All types of viral hepatitis diseases are contagious and they can be transmitted from one person to another easily. Although, the modes of transmission may vary.

 

Experts recommend some preventive steps for every type of infection to lower your risk of acquiring or spreading hepatitis infection.

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Here are some preventive measures that may help in preventing the infection:

 

Vaccines

Vaccines for hepatitis a and hepatitis b are the best ways to prevent these viruses. Vaccines are not for all types of hepatitis infections. However, hepatitis a vaccination can help prevent the infection caused by the hepatitis a virus. The hepatitis a vaccine is generally administered in 2 doses. Similarly, there are vaccines available for hepatitis b as well. It is administered within 6 months duration. The same vaccine is helpful to prevent hepatitis d as well. There are no vaccines for hepatitis c and hepatitis e currently.

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Reducing exposure

Hepatitis diseases can be transmitted through bodily fluids, water, and food containing the infection. One can lower the risk of contamination by minimizing contact with these agents. Practicing proper and good hygiene is a way to avoid getting hepatitis through these mediums.

 

You can decrease your risk of coming in touch with fluids containing these viruses by avoiding:

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	Sharing used needles and razors
	
	
	Using someone else s toothbrush
	
	
	Touching spilled blood
	
	
	Not using condoms and dental dams during sexual contact
	


 

Handwashing

One must trust in personal hygiene to lower the risk of spreading or acquiring the hepatitis virus. Here are some preventive steps you can follow by washing hands:

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	Washing your hands thoroughly after accessing the restroom
	
	
	When you get in touch with an infected person's blood, or stool
	
	
	After daycare routine for caretakers
	
	
	After a diaper change, and before serving food.
	


 

Avoiding contaminated consumption:

Contaminated or infected food and water may become the primary causes of hepatitis infection. One should take these precautions to avoid any contaminated consumption of food or water:

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	Avoid eating raw shellfish
	
	
	Beware of fruits that have been washed in contaminated water
	
	
	Avoiding unhygienic street vendors
	
	
	Use bottled water for brushing or oral cleaning in areas where clean water is not available
	
	
	Bringing the water to a 1-minute boil is a must in doubtful areas
	
	
	Heated food to be eaten right away
	


Hepatitis: Some Ways To Prevent Yourself

Environmental factors play a quintessential role in affecting our health. Fresh air, fresh food and fresh water, not only strengthen our body and mind but also make our life worth living. Contrary to this bad environment hampers the quality of life. This is the main reason why people from hill stations or the countryside seem to be healthier than those living in polluted urban cities. Following are the environmental factors that affect your health:

Polluted air

The health effects of polluted air are several. Not many people know that one-third of the deaths are caused because of strokes, lung cancer and heart failure. Air pollution is the chief reason behind these chronic ailments. The other life-threatening diseases caused by polluted air is- asthma or bronchitis. Smoke from machines, vehicles outside, and stoves, the burning of fuels inside can cause breathing problems and wheezing. 

Dirty environment

A dirty environment often leads to the breeding of insects and bacteria that become carriers of life-threatening diseases such as dengue, typhoid, diphtheria, malaria, and so on. Most of the diseases mentioned here are caused by mosquitoes that thrive on stagnant water.

Toxic food ;

The environmental quality of a region has a direct impact on the food produced in that area. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food faces the danger of becoming toxic if the environment it is being grown in is polluted. For eg- chemical wastes that are often dumped in water bodies cause the seafood in that area to become highly toxic.

Chemical pollutants

Cancer nowadays is becoming a household disease. The major reason behind this is that technological development has brought new categories of pollutants. Many of these contain chemicals and compounds that are carcinogenic in nature. This ultimately leads to the development of cancer in most people. 

Climate change and natural calamities

Change in climate disrupts the functioning of nature in many ways that further impact the health of humans. These changes include- the natural temperature of the planet, heavy rainfalls and sandstorms. The numerous impacts of climate may result in a high risk of nervous and respiratory diseases. ;

Hence protecting the environment is extremely important for the life of a human being. The change will come after taking small steps. Numerous small steps can really make a difference. 

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Environmental Factors That Affect Health

Cushing syndrome occurs due to prolonged exposure to high levels of cortisol hormone. The condition, often referred to as hypercortisolism, affects women   usually between ages 25 and 40   more than men. Nearly 80% of adults and about 47% of children are diagnosed with cushing syndrome.

