What is Streptococcal Pharyngitis. It is commonly known as "sore throat or strep throat." Characteristics of having "sore throat" is when you have difficulty swallowing and pain in the throat area. Picture a inflammed throat with adhering pus and tiny little hemmorahages scattered. (That is not a pretty picture is it) Sometimes infected individuals can't even tell they have it due to mild to no symptoms at all. Strep throat is known to affect individuals on an average about a week.
Prevention and treatment include ventilation and avoidance of crowding, since the infection is highly contagious. Sadly, no vaccine is available yet. Daily penicillin treatment to prevent further infection. There are also little home remedies such as honey, and mixing salt with water to help speed the process of curing. In the end, whenever you get a strep throat, it just plain sucks. The pain is excruciating. I'm going to go try some salt with water right now to see if that helps.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Could Zombies take over the world?
I love horror movies, especially those with zombies. There have been so many movies made like Resident Evil, 28 Days Later, and Dawn of the Dead that illustrate a zombie apocalypse spontaneously showing up due to the spread of some kind of virus. However, I did a little research to see if "zombies" could be possible in our world. The topics i will discuss were found on a web site, in which i will attach the link below.
The first way to become a zombie would be through brain parasite such as toxoplasmosa gondii, which is known to cause some sort of brain control in rates. It causes the rats to show "insane" effects. In addition, the pararasite is know to also be present in some humans, but not show the same effets yet. If the parasite were to evolve a little bit more, then maybe the chance of having a brain dead human being could be possible such as in the Resident Evil games starting with part 4.
A second chemical that could be used are neurotoxins. Neurotoxins, such as the drug drug like datura stramonium, can induce humans to a trance state, with no memory. However, the infected individual would still be able to eat, moan and move. An excellent example of this was seen in Resident Evil 5.
The number one cause on this list that i find not to credible is the making of nanobots. Nanobots have been said to be able to control our brain through "rewiring" our thoughts. This is sort of scary to be true. They say that the nanobots will control our bodies after we die, and spread to new hosts through the infected individual biting a healthy person. I don't really find this cause to be possible than the other topics i stated above.
In the end all we can do is hope nothing like what happens in the movies can happen in real life.
http://www.cracked.com/article_15643_5-scientific-reasons-zombie-apocalypse-could-actually-happen_p5.html
The first way to become a zombie would be through brain parasite such as toxoplasmosa gondii, which is known to cause some sort of brain control in rates. It causes the rats to show "insane" effects. In addition, the pararasite is know to also be present in some humans, but not show the same effets yet. If the parasite were to evolve a little bit more, then maybe the chance of having a brain dead human being could be possible such as in the Resident Evil games starting with part 4.
A second chemical that could be used are neurotoxins. Neurotoxins, such as the drug drug like datura stramonium, can induce humans to a trance state, with no memory. However, the infected individual would still be able to eat, moan and move. An excellent example of this was seen in Resident Evil 5.
The number one cause on this list that i find not to credible is the making of nanobots. Nanobots have been said to be able to control our brain through "rewiring" our thoughts. This is sort of scary to be true. They say that the nanobots will control our bodies after we die, and spread to new hosts through the infected individual biting a healthy person. I don't really find this cause to be possible than the other topics i stated above.
In the end all we can do is hope nothing like what happens in the movies can happen in real life.
http://www.cracked.com/article_15643_5-scientific-reasons-zombie-apocalypse-could-actually-happen_p5.html
Sunday, November 14, 2010
So, you had to have your Appendix removed?
During my elementary years in school, some fellow students in my school had their appendix removed. When I heard that one of their organs had be taken out, I thought, "How are they still surviving without an organ?" I thought they were weird, different people for having to have their organ removed. Well now I know that it was because of appendicitis, and it is not an abnormal procedure for people to encounter when they have to remove it.
Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix. Unfortunately, the only way to cure it is to have your appendix removed through the procedure of an appendectomy. The appendix, to this day, has no known function, and we are able to live without it. If an inflammed appendix is left untreated, it will bursts and spread infectious materials into the abdominal cavity causing death. It is important to remove the appendix as soon as possible to avoid the burst.
Appendicitis occurs when the appendix is block by a stool or foreign objects. It is characterized as a sharp pain near the navel or the upper abdomen, loss of appetite, or painful urination. There is no way to prevent appendicitis from happening, but it is known that diets high in fiber may be a contributing factor to preventing appendicits from happening.
