Describing food allergy: Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

A food allergy occurs when the immune system responds defensively to a specific food protein that is not harmful to the body. When that food is first eaten, the immune system responds by creating specific antibodies. When the food is eaten again, these antibodies go into action, releasing large amounts of histamines, which work to expel the food protein from the body. Histamines can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin, and cardiovascular system.

Food allergy affects an estimated 6 to 8 percent of children under age 3 and up to 3 percent of adults. While there's no cure, some children outgrow their food allergy as they get older.

What are the symptoms of a food allergy?
Symptoms of a food allergy can appear almost immediately or up to two hours after the food has been eaten. Symptoms include a tingling sensation of the mouth, swelling of the tongue and throat, hives, vomiting, abdominal cramps, difficulty breathing, diarrhoea, a drop in blood pressure, and loss of consciousness. Severe allergy reactions called anaphylaxis can result in death.

Which foods are responsible for allergic reactions?
There are six foods that cause most of food allergies in children. They are milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, soy, and tree nuts. In adults, most of food allergies are caused by peanuts, tree nuts and fish.

How are food allergies diagnosed?
Your doctor can perform a skin test to determine which substances cause a reaction. The skin test involves applying a small amount of an allergen and then making a tiny scratch with a needle in your arm or back. The scratches that become red and itchy indicate which substances trigger a defensive response by your immune system.

Your doctor might also do a radioallergosorbent blood test (RAST) to check the number of antibodies produced by the immune system. Elevated levels of certain antibodies can identify particular food allergies.

How are food allergies treated?
The best way to cope with a food allergy is to strictly avoid the foods that cause a reaction. Mild reactions often will subside without treatment. For rashes, skin creams might ease discomfort, while antihistamines will help reduce itching, congestion, and other symptoms. For more serious reactions, corticosteroids such as prednisone will help to reduce swelling. In life-threatening situations, an epinephrine injection immediately begins reversing symptoms and is the only effective treatment option.

Living with food allergies
Once you and your doctor have determined which foods you should avoid, it is important that you maintain a healthy, nutritious diet. Ask your doctor to recommend foods that will provide you with the necessary nutrition. You should also be aware of the ingredients in processed foods.

If you are prone to allergic reactions, you should always be prepared. Carry an epinephrine injection kit with you at all times.

Importance of deworming in children

World Health Organization estimates that 241 million children between the ages of 1 and 14 are at risk of parasitic intestinal worms in India, known as Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH). These children represent approximately 68% of children in this age-group and approximately 28% of the number of children estimated to be at-risk of STH infections globally.

STH transmission

• There are three main types of STH that infect people: roundworm, whipworm and hookworms.
• Adult worms live in human intestines for food and survival where they produce thousands of eggs each day.
• Infected people who defecate outdoors spread worm eggs in their faeces.

Subsequently, the eggs contaminate the soil which can spread infection in several ways.

Symptoms of infection

• Regular treatment of at-risk populations will reduce the intensity of infection and protect infected individuals from morbidity.
• The greater the amount of worms in an individual (intensity), the more symptoms the infected individual will have.
• People with light infections usually have no symptoms.
• Heavier infections can cause a range of symptoms including diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and weakness.
• Loss of appetite.

Prevention of infection

Infections can be prevented by taking precautions, including:

• Using sanitary toilets, not defecating outside.
• Hand-washing, particularly before eating and after using toilets.
• Wearing slippers and shoes.
• Washing fruits and vegetables in safe and clean water.
• Properly cooking food.

Deworming treatment given to children

Albendazole and Mebendazole are the names of the deworming drugs used by the Government of India and is a safe treatment for intestinal worms. The recommended dosage is as follows: 

• For children of 2 years and upwards - : 1 tablet Albendazole (400 mg) or 1 tablet Mebendazole (500 mg)
• For children of age 1 – 2 years - ? tablet of Albendazole (400 mg) or 1 tablet of Mebendazole (500 mg)

Appropriate administration of tablets to children between the ages of 1 and 3 years is important. The tablet should be broken and crushed between 2 spoons, then safe water added to help administer the drug. The older children should chew the tablet and if required should consume some water.

