Thursday, December 27, 2007
Hookworm is a parasitic intestinal infection.It may be caused most commonly by necator americanus. Hookworms live only in sandy or loamy soil. Heavy infection with hookworm can create serious health problems for newborns, children, pregnant women, and persons who are malnourished. Hookworm infections is occur mostly in tropical and subtropical climates and are estimated to infect about 1 billion people about one-fifth of the world's population. Two types of hookworm are responsible for hookworm disease in humans. The adult worm of both Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale is about 10 mm long, pinkish-white in color, and curved into an S-shape or double hook. Ancylostoma duodenale is found in southern Europe, northern Africa, northern Asia, and parts of South America.
Hookworm is Second species, Necator americanus was widespread in the southeastern United States early in this century. Life cycle of hookworms begins with the passing of hookworm eggs in human feces and their deposition into the soil. Larval growth is most proliferative in favorable soil that is sandy and moist, with an optimal temperature of 20-30°C. Under these conditions, the larvae hatch in 1 or 2 days to become rhabditiform larvae. Females may lay from 5,000 to 20,000 eggs a day after mating with the male in the host’s intestines. These eggs are passed out of the host's body in feces. The eggs enter the soil, where they incubate. After about 48 hours, the immature larval form hatches out of the eggs. These larvae take about six weeks to develop into the mature larval form that is capable of causing human infection. Most people have no symptoms once the worms enter the intestines. However, iron deficiency anemia caused by loss of blood may result from heavy infestation.
Causes of Hookworm Disease
1.Poor sanitation and poverty.
2.Refugees.
3.International adoptees.
4.Recent immigrants.
Symptoms of Hookworm Disease
1.Fever.
2.Chills.
3.Skin rash.
4.Itching.
5.Headache.
6.Facial paralysis.
7.Muscle pains.
8.Joint inflammation.
Treatment of Hookworm Disease
1.Chemotherapeutics available for treatment of hookworm disease include the benzimidazoles, mebendazole and albendazole, and pyrantel pamoate.
2.Benzimidazoles are an effective chemotherapeutic option with cure rates greater than 90% after a full course of treatment.
3.Oral penicillin is usually prescribed for children. When given during the late stages, high-dose ceftriaxone I.V. may be a successful treatment.
4.Some herbs are thought to be effective in treating bacterial diseases like Lyme disease. A popular choice for this purpose is the western herb spilanthes.
5.There is often a recommendation made to increase the amount of protein in the diet to improve nutrition.
6.Involves improving sanitation and avoiding contact with soil in areas with high rates of hookworm infection.
7.Children should be required to wear shoes when playing outside in such areas, and people who are gardening should wear gloves.
8.Iron supplements improve motor and language development in infected children.
9.Anemia is treated with iron supplements. In severe cases, blood transfusion may be necessary.
Juliet Cohen writes articles for http://www.healthatoz.info/ http://www.skin-disorders-guide.com/
The stratospheric rise of yoga brings opportunities and challenges
Over the last 20 years, the popularity of yoga has increased from nearly no interest to being one of the most popular exercise regimes around. To match the increasing demand for yoga, more and more yoga centers are opening all the time. For those of us looking for something new, or just starting out for the first time, the choices can be daunting.
There are many different schools and styles of yoga including Iyengar, Ashtanga, power yoga, Bikram (hot), Kundilini, Viniyoga to name just a few. Although all of these schools of yoga essentially teach the same Hatha yoga asanas (yoga postures), the objectives of the class and the way the postures are performed and taught are very different for each.
In addition every yoga teacher has their own characteristics, emphasis and approach to teaching which affects the class and learning experience.
While so many choices can be daunting, it also means that there's so much diversity, we're bound to find a style and a teacher that we like. If we don't like a school of yoga, or a yoga teacher - we can try something else.
While personal preference will guide much of our selection process both for the school of yoga and the teacher, finding an experienced and high quality teacher is the most important consideration.