The most common cause of cushing syndrome is an overproduction of the stress hormone   cortisol   by the adrenal glands. However, it can also result from overuse of steroid drugs.

If you have cushing syndrome, you are likely to notice symptoms like muscle weakness, weight gain, a buffalo lump, irregular periods, sleep disorders, high blood glucose and high blood pressure.

Recent research has claimed to establish a relation between cushing syndrome and high blood pressure   or what is called hypertension in medical terms.

The link between hypertension and cushing syndrome

Hypertension refers to high blood pressure that causes the force of blood to raise against the artery walls. A number of conditions can lead to hypertension, such as poor diet and lifestyle, an underlying health issue, stress, pregnancy and so on.

As your body encounters stress, the adrenal glands produce and release cortisol in the bloodstream. Studies show that producing excess stress hormone can create a host of pathological problems in the body, including hypertension.

Hypertension is a distinguishing feature of endogenous cushing syndrome. High blood pressure in cushing syndrome has a significant correlation with the duration of hypercortisolism and results from the interaction between various pathophysiological methods regulating peripheral vascular resistance, cardiac output, and plasma volume   all of which are elevated in this state.

How to treat the condition

Cushing syndrome is usually treatable and curable. You will be prescribed to stop using steroid drugs that are likely to increase cortisol levels. If the condition does not improve after treatment, you will have to look for ways to manage the symptoms, especially by monitoring your blood pressure. Team up with your doctor and ask for ways to de-stress yourself.

Relation Between Cushing Syndrome And Hypertension: Know More

World hepatitis day is observed on july 28th every year to raise awareness about hepatitis disease among people. It is organized on the occasion of the birthday of Dr. Baruch blumberg who found the hepatitis b virus in the year 1967 and also developed a vaccine for it. Moreover, this day educates everyone about hepatitis infections, the efforts to fight viral hepatitis, and methods people can use for its prevention.

What is viral hepatitis?

Viral hepatitis or hepatitis disease is a condition of inflammation in the liver that leads to severe liver disease and hepatocellular cancer. With deaths happening every 30 secs from a hepatitis-related infection, it is important to treat viral hepatitis at the earliest. Hepatitis is of different types depending on the infection. 

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Types

Viral hepatitis impacts millions worldwide, resulting in both acute and chronic diseases. There are five major classifications of viral hepatitis-

 


	
	Hepatitis a- it is a liver infection that can be prevented by a vaccine. It is a result of the infection as a result of the hepatitis a virus.
	
	
	Hepatitis b- it is an infection that happens due to the hepatitis b virus. It is spread through the blood or other bodily fluids of a person.
	
	
	Hepatitis c- it is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis c virus. It transmits through the blood of a person who is infected.
	
	
	Hepatitis d- delta hepatitis is another name for this virus and the hepatitis d virus is responsible for this. It happens to only those who are already hepatitis b infected. ;
	
	
	Hepatitis e- it is a liver infection resulting from a hepatitis e infection. It is usually found in a person s stool.
	


 

Symptoms

Hepatitis is a condition where you don t show symptoms till it is chronic and starts affecting your liver health. However, people in the initial stages of hepatitis infection might start reflecting symptoms. Some common symptoms of viral hepatitis are:

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	Flu-like signs
	
	
	Darker urine color
	
	
	Fatigue
	
	
	Abdominal cramps and pain
	
	
	Appetite loss
	
	
	Weight loss
	
	
	Yellow skin
	
	
	Pale eyes
	


 

People at risk

The risk of catching a hepatitis infection is high in individuals working around these environments-

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	Direct contact with hepatitis a infected person
	
	
	Male in sexual relation with another male
	
	
	Drugs abuser
	
	
	Ones with clotting factor disorder
	
	
	Who work with primates
	


 

World Hepatitis Day: Know All About The Disease

Air pollution affects the overall health of a human being. Whether it comes out of exhaust fumes from cars and factories or smoke from burning stubble air pollution, it is a cause of major concern. The effects of this can be seen in the growing number of asthma and other respiratory diseases. These diseases affect adults and children alike, however, it is the younger generation and elderly people who are more susceptible. Hence, it is extremely important to care about the quality of the air you breathe in. 


