Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Common Cold Prevention

Some of the most common ways of preventing a cold include washing your hands often, avoiding people who have the common cold, using disinfectants, and living a healthy lifestyle. Other common cold prevention methods that might not initially come to mind include keeping your hands away from your face and reducing or managing stress. Research has also shown that the more social you are, the less likely you are to get sick.

Prevention of the Common Cold: An Overview

There are several ways you can reduce your chances of getting a cold. Suggestions for preventing the common cold include:

Washing your hands regularly
Keeping your hands away from your nose, mouth, and eyes
Using disinfectants
Limiting exposure to infected people
Practicing healthy habits.

Wash Those Hands to Prevent a Cold

The common cold can be passed through coughing, sneezing, and touching surfaces such as doorknobs and telephones. Handwashing with soap and water is the simplest and one of the most effective ways to keep from getting colds or from giving them to others. During cold season, you should wash your hands often and teach your children to do the same.

According to the American Society for Microbiology, a national survey found that Americans were most likely to say they wash their hands after changing a diaper and before handling food. Most, however, said they don't wash their hands after coughing and sneezing.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends regular scrubbing of your hands with warm, soapy water for about 15 seconds as a part of common cold prevention. When water isn't available, the CDC recommends using alcohol-based products made for sanitizing hands.

Keep Your Hands Down

Touching your nose, mouth, and eyes with contaminated hands makes it easy for cold and flu viruses to enter the body. Others can become ill by just coming in contact with someone who has become infected with a cold or flu virus or who has been in a contaminated area.

Keep Surfaces Clean

Rhinoviruses can live up to 3 hours on your skin. They also can survive up to 3 hours on objects such as telephones and stair railings. Cleaning environmental surfaces with a virus-killing disinfectant, available at most grocery stores, can help prevent the spread of infection. A solution of 1 part bleach mixed with 10 parts water also is effective in killing viruses.

Avoid People With Colds

Sometimes people are infected with a virus and they don't know it because they haven't experienced symptoms yet. If possible, avoid people who you know have colds.

Keep infants away from crowds for the first few months of life. This is especially important for premature babies, who may have underlying abnormalities like lung disease and heart disease.

If keeping your distance is too difficult -- as in the case of parents who can't help but hold and kiss their sick kids -- then wash your hands frequently and keep surfaces clean with a virus-killing disinfectant.

Practice Healthy Habits

Eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and exercising can help the immune system better fight off the germs that cause illness.

Because smoking interferes with the mechanisms that keep bacteria and debris out of the lungs, those who use tobacco or who are exposed to secondhand smoke are more prone to respiratory illnesses and complications of the common cold than nonsmokers.

If you've been feeling run down, some stress management might not be a bad idea. Research scientists have found that people who experience more stress are more likely to get sick and experience worse symptoms.

Common cold research has also shown that the more social you are, the less likely you are to get sick. It could be because having more social contacts and support is less stressful than keeping to yourself.

Causes of Common Cold

What Causes the Common Cold?

The common cold is caused by a virus. More than 200 different viruses are known to cause the common cold. Some, such as the rhinovirus, seldom produce serious illnesses. Others, such as parainfluenza and respiratory syncytial virus, produce only mild infections in adults, but can cause severe lower respiratory infections in young children.

Rhinovirus

Rhinoviruses (from the Greek word rhin, meaning "nose") are the common cold causes in an estimated 30 to 35 percent of all adults, and are most active in early fall, spring, and summer. More than 110 distinct rhinovirus types have been identified. These agents grow best at temperatures of about 91 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature inside the human nose.

Coronavirus

Coronaviruses also cause a large percentage of all adult colds. They bring on cold symptoms primarily in the winter and early spring. Of the more than 30 types of coronaviruses, only 3 or 4 infect humans. The importance of coronaviruses as common cold causes is hard to assess, because, unlike rhinoviruses, they are difficult to grow in the laboratory.

Other Viruses

Approximately 10 to 15 percent of all adult colds are caused by viruses also responsible for other, more severe, illnesses, such as:

Adenoviruses
Coxsackieviruses
Echoviruses
Orthomyxoviruses (including influenza A and B viruses, which cause flu)
Paramyxoviruses (including several parainfluenza viruses)
Respiratory syncytial virus
Enteroviruses
Unknown Causes

The causes of common cold in 30 to 50 percent of all adult colds remain unidentified, although they are presumed to be viral in nature. The same viruses that produce colds in adults appear to cause colds in children. The relative importance of various viruses in pediatric colds, however, is unclear, because it's difficult to isolate the precise cause of cold symptoms in studies of children with colds.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Symptoms of Common Cold

What are the symptoms of the common cold?

