Uncontrollable division of cells present in the tissue leads to the formation of a lump or mass of tissue. This mass of tissue is known as a tumor and when this condition is diagnosed in the bones of a human body, it is known as bone tumor. Most bone tumors are non-cancerous (benign) and cannot grow. However, it is still possible that the bones could be weakened and the condition could result in fractures and other such problems. The tumor replaces the normal and healthy tissue.

It is observed that cases of malignant bone tumors are much less as compared to benign tumors. Some examples of benign bone tumours include:
1. Giant Cell tumor: In this condition, the tumor affects the legs
2. Osteochondroma: This form is most common among teenagers
3. Osteoblastoma: A tumor which develops in young adults and affects the spine
4. Osteoid osteoma: A tumor that affects long bones
5. Enchondroma: Usually found in hand and feet.

As stated earlier, metastatic cancer is a form of cancer that spreads to the bone from other spots in the body. Cancers from other parts that commonly spread to the bones include breast cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer.

It is common for bone tumors to bear no symptoms and they can only be diagnosed using an x-ray. However, a typical symptom of bone tumor is pain which:
1. Starts in the region of the bone tumor
2. Often feels achy
3. Worsens with activity

Other symptoms that might be related to bone tumors are:
1. Abnormal swelling around the bone
2. Fever
3. Limping, in rare cases

Treatment
1. Benign bone tumors can be treated by just using medications. However, the tumours might relapse even after treatment.
2. Treatment of malignant tumor might require a number of specialists. The stage of cancer plays a vital role in the treatment.

Common treatments for bone tumor are:
1. Amputation: It is the surgical removal of all or a part of the limb and is conducted only if the tumor is large.
2. Radiation therapy: High intensity X-rays are used to kill cancer cells and treat the tumors.
3. Chemotherapy: Tumor cells which have infiltrated the bloodstream are eliminated using cancer drugs.

Abnormal Swelling - Can it be a Sign of Bone Tumor

There are many health benefits of donating blood which include good health, reducing the risk of cancer along with hemochromatosis. Moreover, blood donation is good for the normal functioning of pancreas and liver. With the blood donation, an individual can improve the cardiovascular health as well as reduce the risk of obesity.

Every day blood transfusions take place saving millions of life on earth. And the best part is that blood donation is good for the donor. It is crucial for the blood donation to take place in a medical facility under the supervision of experts. The donors must ensure that they are in optimum health conditions for avoiding any health issues after the transfusion is completed.

Benefits of donating blood:
There are numerous benefits of blood donation, and some of them include-

Hemochromatosis: The health benefits of blood donation reduce the risk of developing hemochromatosis. It is a disorder which arises owing to excessive absorption of iron in the human body. This condition can be inherited through the genes or may also be triggered by uncontrolled alcoholism, chronic anaemia and other health problems. One should take part in blood donation on a regular basis for the reduction of iron overload.
Anti cancer health benefits: Donating blood at regular intervals can also lower the risk of cancer. After donating blood, the iron stored in the body is maintained at healthy levels. The reduction in the iron concentrations in the body is also connected with reduced risk of cancer and thus helps keep cancer at bay.
Good for liver and heart: Blood donation is useful for reducing the risk of heart and liver disorders which are triggered by the iron overload in the body. Only a limited amount of iron can be absorbed by the body, and the rest starts accumulating in the heart, pancreas and lungs. This can pave the way for liver failure and cirrhosis, damage to the pancreas and complications in the heart such as irregular heart rhythms. The blood donation helps in maintaining the optimum iron levels as well as reduces the risk of different ailments.
Helps in weight loss: Regular blood donation also helps in weight of the donors. This is great for those who are overweight and obese. It is advantageous for those who are suffering from cardiovascular and other health disorders.
Production of new cells: After the donation of blood, the body starts working for replenishing the loss of blood. This helps in stimulating the production of new blood cells and in turn aids in the maintenance of good health.
It is imperative to note here that to enjoy the benefits of blood donation, an individual has to wait for eight weeks after a session of whole blood donation. Also, it is crucial to wait for 16 weeks in between the power red blood donation. One should always consult with the doctor to be sure that he or she is fit for donating blood and should avoid it while suffering from any disorders or infections.

World Red Cross Day - Why Donating Blood Is Good For Health?

A highly contagious skin condition that is caused by the infestations of tiny burrowing mites but is treatable with medication is Scabies. When the skin comes in direct contact with infested bedding or clothing, microscopic human mites, known as Sarcoptes Scabiei, are transmitted into the skin, burrowing into the epidermis. Once the mites reach the epidermis, it lays eggs there and continues to live, causing scabies which results in skin rashes and itchy bumps.

