The knee is the largest joint in the human body and is a complex structure formed of bone, muscle and cartilage. Development of pain in the knees can be caused by numerous factors such as aging, injuries, diseases, dietary deficiencies, etc.

Arthritis is the most common cause of knee pain and usually affects the elderly and aged. It occurs due to an inflammation of the joint and causes pain, swelling, redness and inflexibility of the knees.

What are the factors that determine treatment method?

Diagnosis for knee pain varies from patient to patient as each case is different and must be approached differently. Some of the factors that determine the treatment method are as follows:

- Cause of the problem
- Nature and intensity of pain
- Age of the patient
- Medical history of the patient
- Diet and lifestyle of the patient

There are a number of different types of arthritis which can affect the knees in different ways and, consequently, require different types of treatment methods.

What are the various treatment methods for knee pain?

1. Conventional Remedies - These are used in case of conditions that are not too severe or chronic. It includes keeping on bed rest, using an ice pack, taking a painkiller and anti-inflammatory medicines, wearing knee braces, etc.

2. Physical Therapy - There are many stretching and strengthening exercise routines that help alleviate knee pain and treat the condition. Recovery is achieved by making the muscles around the knees stronger and increasing stability and flexibility.

3. Injections to the Knees - A number of anti-inflammatory substances and supplements, as well as lubricants, can be injected into the knee joint which helps reduce pain and makes the joint more supple.

4. Stem Cell Therapy - This involves drawing platelets from the patient's blood and injecting it into the knee joint for repairing damage caused to ligaments, tendons or cartilage.

5. Surgery - Surgical procedures for treating knee pain include partial or complete knee replacements.



What kind of treatment does your knee pain require?

HIV/AIDS is a type of sexually transmitted disease which is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The HIV virus attacks the immune system and makes the body vulnerable to other diseases. AIDS is the last stage of the HIV infection; HIV takes about 10 to 12 years to fully culminate into AIDS. AIDS completely destroys the immune system and leads to fatal health conditions and diseases such as cancers and other infections because of AIDS.

Causes-

HIV is a retrovirus that infects the vital organs of the human immune system. The virus progresses in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. The rate of virus progression varies widely between individuals and depends on many factors (age of the patient, body s ability to defend against HIV, access to healthcare, existence of coexisting infections, the infected person s genetic inheritance, resistance to certain strains of HIV).

HIV can be transmitted through:

Sexual Transmission. It can happen when there is contact with infected sexual secretions. This can happen while having unprotected sex, including vaginal, oral and anal sex or sharing sex toys with someone infected with HIV.
Perinatal Transmission. The mother can pass the infection on to her child during childbirth, pregnancy, and also through breastfeeding.
Blood Transmission. The risk of transmitting HIV through blood transfusion is nowadays extremely low in developed countries, thanks to meticulous screening and precautions. Among drug users, sharing and reusing syringes contaminated with HIV-infected blood is extremely hazardous.
Contrary to popular belief, HIV can never spread by means of kissing as the virus cannot survive outside the body.

Symptoms-

The early symptoms of HIV appear within a few weeks of contamination by the virus. The early symptoms include headache, pain in the muscles and the joints, rashes and inflated lymph nodes. These symptoms tend to disappear within 2 to 3 weeks.
The next set of symptoms might appear after a few years and these are persistent. The symptoms include, but are not limited to fatigue, loss of body weight, inflated lymph nodes, fever, a sensation of numbness near the limbs, pain when you try to swallow, sores in the mouth and sweating at night.
If you are diagnosed with HIV, you should:

Try to maintain a daily diet containing vegetables, legumes, and fruits which provide you energy.
Try to include a little bit of fat, carbohydrates (at least 3 servings of vegetable per day), calcium (dairy products) and low-fat protein sources (generally 80-150 gram per day of fish, skinned chicken, low-fat cheese etc.) in your everyday meal.
Maintain a daily calorie intake of 17-25 calories per pound depending on whether the person is losing weight.
Vitamins and minerals are particularly necessary to repair the cells damaged by the HIV virus.
So, it is necessary to intake foods such as eggs, milk, peanuts, green vegetables, meat, beans and broccolis on a regular basis, if you have been diagnosed with HIV.

If you are suffering from HIV, you must maintain the following food safety measures:

You should try to restrict the intake of fat
Restrict your alcohol intake
You should try to avoid fast foods
You should also limit your regular sugar intake and should avoid foods with extra sugar

HIV/AIDS - Diet, Nutrition & Food Safety You Must Follow!

The famous adage  an apple a day keeps the doctor away  has given apples a lot of popularity. If you are visiting someone who is ill, the safest fruit to take would be apples. It is also one of the first foods to be given to an infant. It is also known for its soothing effect on the stomach. Be it weight watchers or recovering patients, apple is what everybody reaches out to.

People, however, have developed a misconception that the peel of the apple contains chemicals and should be peeled off before consumption. Not many realize that the maximum benefits of an apple are realized only when it is eaten with the peel. 

Read on to know more about eating a whole apple versus a peeled one.