Symptoms of the common cold are generally mild and appear two to three days after exposure to a cold virus. Symptoms can vary depending on the specific type of virus causing the cold.

Common cold symptoms include:

Body aches
Cough
Fatigue
Headache
Low-grade fever
Post-nasal drip
Runny nose
Sneezing
Sore throat
Stuffy nose or nasal congestion
Watery eyes

Serious symptoms that might indicate a life-threatening condition

In some cases, a cold can result in serious complications, such as pneumonia or acute bronchitis. Call 911 or seek immediate medical care if you, or someone you are with, are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

Change in alertness or level of consciousness
Chest pain
Deep, wet chest cough that produces yellow, green or brownish phlegm
High fever (higher than 101 degrees Fahrenheit)
Lethargy or unresponsiveness
Shortness of breath
Wheezing, a whistling sound made with breathing

Is it a cold or the flu?

With the first signs of a cold you may wonder if you caught a cold or the flu. Symptoms of a cold and the flu can be similar. So what’s the difference?

When you have a cold, the symptoms are generally mild and include runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, and possibly a low-grade fever below 101 degrees Fahrenheit.

When you have the flu, you may have the same symptoms, but you will probably experience more severe and uncomfortable symptoms. Flu symptoms include a high fever (higher than 101 degrees Fahrenheit), coughing, headache, body aches, extreme fatigue, and sore throat. In children, symptoms of the flu can also include abdominal pain and vomiting.

The Common Cold

What is the common cold?

A cold, often called the common cold, is an extremely widespread upper respiratory infection. Colds are caused by a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract, including the nose and throat. There are about 200 different types of viruses than can cause a cold. The common cold is one of the most common illnesses. If you have a cold, you’re not alone. Each year, there are more than a billion cases of the common cold in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health (Source: NIH).

The effects of a cold can vary between individuals and the specific type of virus causing the infection. Typical symptoms of a cold include sneezing, coughing, sore throat, fatigue, and runny or stuffy nose. Colds are very contagious. They can occur at any time of year but are most common during the winter, especially during damp, rainy weather.

You can get a cold by inhaling a cold virus, such as when someone who has a cold sneezes nearby. You can also get a cold by touching your eyes, nose or mouth after you have touched a surface that is contaminated with a cold virus.

There is no cure for the common cold, but you can find relief by getting plenty of rest, drinking fluids, using over-the-counter cough drops, or taking over-the-counter cold medicines. In most cases, a cold is a mild, self-limiting disease that resolves by itself over a week or two. Most people in good health can recover from the common cold without complications.

In some cases, the common cold can lead to more serious infections and complications, such as pneumonia, acute bronchitis, and a worsening of asthma. People at risk for complications include those who have a chronic disease, an immunodeficiency disorder, a suppressed or compromised immune system, and the very young and very old.

Seek prompt medical care if you have a chronic disease and develop symptoms of a cold or if you have a cold that is not getting better. Seek immediate medical care (Call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have symptoms of a cold accompanied by shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain, or a change in alertness or consciousness.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Precautions of Cancer

Cancer prevention

At least one-third of all cancer cases are preventable. Prevention offers the most cost-effective long-term strategy for the control of cancer.

Tobacco

Tobacco use is the single greatest avoidable risk factor for cancer mortality worldwide, causing an estimated 22% of cancer deaths per year. In 2004, 1.6 million of the 7.4 million cancer deaths were due to tobacco use.

Tobacco smoking causes many types of cancer, including cancers of the lung, esophagus, larynx (voice box), mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, pancreas, stomach and cervix. About 70% of the lung cancer burden can be attributed to smoking alone. Second-hand smoke (SHS), also known as environmental tobacco smoke, has been proven to cause lung cancer in nonsmoking adults. Smokeless tobacco (also called oral tobacco, chewing tobacco or snuff) causes oral, esophageal and pancreatic cancer.