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What is the significance of the air quality index (aqi)?

The air quality index is a visual representation of pollutant levels in the air around you. A quick glance at this colour coded map can tell you if the air outside your home is likely to harm you or not. The code is broken down into 6 levels ranging from green which signifies minimal impact to red which marks pollution levels that can harm a healthy person and seriously impact those who are already ill. The higher the aqi, the higher the level of air pollution.

 

What are the steps to reduce air pollution?

Simply talking about how there need to be stricter laws about car emissions and the burning of waste will not help you. Here are a few things you can do to protect yourself and your family from the ill-effects of air pollution.


	
	Carpool: exhausts from cars and other vehicles are one of the biggest causes of air pollution. Do your part to reduce air pollution by restricting the amount you use your car. Try taking public transport to work or carpooling with colleagues. Similarly, avoid making individual trips every time you need something from the market. Make a list and when it s long enough, then step out.
	
	
	Limit indoor pollution: do not smoke indoors. When cooking, keep the exhaust fan on so that the smoke produced does not collect indoors. Avoid spraying air fresheners etc. While they may temporarily make the air smell fresh, in the long run, they contribute to air pollution.
	
	
	Use public transport try to use public transport and avoid the use of personal vehicles.
	


How to protect yourself from air pollution


	
	Refrain from morning walks routines to later hours.
	
	
	Use n95/99 face masks whenever you step out.
	
	
	Use air-purifying plants to purify the air around your surroundings.
	
	
	Ventilate your kitchen, and bathroom to keep yourself away from air pollution.
	
	
	Restrict outdoor activities for kids if there is a high level of air pollution
	
	
	Use air-purifiers in your surroundings.
	
	
	Try to take steam with a few drops of eucalyptus oil every day.
	
	
	Keep your car s environment fresh.
	
	
	Ventilate your home, open your windows and doors and allow the air to circulate during mid hours.
	
	
	Eat jaggery (aka gurr) to flush out pollutants from your lungs.
	
	
	Consume a diet rich in vitamin c, omega fatty acids
	


Hence, the other way to cut down this pollution is by bringing significant lifestyle changes in our daily living. Cutting down the number of diesel and petrol vehicles can also prove helpful. People should shift to cng and electric vehicles for daily commuting. These efforts, if practiced on a regular basis, can bring a huge decrease in pollution.

Air purifiers can also be a healthy option for indoor purposes.

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Why Should You Care About Air Quality?

When abnormal cells grow inside the brain and are in the form of a mass the condition is called a brain tumour. However, on the other hand, brain cancer is a disease of the brain in which cancer cells (malignant cells) arise in the brain tissue. Cancer cells grow to form a mass of cancer tissue (tumour) that interferes with brain functions such as muscle control, sensation, memory, and other normal body functions. 

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Some brain tumours are cancerous while others fall under the category of non-cancerous ones.

Brain cancer is actually the abnormal growth and uncontrolled growth of the cancer cells in the brain, that forms a tumour in the brain. Tumours can be either benign or malignant.

Benign brain tumours are abnormal collections of cells that reproduce slowly and usually remain separate from the surrounding normal brain.

Malignant tumours reproduce and grow quickly. Their borders are hard to distinguish from the normal brain around them.

 

The underlying cause of primary brain cancer, cancer that begins in the brain, is not known. Secondary brain cancer is caused by a cancer of another organ in the body, such as the breast, prostate, kidney, skin, or bone, that has spread to the brain.

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The brain tumours originate in the brain itself. Tumours start to develop if there are mutations in the dna. It is because of these mutations that cells of the brain increasingly grow and divide. Usually, in adults, the primary brain tumours are uncommon in comparison to the secondary brain tumours.


 

There are few early symptoms of brain cancer, but as the tumour grows within the confines of the skull, it causes increased intracranial pressure and exerts pressure on the brain, causing signs to develop.


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Brain cancer occurs when there is an uncontrolled growth of cancer cells in the brain that form a malignant brain tumour. The underlying cause of primary brain cancer, cancer that begins in the brain, is not known. Secondary brain cancer is caused by a cancer of another organ in the body, such as the breast, prostate, kidney, skin, or bone, that has spread to the brain.


 

What Is The Significant Difference Between Brain Tumour And Brain Cancer?

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