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-diseases-appendicitis?page=1
Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix. Unfortunately, the only way to cure it is to have your appendix removed through the procedure of an appendectomy. The appendix, to this day, has no known function, and we are able to live without it. If an inflammed appendix is left untreated, it will bursts and spread infectious materials into the abdominal cavity causing death. It is important to remove the appendix as soon as possible to avoid the burst.
Appendicitis occurs when the appendix is block by a stool or foreign objects. It is characterized as a sharp pain near the navel or the upper abdomen, loss of appetite, or painful urination. There is no way to prevent appendicitis from happening, but it is known that diets high in fiber may be a contributing factor to preventing appendicits from happening.
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-diseases-appendicitis?page=1
Monday, November 8, 2010
Rodents carry disease
Hantavirus is a group of viruses carried by the deer mice in North America. It is known to spread by thier urine, droppings, and saliva. Make sure whenever you find a rat dropping you treat it as a biohazard because there is no way to distinguish an infected rat droppping carrying the hantavirus compared to a normal dropping without the virus. What makes this virus even scarier is that it can be transmitted through the air by breathing in the dust, or particles, of the droppings.
Symptoms over the virus occur about after a month of exposure starting with flu like symptoms, including fever, vomiting and fatigue. If infected, you start experiencing respiratory failure characterized by shortness of breath
Treatment is available if the virus happens to concentrate more on your kidneys. However, if the virus happens to reside in lungs, there is still no treatment/cure for this type of infection.
You can prevent receiving the hantavirus by taking some precautions in your daily life such as setting mouse traps, making sure your house has all cracks sealed where rodents could potentially enter, treat every rat dropping as a biohazard, and drinking disinfected water all to prevent the possibility of encountering this virus.
Sources:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001382.htm
http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehsphl/factsheet/hanta.htm
 |
| Picture of a deer mouse |
Treatment is available if the virus happens to concentrate more on your kidneys. However, if the virus happens to reside in lungs, there is still no treatment/cure for this type of infection.
You can prevent receiving the hantavirus by taking some precautions in your daily life such as setting mouse traps, making sure your house has all cracks sealed where rodents could potentially enter, treat every rat dropping as a biohazard, and drinking disinfected water all to prevent the possibility of encountering this virus.
Sources:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001382.htm
http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehsphl/factsheet/hanta.htm
Monday, November 1, 2010
Staph Infection
Ever heard the coaches and trainers consistentlly tell you how important it was to take a shower after your workout? There was a reason for that. In addition, whenever you got a cut on your skin, would they immediately send you to get taped up. Staphylococcus aureus, AKA Staph infection, is the cause for this strict protection.
Staph Aureus is known to be part of the normal flora of some individuals, but can be harmful to others who don't have it. For instance, take a normal, healthy looking, football player all sweaty from lifting weights. His sweaty arm ends up rubbing against the leg of one of his fellow teammates. The teammate has a cut from practice that has been left unbandaged for the past weeks. The sweaty skin touching the leg of the teammate is enough to transfer Staph auerus and cause health problems.
What does Staph Look Like?
Under a microscope with a gram stain, they are seen as gram-positve cocci clustered up.
However, since you might not have access to a microscope, there are other physical symptoms to look out for.
Staph infection can be characterized by a pimple like thing appearing anywhere on your body. It will be a collection of pus, often associated with redness and pain in the affected area as illustrated above.
Treatment of Staph
If left untreated staph infection can be known to cause death. In other words, the longer you wait to treat it, the more health problems you will encounter. Staph is resisitant to penicillin to don't even try any medication with the suffix -cillin. Doctors usually prescribe an ointment to treat staph. In some cases, even surgery is required to remove the infected area. (I know because this happend to two of my friends senior year) Personal hygiene is the best way to prevent staph infection from happening.
Staph Aureus is known to be part of the normal flora of some individuals, but can be harmful to others who don't have it. For instance, take a normal, healthy looking, football player all sweaty from lifting weights. His sweaty arm ends up rubbing against the leg of one of his fellow teammates. The teammate has a cut from practice that has been left unbandaged for the past weeks. The sweaty skin touching the leg of the teammate is enough to transfer Staph auerus and cause health problems.
What does Staph Look Like?
 |
| Gram positive cocci |
However, since you might not have access to a microscope, there are other physical symptoms to look out for.
| Individual with Staph infection |
Treatment of Staph
If left untreated staph infection can be known to cause death. In other words, the longer you wait to treat it, the more health problems you will encounter. Staph is resisitant to penicillin to don't even try any medication with the suffix -cillin. Doctors usually prescribe an ointment to treat staph. In some cases, even surgery is required to remove the infected area. (I know because this happend to two of my friends senior year) Personal hygiene is the best way to prevent staph infection from happening.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)