Physical inactivity, dietary factors, obesity and being overweight

Dietary modification is another important approach to cancer control. There is a link between overweight and obesity to many types of cancer such as oesophagus, colorectum, breast, endometrium and kidney. Diets high in fruits and vegetables may have a protective effect against many cancers. Conversely, excess consumption of red and preserved meat may be associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. In addition, healthy eating habits that prevent the development of diet-associated cancers will also lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Regular physical activity and the maintenance of a healthy body weight, along with a healthy diet, will considerably reduce cancer risk. National policies and programmes should be implemented to raise awareness and reduce exposure to cancer risk factors, and to ensure that people are provided with the information and support they need to adopt healthy lifestyles.

WHO global strategy on diet, physical activity and health

Alcohol use

Alcohol use is a risk factor for many cancer types including cancer of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver, colorectum and breast. Risk of cancer increases with the amount of alcohol consumed. The risk from heavy drinking for several cancer types (e.g. oral cavity, pharynx, larynx and oesophagus) substantially increases if the person is also a heavy smoker. Attributable fractions vary between men and women for certain types of alcohol-related cancer, mainly because of differences in average levels of consumption. For example, 22% of mouth and oropharynx cancers in men are attributable to alcohol whereas in women the attributable burden drops to 9%. A similar sex difference exists for oesophageal and liver cancers (Rehm et al., 2004).

Global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol

Infections

Infectious agents are responsible for almost 22% of cancer deaths in the developing world and 6% in industrialized countries. Viral hepatitis B and C cause cancer of the liver; human papilloma virus infection causes cervical cancer; the bacterium Helicobacter pylori increases the risk of stomach cancer. In some countries the parasitic infection schistosomiasis increases the risk of bladder cancer and in other countries the liver fluke increases the risk of cholangiocarcinoma of the bile ducts. Preventive measures include vaccination and prevention of infection and infestation.

Infectious diseases health topics

Environmental pollution

Environmental pollution of air, water and soil with carcinogenic chemicals accounts for 1–4% of all cancers (IARC/WHO, 2003). Exposure to carcinogenic chemicals in the environment can occur through drinking water or pollution of indoor and ambient air. In Bangladesh, 5–10% of all cancer deaths in an arsenic-contaminated region were attributable to arsenic exposure (Smith, Lingas & Rahman, 2000). Exposure to carcinogens also occurs via the contamination of food by chemicals, such as afl atoxins or dioxins. Indoor air pollution from coal fires doubles the risk of lung cancer, particularly among non-smoking women (Smith, Mehta & Feuz, 2004). Worldwide, indoor air pollution from domestic coal fires is responsible for approximately 1.5% of all lung cancer deaths. Coal use in households is particularly widespread in Asia.

Occupational carcinogens

More than 40 agents, mixtures and exposure circumstances in the working environment are carcinogenic to humans and are classified as occupational carcinogens (Siemiatycki et al., 2004). That occupational carcinogens are causally related to cancer of the lung, bladder, larynx and skin, leukaemia and nasopharyngeal cancer is well documented. Mesothelioma (cancer of the outer lining of the lung or chest cavity) is to a large extent caused by work-related exposure to asbestos.

Occupational cancers are concentrated among specific groups of the working population, for whom the risk of developing a particular form of cancer may be much higher than for the general population. About 20–30% of the male and 5–20% of the female working-age population (people aged 15–64 years) may have been exposed to lung carcinogens during their working lives, accounting for about 10% of lung cancers worldwide. About 2% of leukaemia cases worldwide are attributable to occupational exposures.

Radiation

Ionizing radiation is carcinogenic to humans. Knowledge on radiation risk has been mainly acquired from epidemiological studies of the Japanese A-bomb survivors as well as from studies of medical and occupational radiation exposure cohorts. Ionizing radiation can induce leukaemia and a number of solid tumours, with higher risks at young age at exposure. Residential exposure to radon gas from soil and building materials is estimated to cause between 3% and 14% of all lung cancers, making it the second cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoke. Radon levels in homes can be reduced by improving the ventilation and sealing floors and walls. Ionizing radiation is an essential diagnostic and therapeutic tool. To guarantee that benefits exceed potential radiation risks radiological medical procedures should be appropriately prescribed and properly performed, to reduce unnecessary radiation doses, particularly in children.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and in particular solar radiation, is carcinogenic to humans, causing all major types of skin cancer, such as basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and melanoma. Globally in 2000, over 200 000 cases of melanoma were diagnosed and there were 65 000 melanoma-associated deaths. Avoiding excessive exposure, use of sunscreen and protective clothing are effective preventive measures. UV-emitting tanning devices are now also classified as carcinogenic to humans based on their association with skin and ocular melanoma cancers.