Side effects of deworming treatment

The deworming treatment has very few side effects. There may be some mild side effects like dizziness, nausea, headache, and vomiting, all likely due to the worms being passed through the child’s body. These side effects disappear after some time. Side effects are usually experienced by children with high infections. If symptoms do not go away within 24 hours, or if they are very severe, the child is probably experiencing something unrelated to the treatment and should be taken to a general physician immediately.

Benefits of deworming treatment

Rigorous studies have shown that deworming has a significant impact on the health, education and livelihoods of treated children. Outcomes of deworming can include:

• Decreases anaemia and improves nutrition
• Increases growth and weight gain
• Improves cognition and mental and physical development
• Increases resistance to other infections
• Supports more frequent school attendance
• Improves children’s ability to learn better and be more active in school
• Increase hours worked and wages earned in the long-run in adulthood

Deworming also has important spill-over effects, meaning that other members of the community who do not receive treatment benefit, as there are fewer worms in the environment. This is especially important for children who are too young to be treated but for whom worms can greatly impair cognitive development.

Obesity (Overweight)

Obesity is a medical condition which refers to as accumulation of excess body fat. This condition is commonly seen across the globe and in different age groups. Obesity is responsible for causing many health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Being a high level obese means you are vulnerable to health problems related to your weight. Obesity is behind a number of deaths due to heart ailments, diabetes and hypertension. An important thing to note is that even modest weight loss can improve or prevent the health problems associated with obesity. Starting with healthy eating, increased physical activity and behaviour changes can also help you lose weight. In some cases, medications or weight-loss surgery is beneficial. Common causes of obesity Although genes and hormones influence body weight, obesity occurs when you consume more calories than you burn through exercise and normal daily activities. The body stores excess calories as fat. Obesity usually results from a number of causes, including: If you are inactive, you don't burn as many calories. With a lethargic lifestyle, you can easily consume more calories every day than you use through exercise. Having a high calorie diet full of fast food minus fruits and vegetables, skipping breakfast and taking high-calorie beverages all contribute to weight gain. A woman's weight necessarily increases during pregnancy. Some women find it difficult to shed weight after child birth. This weight gain may contribute to the development of obesity in women. Too little sleep can disturb hormones which can increase your appetite. You may also indulge in foods high in calories and carbohydrates leading to weight gain. Some medications such as antidepressants, diabetes medications, beta blockers, corticosteroids can lead to weight gain if you don't compensate through diet or activity.

Symptoms:

A case of obesity is confirmed when an individual’s BMI (body mass index) is 30 or more. Body mass index is computed by dividing your weight in kilograms (kg) by your height in meters (m) square. Below is an indication of BMI and weight status: BMI            Weight status Below 18.5   Underweight 18.5-24.9      Normal 25.0-29.9      Overweight 30.0-34.9     Class 1 Obese 35.0-39.9     Class 2 Obese 40.0            Class 3 Obese(Extreme) For many individuals, BMI is a logical calculation of body fat. However, BMI does not accurately measure body fat. So some people like athletes may not fall under the obese category even though their BMI is on the higher side. You can take assistance from a dietitian to solve this problem.

Treatments:

The main objective of obesity treatment is to reach a healthy weight. You may require working with some health professionals to help you understand and make changes in your eating and activity habits. Dietary Changes: Minimizing calories and eating healthier are important to overcoming obesity. At the beginning, you may lose weight quickly, but steady weight loss over the long term is considered the safest way to lose weight. Say no crash diets, because they are not prudent enough to help you keep excess weight off for the long term. Exercise and physical activity: One of the important treatments for obesity is increased physical activity or exercise. Many people are able to control their weight by simply walking, 30 minutes daily. But for obese people at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity is recommended to prevent further weight gain. It is best to break exercise regime into several sessions throughout the day. Behavioural Changes: A behaviour change program can help you make lifestyle changes and lose weight. Measures to take include examining your current habits to find out what factors, stresses or situations may have contributed to your obesity. Behaviour modification can include counselling from trained mental health professionals and support groups. Weight-Loss Surgery: Also known as bariatric surgery, this option is open for individuals who have tried everything in the book to lose weight but have failed every time. However, bariatric surgery can pose serious risks. You may always have to be vigilant about your weight. A combination of healthier diet and more activity in a practical and sustainable manner is the best way to lose weight and keep it off for the long term.

