Category: Health Tips 6

Cold Legs Causes

Many people complain of having cold legs and feet. The symptom itself is mainly due to a lack of circulation in the lower extremities. It can be caused by a number of conditions. Effective treatment will involve determining the cause of the condition. There are preventative methods that keep people from having cold feet.

Some of the conditions that can lead to decreased peripheral circulation and cold feet include

• Smoking. Nicotine constricts the blood vessels making it harder for warm and oxygenated blood to get to the peripheries.
• Obesity. The added weight makes it harder for the heart to pump blood through the entire body effectively.
• Hypertension/Hypotension. Both conditions can affect blood circulation.
• Diabetes. The disease increases blood glucose levels making the circulating blood thicker, which can make it harder for the miniscule blood vessels to get oxygenated blood. It can also interfere with the nerve system.
• Pregnancy. The added weight and pressure on the circulatory system can lead to a constriction of the vessels in the extremities.
• Deep Vein Thrombosis. A serious condition that can come about from being in a cramped sitting position for a long time, like when sitting in an airplane seat for a long time.

Other possible causes of cold legs include improper diet, especially diets too high on salt. A lack of exercise can also lead to the symptom. The cold weather can also cause cold legs and feet as the body pools blood into the vital organs in cold environments.

Cold Legs Symptoms

Some of the symptoms associated with having cold feet include the following.

• Feet cold during sleep or throughout the day.
• Achy Feet, tired feet, or having a dull pain in feet.
• Loss of sensation or numbness. Some people may find it difficult to pick out pricks or soft touches on their feet. This is an important symptom to look out for and should be reported to a healthcare provided as soon as possible.
• Sensitivity to touch. Patients can also be very sensitive to touch.

Cold Leg Remedies and Prevention

Treating the underlying condition is very important for people who are dealing with cold feet. With diseases like diabetes and hypertension, keeping them in control is always important.

• Keep diabetes and blood pressure under control.
• Exercise regularly.
• Keep a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI).
• Walk around when on long trips or schedule walking stops when on long cross-country drives.

Cold legs and feet may also be prevented in cold weather by doing the following:

• Wearing dry warm socks. Long socks can be used to keep the legs warm.
• Wearing warm caps and mittens to bed during winter time as a lot of body heat gets lost through the head.

Brain stem is a vital part of brain situated in its posterior part. Almost half an inch in diameter, brain stem is made up of the medulla oblongata, pons and the mid-brain. Further down it continues with spinal cord. Brain stem is a main regulator of cardiac and respiratory functions besides being a carrier for sensory information. Blood pressure, breathing, alertness, heartbeats, digestion all are controlled by brain stem.

Being a control center of the brain, any damage to brain stem can seriously affect its function. Brain stem stroke occurs when blood flow to brain stem is impaired. Such type of stroke is caused due to burst artery in the brain (hemorrhage) or a blood clot (ischemia). Brain stem stroke is life threatening because it controls vital functions of the body such as breathing, and heartbeat. Early recognition and prompt treatment are thus important for recovery and good prognosis.

Causes And Risk Factors For Brain Stem Stroke

As mentioned earlier brain stem stroke can occur due to two factors, ischemia or hemorrhage. Ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot from heart vessels or neck vessel blocks the blood flow to the brain stem. Formation of clot in the tiny artery of brain can also cause ischemic brain stem stroke.

Hemorrhagic brain stem stroke occurs when the blood vessel supplying blood to the brain stem burst causing severe bleeding in the brain tissue. Below are given certain triggering factors that may increase the risk of brain stem stroke:

• High blood pressure.
• Increased blood cholesterol.
• Irregular pumping of heart.
• Smoking and tobacco chewing.
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Alcohol
• Drug abuse
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Diet high in salt
• Eating food having high fat content.
• Past history of stroke or cardiac illness.
• Taking oral contraceptive for long time.
• Increased tendency to bleeding or clotting.
• Certain metabolic syndromes.
• History of stroke in family.