Yoga teachers are not all created equal
With the increasing popularity of yoga the demand for teachers and peoples desire to take their practice to the next level means that thousands of people take some kind of certification or registration each year. But with so many new teachers around, it's impossible for them all to be to be of the highest standards.
In addition, the absence of formal regulation of the training and certification for yoga it's difficult to know before a class how good a teacher will be. Without formal standards, an individual can become a teacher with very little personal yoga practice and experience. Experience is important for overall understanding but the amount of and quality of teacher training is also important. The quality of yoga teacher training courses and certification varies enormously. Currently certification can take from a year or more for some specializations to merely a 1 or 2 day intensive program. A 200 hour program of learning and supervised teaching practice is quite standard. What's more the format can vary from retreats with formal examinations to correspondence courses and certification over the internet.
With the teacher being so important, and the options on teacher training so varied, the responsibility for selecting a high quality yoga teacher is passed to the students and should not be taken lightly.
So what makes a good teacher?
The yoga instructor is elemental in setting the tone of the class. The teacher, their style of yoga and their approach to teaching, can not only determine whether you enjoy a session, but whether you like yoga at all. But more than that the yoga teacher, the routines they teach and the quality of their teaching will control how much benefit we get from the practice.
While there are many complexities that determine whether we enjoy a class, there are two things a yoga teacher must always do.
The teacher must guide our practice on a macro-level with a well rounded practice. It is important that we develop our bodies in a balanced and uniform manner which means in a single session we should develop strength, flexibility to all muscles and joints without over emphasis on one area that could lead to strains and injury. On top of this it's important perform balancing poses that improve body co-ordination and improve concentration. Finally every pose, particularly the flexion and compression of the back, has a counter pose. A well designed yoga routine takes this into consideration to prevent over straining muscles and reduce soreness.
The yoga teacher must guide our learning on a micro-level with correct technique and alignment to increase our abilities without injury. Firstly the teacher needs to provide demonstration and detailed instruction on how to safely enter, hold and exit the poses. The descriptions should include details about correct steps to enter the pose as well as key points to consider such as alignment and muscles to use.
In addition the teacher needs to quickly gauge each individual's abilities so they can advise on more basic or more advanced variations as appropriate. Then the teacher needs to observe how we are performing each pose helping to correct errors that may lead to injuries. Correction of poses can include verbal descriptions or by physical assistance and repositioning.
How to find a teacher that works for us?
The best way to choose a yoga teacher is by giving their class a try. We usually know before the end of the first class whether we're going to be able to follow this style of yoga and the teacher.
However, if we have less experience of yoga, attending a new school of yoga or a new teacher may be more intimidating. In this case it's worthwhile talking with the teacher before taking their lessons, to find out more about them and tell them about ourselves. Things to consider may include:
The school or style of yoga they teach.
How long they have been practicing yoga, and how long they have been teaching yoga.
How they got into yoga, and what they get out of it, why they continue to practice. Why did they want to teach yoga to others?
How they structure their classes. Whether they focus on any particular aspect such as strength, flexibility, balance or meditation.
Whether they give demonstrations or just verbal descriptions.
The size of classes and whether they focus on individuals, how they help with correcting poses, through descriptions only or physical contact to realign (in which case gender may become a factor).
If we are attending a new yoga class for a particular health reason such as treating back pain, high blood pressure, stress or breathing problems then it's important to know if the teacher has any experience in these treatments
There are a couple of other "tells" that may help you judge whether a teacher is sufficiently experienced. Firstly, does the teacher talk as if they are genuinely enthusiastic about yoga, it's benefits for the body, mind and spirit and sharing that with their students? Secondly, do they come across as being genuinely knowledgeable about yoga? Such as knowing and using the Sanskrit names of the yoga poses. While it doesn't guarantee that the teacher is experienced or good at teaching, it does at least indicate they have spent some time learning their practice.