Causes:
Scabies is caused by the microscopic human itch mite when it burrows inside the epidermis. And there are two ways that a person can be infected with scabies, which are:

Contact with objects infested: Sometimes, when the mite is present on an object, such as the bed sheet or the upholstered furniture, the towel or the bedding, and the skin comes in contact with these objects, scabies may spread. However, one must know that without human skin contact, the mite can survive only for 48 to 72 hours and this makes the risk of causing scabies through contact with infected objects less common.
Direct skin to skin contact: Scabies is contagious but not highly contagious. Skin contact for a small period of time can not infect a person. Close physical with the infected person can lead to the spread of mites.
It is to be noted here that getting scabies from animals is not possible even if the animal has mites as this kind of scabies infest the human skin only.

Treatment
Scabies is often confused with other skin issues like eczema and psoriasis. Therefore, every person with severe itching should be tested for scabies. Once diagnosed, the treatment is relatively simple. Listed below are some of the treatment options:

Antibiotics: Patients who are suffering from excessive skin rash, itching and infections are usually treated with antibiotics to ease the itchy sensation.
Decontamination: The decontamination involves washing the clothes of the infected person in hot water and keeping the objects that cannot be washed in a bag for around 2 to 3 days to kill mites and their eggs.
Scabicides: Depending on the severity, overall health and age, the patient may be prescribed oral medication and creams.
Antihistamine: Antihistamine refers to over-the-counter anti-allergy drugs that can also be of help in managing the itching and rashes.
Things to remember:

In case of infected adults, scabicide cream or lotion needs to be applied all over infected person s body, starting from the neck down to the toes.
If a child is infected with scabies, the scabicide cream or lotion needs to be applied from head to toe.
In case of an infant, it is advised that only sulfur ointment or permethrin may be used. It is essential that the medication is applied only over a clean body.
All the people living with the infected person should also be treated simultaneously to avoid reinfestation.
As scabies spread moderately contagious, early diagnosis and treatment can prevent it from spreading further and causing any more trouble.

A Brief Insight Into Scabies, Its Causes, And Treatment!

If you are concerned about your heart s health, it is important for you to make some dietary modifications. Simple changes in your everyday diet may offer benefits, which help in preventing future heart problems. If you suffer from high blood pressure or high cholesterol or have atrial fibrillation.

Here are some tips regarding the best diet for protecting your heart:

Believe in the food hype: Having healthy meals is certainly beneficial and makes a big difference to your heart health. Consuming meals which contain vegetables, grains, low fat dairy and lean meat will allow you to live a longer and healthier life.
Avoid crash diets: A crash diet may be effective, if you want to fit in a dress within one month. However, for improving your heart health, undertaking different fad diets is not useful. Meals in which a certain type of nutrients such as carbohydrates or fats are ruled out are not beneficial as well. You should have a sensible approach towards your diet and focus on food products such as vegetables, whole grains and lean meat.
Do not overeat: Overeating will lead to weight gain and commonly, many people get heart attack after taking a big meal.
Eat less salt: You should consume less amount of salt in your diet and do not eat more than one teaspoon of salt a day. Avoid any food item which contains high amounts of sodium. Salt is responsible for increasing blood pressure.
Limit your intake of alcohol and caffeine: In case you suffer from atrial fibrillation, you should avoid caffeine and any other stimulant as they tend to trigger the symptoms. You must drink moderately as consuming more than one drink a day increases your risks of having heart problems.
Choose meat wisely: You should avoid red meat, which contains large amount of saturated fats as these are not good for the heart. You should choose the leanest cuts of meats and trim all fat from it. You should opt for cuts such as flank, rump roast, tenderloin and sirloin. Pork tenderloin, chicken and turkey breast are other alternatives.
Add fish to your diet: Fish is essential for improving your heart health. Try to avoid having deep fried fish and choose grilled fish or roasted fish, which are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Consume fishes like tuna, salmon, trout and sardines.
You should also add whole grains to your diet. They are effective in controlling blood sugar and lower the chances of diabetes. Hence, the risks of heart diseases are less if you do not have diabetes. Whole grains also help with weight loss, which is beneficial for the heart.

7 Tips for a Healthy Heart

When you suffer from dry, chronic cough along with shortness of breath, it is normal to get worried and annoyed. You will want to know the cause and the cure. Note that it might be due to a condition called the interstitial lung disease.