Visible Symptoms Brain Stem Stroke

Person who experiences stroke in brain stem will show up with several symptoms. However, sometimes it is confusing because the symptoms can be confused for other conditions. Below are the main clinical features of brain stem stroke:

• Dizziness along with vertigo.
• Difficulty in breathing.
• Difficulty in speaking.
• Imbalance of body.
• Lack of co-ordination.
• Weakness in one side of body.
• Feeling lethargic all the time.
• Difficulty in chewing and swallowing food.
• Blurring of vision
• Hearing loss
• Slurred speech
• Loss of consciousness
• Coma

One of the most dangerous complications of brain stem stroke is lock-in syndrome. In this condition all the muscles of body are paralyzed, except for the muscles of eyes. Patient can only move his eyes sideways or blink his eyes.

Diagnosis And Treatment For Brain Stem Stroke

Brain stem stroke is a medical emergency. Prompt diagnosis and effective treatment is the essence of good prognosis in case of brain stem stroke. The emergency medical doctor will order MRI or CT scan. He will also recommend for electrocardiogram, Doppler study and 2 D echo depending on the severity. Certain blood tests are also recommended as the patient is admitted in the hospital.

Treatment is promptly started as the condition is critical and delay may lead to more complication. If the underlying cause is blood clot, patient will be put on clot dissolving medicines. The aim is to restore blood supply to the brain. There is good prognosis if the drug in given within 3 hours of stroke.

If the cause is hemorrhagic stroke, blood pressure medicines will be given orally or intravenously to reduce high blood pressure. Blood thinning medicines are never given in hemorrhagic strokes because it will increase bleeding. In case of aneurysm surgery may be required to stop bleeding.

Once the patient revives from the acute attack of brain stem stroke, after few days patient may need other therapies such as speech therapy, physiotherapy, and other physical rehabilitation measures for better living.

Cold Legs Causes

Many people complain of having cold legs and feet. The symptom itself is mainly due to a lack of circulation in the lower extremities. It can be caused by a number of conditions. Effective treatment will involve determining the cause of the condition. There are preventative methods that keep people from having cold feet.

Some of the conditions that can lead to decreased peripheral circulation and cold feet include

• Smoking. Nicotine constricts the blood vessels making it harder for warm and oxygenated blood to get to the peripheries.
• Obesity. The added weight makes it harder for the heart to pump blood through the entire body effectively.
• Hypertension/Hypotension. Both conditions can affect blood circulation.
• Diabetes. The disease increases blood glucose levels making the circulating blood thicker, which can make it harder for the miniscule blood vessels to get oxygenated blood. It can also interfere with the nerve system.
• Pregnancy. The added weight and pressure on the circulatory system can lead to a constriction of the vessels in the extremities.
• Deep Vein Thrombosis. A serious condition that can come about from being in a cramped sitting position for a long time, like when sitting in an airplane seat for a long time.

Other possible causes of cold legs include improper diet, especially diets too high on salt.

A lack of exercise can also lead to the symptom. The cold weather can also cause cold legs and feet as the body pools blood into the vital organs in cold environments.

Cold Legs Symptoms

Some of the symptoms associated with having cold feet include the following.

• Feet cold during sleep or throughout the day.
• Achy Feet, tired feet, or having a dull pain in feet.
• Loss of sensation or numbness. Some people may find it difficult to pick out pricks or soft touches on their feet. This is an important symptom to look out for and should be reported to a healthcare provided as soon as possible.
• Sensitivity to touch. Patients can also be very sensitive to touch.

Cold Leg Remedies and Prevention

Treating the underlying condition is very important for people who are dealing with cold feet. With diseases like diabetes and hypertension, keeping them in control is always important.

• Keep diabetes and blood pressure under control.
• Exercise regularly.
• Keep a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI).
• Walk around when on long trips or schedule walking stops when on long cross-country drives.

Cold legs and feet may also be prevented in cold weather by doing the following:

• Wearing dry warm socks. Long socks can be used to keep the legs warm.
• Wearing warm caps and mittens to bed during winter time as a lot of body heat gets lost through the head.

The color of the discharge isn’t helpful in determining whether the discharge is normal or abnormal. Normal as well as abnormal discharge can be clear, white, yellow or green.

Bloody discharge is always abnormal. Nipple discharge from one breast and discharge that occurs spontaneously without anything touching the breast must be reported immediately.

