky if one doesn’t end up killing you. But let’s not be too gloomy. After all both traditional and modern medicine has been able to shed light on the problem and help is at hand.
The causes of infection are of course, those nasty little critters known to science as germs, bacteria, and viruses and let’s not forget fungus (yuk!). It seems that our bodies are battlegrounds with our immune system having to constantly fight off army after army of potentially lethal infectious diseases. So what to do.? Well, at the less serious end of the scale such as colds, sore throats and fungal infections, such as thrush, that age old remedy garlic has no equal. Garlic is in fact a natural antibiotic and can be highly effective when used on its own or with other medication.
Recently a whole new area involving so-called pro-biotic yogurts has opened up. The idea behind these yogurts is to enhance your body’s natural defenses. One of these yogurts taken every day, can in fact, do wonders to help fortify your immune system. And here’s another supplement that has proved its worth: cod liver oil. It can be taken in handy capsule form and it’s not only good for your joints, but can stave off colds and flu as well.
But what about the more serious infectious diseases? Well, thank goodness we live in an age when vaccination and antibiotics can help protect us from a whole range of conditions which would have proved fatal in the time of our grandparents. That old saying that knowledge is power is still relevant. If only the people of medieval Europe had known that rats spread the plague it would have saved the lives of countless numbers. Today we may not have discovered a cure for AIDS but at least we are aware of its cause and can use an effective precaution namely the humble condom.
Infectious diseases will probably always be a problem and humanity will have to keep trying to invent and discover ever-new remedies. Still it’s a sobering thought that the most effective remedy is probably the simplest and oldest one of all: namely, hygiene. So don’t forget to wash your hands!
Aware of Common Cold Symptoms
The ‘Common Cold’ is medically termed as ‘Acute Viral Nasopharyngitis’ or ‘Acute Coryza’. The common cold is a highly contagious viral disease. It affects the upper respiratory system. The common cold is caused by the coronaviruses or the picornaviruses.
The symptoms of the common cold are quite familiar to all of us because at one point of time or the other, we all have experienced them. Normally these symptoms become visible about 2 – 3 days after the infection has set in. Here is a list of common cold symptoms:
* Sore Throat – The throat feels scratchy and sore.
* Runny Nose – The mucus begins to build up in the nose and tries to find a way out.
* Nasal congestion – This is often due to the mucus build up in the nose.
* Sneezing – This is because the mucus inside the nose attracts dust particles.
* Sinus swelling – These glands swell up causing mucus congestion as well.
* Cough – Sore throat leads to cough. Also the mucus tries to find a way out.
* Loss of appetite – This is caused by the infection and overall tiredness.
* Muscle aches – This is caused by overall tiredness due to the infection.
* Headache – The build up of mucus in the sinus glands leads to headaches.
* Fatigue – The infection causes overall fatigue and tiredness.
* Fever – The fever is often quite slight. But this may also be a sign of influenza if the fever lasts for more than a day or two.
Apart from leading to influenza, a common cold can often lead to infections of the middle ear, or even sinus infections. Therefore it is extremely important to take care during the common cold infection, especially if one is prone to these particular infections.
As such there are no specific remedies for the common cold. However, there are different methods of treatment for the symptoms of the infection, but there are no vaccines for the common cold. Normally these symptoms last for anywhere between 7 – 14 days.