Causes of Cancer

Causes of cancer: There is no exact reasons for the causes of cancer but there are several risk factors that increases the causes of cancer, here is the list of risk factors.

Age: Generally aged people will be suffering from cancer due to the presence of polyps (excess growth of glands). If the age is above 50 years, there will be more chances of getting cancer due to the increase in risk factors.

Alcohol: Consuming of alcohol will reduce the performance of body immune system which cause the occurrence of cancer disease.

Diabetes: Diabetes leads to the occurrence of cancer disease due to insulin dependency at high rate by the body.

Diet: Diet plays an important role in defining cancer. Taking fat foods with low fiber content will definitely causes cancer due to excess fat storage which leads to obesity. Planning proper diet menu with rich fiber foods helps in preventing cancer from occurrence.

Environment: The surroundings in which you live and work also leads to many risk factors for causing cancer. So, maintain proper surroundings .

Family pedigree: Family hereditary may cause cancer, but by taking screen tests you can reduce the risk factors for cancer.

Genetics: Many of the researchers suggest that 30 percent of the cancer cases have a genetic links.

Gender: Many of the research programs say that men are more often to face cancer than women.

Obesity: Obesity increases the chances of having colon cancer due to decrease in immune system rate in the body system.

Polyps: Polyps (unusual glands) increase the chance of having cancer. These polyps are occurred due to the excess growth of cells in the colon region or due to the family pedigree.

Smoking: This activity is the major risk factor in causing cancer. Smoking leads to lung cancer and also causes several side effects like digestion problems, burning sensation, headache and site blindness. So avoid smoking to prevent cancer from occurrence.

Symptoms of cancer disease

Symptoms of Cancer

A broad spectrum of non-specific cancer symptoms may include:

Persistent Fatigue: Fatigue is one of the most commonly experienced cancer symptoms. It is usually more common when the cancer is advanced, but still occurs in the early stages of some cancers. Anemia is commonly the culprit -- a condition that is associated with many types of cancer, especially types affecting the bowel. Fatigue is a symptom of both malignant and non-malignant conditions and should be evaluated by a physician.
Unintentional Weight Loss: While it may be a welcome surprise to lose weight without trying, it can be a red flag for many illnesses, including cancer. Losing 10 pounds or more unintentionally definitely warrants a visit to the doctor. This type of weight loss can occur with or without loss of appetite. Remember, weight loss can be a symptom of cancer, but is also a symptom of many other illnesses, too.
Pain Typically, pain is not an early symptom of cancer, except in some cancer types like those that spread to the bone. Pain generally occurs when cancer spreads and begins to affect other organs and nerves.

Lower pack pain is cancer symptom that is associated with ovarian cancer and colon cancer. Shoulder pain can also be a symptom of lung cancer. Pain in the form of headaches can be associated with brain tumors (malignant and benign).

Stomach pains can be related to types of cancer, like stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, and many others. Stomach pain can be a very vague symptom because so many illnesses can cause stomach pain.
Fever: A fever is a very non-specific symptom of many mild to severe conditions, including cancer. In relation to cancer, a fever that is persistent or one that comes and goes frequently can signal stress on the immune system. Fevers are commonly associated with types of cancer that affects the blood, like leukemia and lymphoma, but are also common in people whose cancer has spread.
Bowel Changes: If you experience constipation, diarrhea, blood in the stools, gas, thinner stools, or just a general overall change in bowel habits, see your doctor. These symptoms are most commonly associated with colon cancer, but are also related to other cancer types.
Chronic Cough: A persistent, new cough or a cough that won't go away or becomes worse needs to be evaluated by a doctor. Blood and/or mucus may accompany the cough and can be caused many conditions. In relation to cancer, a chronic cough with blood or mucus can be symptom of lung cancer.

Keep in mind that these are very general, vague symptoms of cancer. If you have one or two of these symptoms, it is not a red flag for cancer but more an indication to your doctor to run certain medical tests. The symptoms listed above are experienced by most people with cancer at various stages of their disease, but are also linked to many other non-cancerous conditions. For more specific cancer symptoms, see below for symptom information about several types of cancer. You may also get a better understanding of what your symptoms may mean by using the About.com Symptom Checker, an interactive health education tool.