Normal discharge occurs in both nipples and when the nipples are squeezed. In these instances, leaving the nipple alone for a while, helps improve the condition.

Nonetheless, if you are not breast feeding, you must confer with your health care when you notice nipple discharge.

Your doctor will talk to you and depending up on the medical evaluation; the physician will decide whether the discharge is normal or abnormal.

Green Discharge from Nipple Causes

• Pregnancy: during the 1^st trimester, some women notice some discharge coming from their nipples.
• Stopping breastfeeding: after you have stopped breast feeding, you may observe milk-like discharge for a while.
• Stimulation: nipples release some fluid when they are squeezed. It could also occur when the nipples repeatedly gets chafed by the bra or during vigorous exercise.

Reasons of Abnormal Discharge from the Nipple Are

• Fibrocystic changes: fibrous tissue and cysts may develop within the breast. This may cause lumps in the breast tissue. Fibrocystic changes may cause secretion of clear, white, yellow, or green nipple discharge.
• Infection: green-yellow discharge containing pus indicates infection in the breast. This is mastitis; and is seen in breast feeding women. The breast may turn hot, sore, and red. Galactorrhea: a woman may secrete milk even though she is not nursing.
• Mammary duct ectasia: a common cause of abnormal nipple discharge. It occurs in women approaching menopause. The breast tissue gets inflamed and the ducts underneath the nipple get blocked. Infection may develop and there will be green discharge.
• Intraductal papilloma: non cancerous growths in the ducts of the breast which trigger nipple discharge.
• Cancer: sometimes discharge from the nipple may be due to malignancy / cancer. There will be an associated mass or lump as well.

Is There Anything To Worry?

There is no need to get alarmed or distressed; however, you must talk your gynecologist about your symptoms without any delay. By and large, the symptoms may be benign; nevertheless, it is always advisable to seek medical opinion. Your doctor may order a few tests and investigations to be conducted to understand the precise cause. In case the initial medical assessment indicates that the discharge is abnormal, the doctor may ask for further tests. It will help find out the underlying condition causing the problem. You gynecologist may ask you to carry out:

• Blood tests
• Laboratory examination of the nipple discharge
• Mammogram
• Surgical excision and scrutiny of a duct in the nipple
• Brain scan

Based up on the investigations and examinations, your doctor will decide what the most appropriate line of treatment for you is.

Liver fluke or Clonorchis sinensis belongs to the class Trematoda, and the phylum Platyhelminthes. It dwells in the liver of humans and is predominantly found in the gall bladder and the common bile duct, feeding on the bile.

Liver fluke are the 3rd most widespread worm parasite in the world, and are rife in China, Taiwan, Japan and South East Asia. Research and studies demonstrate that it can cause cancer of liver and bile duct and has also been classed as a group 1 biological carcinogen.

How Is Liver Fluke Infection Caused In Humans?

The eggs of Clonorchis sinensis, that hold the miracidium which develop into adult, drift in fresh water till they are eaten by a snail.

In the body of the snail, the miracidium hatch and grow inside the snail. The sporocyst is formed which in turn houses the asexual reproduction of the redia. Redia houses the asexual reproduction of cercaria. As a result there is exponential multiplication. Once the redia mature in the snail’s body, they then leave the snail and go in to the freshwater.

Then, as an alternative to waiting to be consumed by a host, they seek out a fish. They penetrate in to the fish’s body, and become parasites of the new host.

Inside the fish muscle, the cercaria produce metacercarial cyst shield to encapsulate their body. This protective cyst is helpful when the fish muscle is consumed by humans.

In humans, the acid-resistant protective cyst helps prevent digestion by the gastric acids, and permits the metacercaria to get to the small intestine. Then, they circumnavigate towards the liver, which is its last habitat. The parasite feeds on bile. In the human liver, the adult produces eggs every 1 – 30 seconds.

Liver Fluke Symptoms In Humans

By and large, the case may be asymptomatic; most clinical manifestations occur due to inflammation and sporadic blocks of the bile duct.