Including almost more than 200 different lung conditions, interstitial lung disease refers to the inflammation and scarring caused in the lungs, which leads to less oxygen entering the blood. Mainly affecting the interstitial part of the anatomic structure of the lungs, which is responsible for the oxygen flow into the blood, interstitial lung disease can damage other parts of the lungs too, such as the lung lining, the airways or the blood vessels. The following is a brief account of the types, causes, symptoms, and treatment of ILD.

Types
Interstitial lung disease can be of various kinds, though all of them leads to the thickening of the lung s interstitial part. Some of the types of ILD are 

Nonspecific interstitial pneumonitis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Acute interstitial pneumonitis
 Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
Asbestosis
Sarcoidosis
Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia or COP, etc. 
While some of the ILD types are short lived, some are irreversible and chronic.

The primary causes of interstitial lung disease are viruses, fungi, and bacteria. Regular exposure to inhalable irritants such as talc, silica dust, asbestos, coal dust or any other kind of metal dust, bird proteins of pigeons, chickens or any exotic birds, grain dust, etc. can also cause interstitial lung disease. Though rare, sometimes it is the intake of particular drugs that may cause ILD. For the majority of interstitial lung diseases, the exact cause is not always known.

Both men and women of any age can develop this disease, and it is more common in people with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and autoimmune disease. Some of the primary symptoms and signs of interstitial lung disease are nonproductive dry cough, shortness of breath, and considerable weight loss. While for some types of ILDs the symptoms develop slowly and gradually over months, for others, such as the acute interstitial pneumonitis or interstitial pneumonia, the symptoms develop more rapidly, within days or a few hours.

For identifying the presence of ILD, doctors usually rely upon chest X-ray, CT scan or computed tomography, pulmonary function testing, high-resolution CT scan, and lung biopsy. In case no apparent cause behind the disease is found from the tests, a patient's history of being exposed to certain chemical environments is then taken into consideration.

Depending on the type and severity of the disease the treatment options vary from one to another. While for some taking prescribed drugs can offer a solution to prevent the lungs from deteriorating further, for some a complete lung transplant may become the only solution. Treatments like pulmonary rehabilitation and oxygen therapy can also be ideal, based on the condition of the lungs.

Thus, if one is constantly exposed to lung irritants and experiences the symptoms of interstitial lung disease for more than eight weeks, he/she must seek the advice of a pulmonologist without delay as the condition may lead to severe complications when left untreated.

Interstitial Lung Disease - Understanding Its Types!

Inflammation and resultant pain in the joints are usually the basic tenets of arthritis. This joint disorder can be painful and often, a debilitating one. It can also make the joints stiff. There are many ways of dealing with this problem, but with ayurveda, one can get to the root cause of the ailment and its presence. This helps in taking a well rounded holistic approach towards treating it with ancient know how that revolves around herbs and other natural substances which have great medicinal value, lifestyle changes, diet, exercise and yoga, oil massages, and other methods. Arthritis is known as sandhivata in ayurvedic jargon. Read on to find out how ayurveda can help in dealing with arthritis.

Herbs: one can make use of various herbs that contain linoleic acid to help in providing lubrication to the joints so as to prevent pain and stiffness. These herbs include borage seed oil which is extracted from borage seed, evening primrose oil, blackcurrant seed oil, capsaicin, curcumin, feverfew, flaxseed oil and a standard ayurvedic concoction that combines ashwagandha, gugulla, ginger, cumin and haldi or turmeric. These substances can help in treating the joints that are suffering from the pain of arthritis.

Diet: in ayurveda, to treat ailments like arthritis, it is usually recommended that a patient should start by flushing out the body toxins from within. Diet is one of the ways in which this can be done. A detoxification diet to clean the colon would be one of the foremost ways of doing a cleanse. Further, in one's daily diet, there should be a good dose of vegetables, fruits and other juices. Also, one must have plenty of herbs and spices, which can be used to season the food. Curd should generally be avoided and garlic should be used liberally. The various properties that help in an inside out cleanse that will help the system function in a better manner so that the treatment of ailments is also effectively supported.

Exercise: in ayurveda, a certain amount of daily exercise, which spans at least 45 minutes to one hour, is a must. A pattern of healthy eating, restful sleep and exercise is what usually helps in treating ailments like arthritis. For this ailment specifically, light exercise like walking is recommended. Various yoga asanas that involve sitting, standing, balancing and lying down poses as well as restful poses will also help in treating knee, shoulder and lower back pain specifically. Also, mustard oil massages can help in reducing the pain.
These are the few ways in which ayurveda can help arthritis patients live a more normal life with minimal pain.

Ayurveda For Arthritis

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