If you don't find the right yoga style or teacher right away, then keep looking. With so many options you're bound to find something soon enough. The health benefits of yoga are worth the search and you'll learn plenty about yoga, your body and yourself along the way.
TotalYogaPractice.com yoga teachers are North India natives, with yoga in their heritage and their blood. Starting their yoga practice at childhood, they have dedicated their entire lives to learning and teaching yoga. Using their 20 plus years of yoga experience they know how to structure yoga practices that deliver strength, flexibility and balance, helping their students to feel well exercised but also calm, relaxed and energized in mind and body.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jez Heath is helping real people learn yoga online so they can make the commitment necessary to improve their yoga and their health - mind, body and soul. Learn how yoga streaming video can help you transform your life
Diphtheria - Definition, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Diphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness. It is caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a facultatively anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium. The bacterium produces a toxin (poison) that is carried in the bloodstream. It is characterized by sore throat, low-grade fever, and an adherent membrane on the tonsil, pharynx, and/or nose. Diphtheria is a highly contagious disease spread by direct physical contact or breathing the aerosolized secretions of infected individuals. Once quite common, diphtheria has largely been eradicated in developed nations through wide-spread vaccination. Diphtheria is common in many parts of the world. Diphtheria is rare in the United States and Europe, where health officials have been immunizing children against it for decades. However, it's still common in developing countries where immunizations aren't given routinely. Diphtheria is most common in areas where people live in crowded conditions with poor sanitation. Persons, especially children, who are not immunized or who did not receive adequate immunization are most at risk.
Children were at highest risk for respiratory diphtheria. Some people can be infected but not appear ill. They can also spread the infection. People get diphtheria by breathing in diphtheria bacteria after an infected person has coughed or sneezed. Diphtheria bacteria live in the mouth, nose, throat, or skin of infected persons. In more serious cases, it can attack the heart and nerves. Diphtheria is re-emerging in some areas of the world where immunization practices are lax. Symptoms usually appear 2 to 4 days after infection. Diphtheria toxin can damage the heart muscles and cause heart failure or paralyze the breathing muscles. Diphtheria spreads from person to person very easily. Diphtheria usually attacks the throat and nose. Routine vaccination of both children and adults is essential to prevent the re-emergence of diphtheria in the United States. The infection also causes the lymph glands and tissue on both sides of the neck to swell to an unusually large size.
Causes of Diphtheria
1.Corynebacterium diphtheriae.
2.Crowded living conditions with poor sanitation.
Symptoms of Conjunctivitis
1. Sore throat.
2. Difficulty breathing.
3. Rapid heartbeat.
4. Swollen lymph glands.
5. Gray membrane covering the throat and tonsils.
6. Low blood pressure
7. Fever.
Treatment of Conjunctivitis
1. Antitoxin is injected into a vein (intravenously) or into a muscle (intramuscular injection).
2. Children and adults who have diphtheria often need to be in the hospital for treatment. Diphtheria is a medical emergency. The person should be given a medicine (diphtheria antitoxin) to fight the diphtheria poison and antibiotics to fight the diphtheria bacteria. The antitoxin neutralizes the diphtheria toxin already circulating in your body.
3. Some patients might need mechanical help in breathing (respirator). Persons who have been in close contact with the patient should have throat cultures and be given antibiotics. Tn to persons who have been immunized before.
4. Diphtheria is also treated with antibiotics, such as penicillin or erythromycin. Antibiotics help kill bacteria in the body, clearing up infections.
5. In advanced cases, a person with diphtheria may need the assistance of a machine that helps them breathe (ventilator) until the infection is successfully treated. As is the case with all immunizations, there are important exceptions and special circumstances. Health-care providers should have the most current information on recommendations about diphtheria vaccination.
Juliet Cohen writes articles for http://www.healthatoz.info/ http://www.skin-disorders-guide.com/
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