What do we understand with intracytoplasmic sperm injection?

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a practice used during an in vitro fertilization treatment (IVF). With a typical in vitro fertilization treatment, the female's egg and the male's sperm are placed together anticipating that the sperm will go into the egg and fertilize it. However, with ICSI an embryologist will insert the sperm directly into the egg. Why is Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection given?  This procedure is conducted on men who experience little to no sperm ejaculated into the semen. Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection is generally used to treat male infertility cases that are severe and require some form of treatment in order to collect viable sperm. The immature sperm are collected from the testicles because these sperm are more likely to fertilize. There are times when couples do not receive the outcomes they wished for during alternative IVF treatment and ICSI becomes the next step. Approximately, 50% of all IVF treatments are performed through the use of ICSI technology. The technology is highly effective and precise in nature. Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection may also be used for couples that desire to have genetic screening conducted on the embryo to check for specific genetic diseases or conditions. With the use of only one sperm for each egg, the technique is reliable and there is little room for contamination of other sperm. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection process in detail Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection is a practice used during IVF treatment cases. Therefore, if you have already undergone IVF treatment, then ICSI will be no different because both are done in a lab. The doctor will give you drugs which will stimulate your ovaries and extract an egg once your follicle (which holds immature eggs) is at a good size. Once this is done, the male will give a sperm sample and an embryologist will insert the sperm into each egg that is recovered. After the sperm is inserted into the egg, the doctors will see if fertilization occurred and that the fertilized eggs (embryos) are healthy. If this is the case then the doctors will place the embryos back into the uterus. Is Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection effective?  When used with IVF and when the eggs are viable and of good quality, intracytoplasmic sperm injection can be highly effective. The technique is used to improve the effectiveness of the sperm in men with male infertility factor. It has been proven to increase success in men with very little sperm, no sperm or damaged sperm that is found in the semen. Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection is not generally used for men with good quality sperm found in the semen, but exclusively used for men who do not have quality sperm or do not have any sperm found in the semen. Are there risks involved with Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection? As with any IVF or fertility treatment there are some risks or complications involved. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection risks are the same as those involved with in vitro fertilization. There is an increased risk for multiple pregnancy occurrences and ovarian hyper-stimulation. There may also be a higher rate of birth defects in infants who are conceived with assisted techniques, such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection. It is important to discuss the risks and outcomes with your fertility specialist before proceeding with any fertility procedure. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment success rates  If you choose to forgo intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment, the success rate of the eggs getting fertilized is about 50% to 80%. However, you need to know that even though a sperm is inserted inside the egg, fertilization may not occur. And even if fertilization does occur, the egg may not keep growing. But, if fertilization occurs then the success rate of couples who go through ICSI treatment is the exact same as a couple who go through IVF treatment. Written by : Lazoi Team

Know the basics of growth hormone deficiency

Growth hormone deficiency is a condition in which the body doesn’t create enough growth hormone. Growth hormone is a hormone which stimulates growth and cell reproduction in the body. Pituitary gland produces this hormone which is located at the base of your brain, and then released into the blood. When your pituitary gland doesn’t produce enough growth hormone, your growth can slow leading to dwarfism. Generally, dwarfism can be classified into two categories: 

1. Disproportionate dwarfism: It is a condition where body size is disproportionate. Some parts of the body are small, and others are of average size or above-average size. Disorders causing disproportionate dwarfism affect the development of bones.
2. Proportionate dwarfism: A body is small if all parts of the body are small to the same degree and appear to be proportioned like a body of average stature.

Symptoms of Disproportionate dwarfism

Most people with disproportionate dwarfism have a very short trunk and shortened limbs. The head is disproportionately large compared with the body. The most common cause of dwarfism is a disorder called achondroplasia, which causes disproportionately short stature. It results in: 

• An average-size trunk
• Short arms and legs, with particularly short upper arms and upper legs
• Short fingers, often with a wide separation between the middle and ring fingers
• Limited mobility at the elbows
• A disproportionately large head, with a prominent forehead and a flattened bridge of the nose
• Progressive development of bowed legs
• Progressive development of swayed lower back