In an acute phase, there will be pain in the abdomen, along with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Long standing infection is seen as exhaustion, abdominal discomfort, and extreme loss of weight, diarrhea, and jaundice.

Investigations reveal inflammation, bile stasis, and occlusion of the bile duct, bacterial infection, peri-ductal fibrosis, and hyperplasia. Cancer is also known to develop in some cases.

Human Liver Fluke Infestation Diagnosis And Treatment

Prompt diagnosis and quick treatment are very crucial. Infection is chiefly recognized on identification of the parasites eggs by microscopic examination of the feces or their presence in the duodenal aspirate. Most health care providers will recommend ELISA to diagnose the condition quickly and precisely, and it has become the most important clinical technique.

Diagnosis by detecting DNAs from eggs in feces are also developed using PCR, real-time PCR, and LAMP; these are very sensitive and highly precise.

• Drugs used to treat infestation include albendazole, mebendazole, triclabendazole, and levamisole. Recently, tribendimidine has been approved as an efficient and safe drug to manage liver fluke successfully.
• What’s more, you need to maintain a healthy and wholesome diet. Cut down on fatty and greasy food to manage jaundice better. Have 2 to 5 flakes of garlic every day to manage parasitic as well bacterial infections. Furthermore, garlic also boosts the immune mechanism.
• Have a glass of dandelion juice daily, it will perk up liver as well as biliary functioning appreciably.

Brachial plexus is a complex nerve network that originates in the region of the neck and then branches out to supply to the muscles of the upper limb primarily located in the shoulder, forearm, hand and arms. The primary nerves that are the part of this plexus include ulnar, median and radial nerve.

Neuropathy or inflammation of the nerve sheets is characterized by a wide range of symptoms which primarily affect the upper limb. When the entire nerve complex is inflamed the condition is referred to as brachial plexitis and the symptoms may vary depending upon the level of involvement of the nerves within the group.

Causes Of Brachial Plexitis

Brachial Plexitis is a form of peripheral neuropathy, which is characterized by the dysfunction that affects the nerves of the brachial plexus. This condition occurs due to any damage to the plexus or the area surrounding the spinal cord where the nerve bundle disintegrates to supply to different muscles.

While the most common cause for damage to the brachial plexus is trauma or injury, other causes may include pressure on the brachial plexus due to a tumor, or damage due to radiation therapy or trauma during birth. Some of the other causes include exposure to chemicals or toxins and systemic inflammatory condition associated with virus or immune disturbances.

Brachial Plexitis Symptoms

The symptoms associated with brachial plexitis vary depending upon the extent of nerve involvement and the severity of the injury. However some of the common symptoms include,

• Numbness in the arms and hands which is associated with reduced sensation of touch.
• Shoulder pain may be associated symptom, which may vary depending upon the number of nerves involved.
• Weakness of the shoulder, arms or wrist joint is another associated symptom. This may be associated with reduced mobility of the arms and diminished reflexes
• Tingling and sensation of burning or some other abnormal sensations may also be observed.

Treatment For Brachial Plexitis

Prior to initiating the treatment it is important to confirm the diagnosis, as there are other conditions that may mimic the manifestations of brachial plexitis. A series of tests including MRI, X rays and nerve conduction tests are performed to ascertain brachial plexitis. This is followed by the treatment regimen, which may be aimed at using symptomatic treatment approach.

• Physical therapy may be recommended in some individuals to improve muscle strength.
• Use of splints and braces may be recommended in some individuals in order to provide support during the healing process.
• In severe cases, vocational counseling or job retraining may be provided to assist the individual in performing his/her activities effectively.
• Ensure that your diet is rich in vitamin and nutrients especially vitamin B12, which is important for the nerves.
• Homeopathic drugs like Gelsimium are potentially useful in the treatment of this condition. It helps in strengthening the muscles and also alleviates the pain associated with the condition.

In some cases brachial plexitis may be associated with other systemic disorders like diabetes. In such cases, treating the underlying cause may be important in management of this condition.

In general, the prognosis usually depends upon the cause of the condition. While in most cases recovery is usually possible without any complications, some cases may be associated with complete or partial loss of movement or sensation and may be accompanied with severe nerve pain.