Symptoms of Proportionate dwarfism

Proportionate dwarfism results from medical conditions present at birth or appearing in early childhood that restrict overall development. So the head, trunk and limbs are all small, but they’re proportionate to each other. Symptoms of proportionate dwarfism include: 

• Growth rate slower than expected for age
• Delayed or no sexual development during the teen years

Causes of dwarfism

• Achondroplasia: Most of the people with achondroplasia are born to parents of average height. A person with achondroplasia and with two average-size parents received one mutated copy of the gene associated with the disorder and one normal copy of the gene. A person with the disorder may pass along either a mutated or normal copy to his or her own children.
• Turner syndrome: It is a condition that affects only girls and women, wherein, a sex chromosome (the X chromosome) is absent or partially absent.
• Growth hormone deficiency: Growth hormone deficiency can sometimes be linked to a genetic mutation or injury, but for most people with the disorder, no cause can be identified.

Treatment for dwarfism

Most dwarfism treatments don’t increase height but may relieve problems caused by complications.

Surgical treatments: Surgical procedure may help in

 

• Correcting the direction in which bones are growing
• Stabilizing the shape of the spine
• Increasing the size of the vertebrae to alleviate pressure on the spinal cord

Limb lengthening: Some dwarfism patients choose to undergo surgery called extended limb lengthening. This procedure carries high risks. The surgery is recommended only when the person with dwarfism is old enough. 

Hormone therapy: For dwarfism patients, treatment with injections of a synthetic version of the hormone may increase final height. Children receive daily injections for several years in most of the cases. The treatment may continue throughout the teen years and early adulthood.

Regular checkups and ongoing care by an endocrinologist experienced in dealing with dwarfism can improve quality of life. Adults with dwarfism should continue to be checked and treated for problems that occur throughout life.

Interventional Cardiology and Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery

One area a cardiologist might choose to focus on is something called interventional cardiology. This is a way of minimizing the risk in heart surgery by minimizing the invasiveness of the surgery itself. This is often done through the use of catheters and can fix a wide range of heart problems after medication has stopped working and before major surgery is needed. An interventional cardiologist is often considered the middle ground between a cardiologist and a heart surgeon.

The First Steps of Treating Heart Disease

Every single person who develops some kind of heart problem will eventually be put on a medication to assist in their heart problem. The doctor will usually recommend some lifestyle changes, along with medications. These medications will include blood thinners, beta blockers, medications to lower blood pressure and medications to lower cholesterol. For many, these medications can be used for years effectively, as long as the patient maintains a healthy lifestyle. In some cases, these medications might stop being effective. Usually, when this happens, the cardiologist will look at minimally invasive procedures in order to fix the problem.

Interventional Cardiology Surgeries

There are several different surgeries that someone who specializes in interventional cardiology might use. These often include the use of a catheter, threaded into the body and towards the heart in order to improve a condition. Some common types of interventional surgeries are angioplasties, valvuloplasties, congenital heart defect corrections and coronary thrombectomies.

Angioplasties - Angioplasties are one of the most common procedures that an interventional cardiologist will perform. In an angioplasty, a cardiologist will treat coronary artery disease by inserting a catheter into a person vein. At the end of this catheter will be a balloon. The cardiologist will thread in the catheter until they reach the vein blockage. Then, they will expand the balloon and remove the blockage.

Valvuloplasty - A valvuloplasty is much like an angioplasty. However, instead of using the balloon to widen arteries, the balloon is used to widen a valve. Aortic and Mitral valvuloplasties are the most common types performed.

Congenital heart defect correction - Some defects are made. Some people are born with congenital heart defects that need to be corrected. In these cases, the same catheter based approach will be used to improve blood flow in the heart, which has been inhibited due to a congenital defect.

Coronary thrombectomies - Coronary thrombectomies are performed when there is a blood clot in the heart somewhere. In these cases, coronary thrombectomies are performed as a last resort, when all other measures have failed. A blood clot in the heart can be extremely serious and can cause death if it is not removed as quickly as possible.

Interventional cardiology requires a special kind of cardiologist to handle. In some cases, these interventional procedures will be performed by a patient's primary cardiologist, while others might need to refer their patients out for interventional treatment. Interventional treatment with a cardiologist is a great alternative to traditional surgery, as it carries significantly less risk and has a faster recovery time.