Fiber: If fruits are known for their fiber, then peeling the apple takes away more than half the fiber content from it. An apple with peel gives about 4 g of fiber, while without it gives about 1.5 to 2 g. That is almost 50%, which definitely is not worth throwing out.
Vitamins and minerals: Apples are considered good sources of potassium and vitamins like C and A. Same as fiber, more than half the benefits are lost if the peel is removed. Since potassium goes a long way in keeping the heart healthy, wouldn't it be great to reap those benefits?
Cancer-fighting agent: Apples contain triterpenoids, which are believed to either kill or control the growth of cancer cells. These again are concentrated in the peel, and peeling an apple takes away this benefit.
Fat burner: The skin of the apple contains ursolic acid, which helps in fighting obesity by burning more fat, and peeling it takes away the fat-burning benefits of an apple. This also helps in improving sugar and glucose levels and also aids weight loss.
Antioxidants: Apples contain a compound called quercetin which helps in controlling memory loss and dementia. This again is concentrated in the skin, which should, therefore, be retained. The bioactive substances including polyphenols and pectins are also lost when the peel is removed.
Eases breathing: The same quercetin also helps in easing breathing and improves lung function. This is especially important in people who have chronic lung issues like asthma.
One point of contention here is that most people peel the apple as it is not healthy and full of wax coating which gives it a fresh look. Organic apples are therefore preferred compared to the glossy ones. Further, you can dip your fruits in drinking water for 15-20 minutes to enjoy it without worrying about superficial add-on chemicals. When nicely washed, these apples are devoid of wax and also pack in all the required nutrients.

Quick tip for festivals 

Try to have a fruit smoothie made especially from unpeeled apple with little curd water and honey, avoid banana. It is a perfect way to boost your energy during festivities while keeping your calories in check.  So, go ahead and eat them to your heart s content. Remember to keep the peel on though! If you wish to discuss any specific problem, you can consult a Dietitian/Nutritionist.

Unpeeled Apples - 6 Reasons They Are Really Good For You!

The deltoid muscle is situated around the shoulder joint that makes up the shoulder. It is classified into three parts - front, side and rear deltoids. It is one of the most frequently used muscles in the body, its major functions are abduction and forward elevation of the arm.

Causes
A deltoid strain is a condition where you experience pain and tenderness in the shoulder area due to various causes like overuse of the deltoid muscle. It is very common in weightlifting and various sports such as cricket. It may even lead to partial loss of function in the deltoid muscle. Deltoid strain may be caused due to overworking of the muscle without adequate rest. It may also be caused due to lengthening of the deltoid muscle under stress or direct trauma to the muscle.

There are three types of deltoid strains

Grade 1 deltoid strain: It is characterized by tight muscles with some possible swelling. There may be mild pain when you use your shoulders for any activity.
Grade 2 deltoid strain: This strain is a result of a major injury to the deltoid muscle; there may be visible swelling and pain while carrying out activities that require movement of the shoulder. Lifting your arm to the front or the sides becomes difficult and painful.
Grade 3 deltoid strain: This form of deltoid strain is the most severe of the three; it may cause the shoulders to become immobile. You usually will experience excessive pain and severe swelling. You might not be able to move your arm and carry out any activity that requires the shoulders.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of a deltoid strain starts with a physical exam where the doctor will understand the symptoms of the deltoid strain. Various imaging tests such as x-rays may be required for the diagnosis. The basic treatment for shoulder strain comprises of the RICE protocol (rest, ice, compression and elevation) which is used to treat grade 1 and grade 2 strains. Grade 3 strains may require surgery in addition to the above treatment methods. In case of excess pain, the doctor may prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to ease the pain.

All About Deltoid Strain!

An overactive bladder is a condition that is characterized by a problem in the bladder storage function; a problem that eggs one on to urinate frequently. This condition can cause problems in your social and work life. You may isolate yourself from others and feel embarrassed about the situation.

Symptoms
If you have an overactive bladder, you may exhibit symptoms of frequent urination, involuntary leakage of urine and frequent urge to urinate. These symptoms might disrupt your daily life; so it is important to seek advice from a medical practitioner.

Causes
To better understand what causes an overactive bladder, you need to know how the urination process works. Urine is produced by the kidneys, which flows to the bladder. During urination, the urine is excreted from an opening in the bladder and flows out via the urethra. As the kidneys secrete urine, the bladder starts to fill up. During this stage, nerve signals are sent to the brain; signals that trigger your body to urinate. The bladder muscles tighten that pushes the urine out of the body.

An overactive bladder results from the involuntarily contraction of the bladder, which might happen even if the content of urine in the bladder is low. These contractions create the urge to urinate. The various causes of an overactive bladder are:

Excessive fluid intake, if your fluid intake is high, then you may have the tendency to urinate frequently.
Presence of tumors or stones in the bladder can make the bladder overactive as well.
Excessive alcohol or caffeine consumption has the same effect as an excessive intake of fluids has.
Urinary tract infections may interfere with the entire process of urination, thus causing your bladder to swell up and become overactive.
Other diseases and conditions such as constipation and an enlarged prostate can hamper bladder functioning.
Treatment
There are multiple approaches to treat an overactive bladder; your doctor may use one or a combination of multiple methods.

Medications: Medications such as Trospium and Tolterodine help in relaxing the bladder. These medications help treat symptoms of frequent urination.
Bladder injections: Botox is a protein that is injected into the bladder that causes partial paralysis of the bladder muscles. This helps in treating the constant urge to urinate. However, its effects are temporary as they last for 6-9 months.
Lifestyle modifications: Certain lifestyle modifications such as incorporating exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles, maintaining optimal weight levels and bladder training to control its functioning can help with managing an overactive bladder.
Surgery: If the other treatments do not produce the desired results, then surgery is usually recommended. The aim of the surgery is to enhance the storage capacity of the bladder and reduce bladder pressure.

Frequent Urination - Is It A Symptom of An Overactive Bladder?

Ulcerative Colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the lining of the intestine and the rectum. It is located just above the anus. Patients suffering from ulcerative colitis tend to have small ulcers in their rectum and the colon. These eventually flare up leading to diarrhea, bloody stools, anemia and abdominal pain. The inflammation starts from the rectum and eventually, spreads to the colon. Ulcerative Colitis tends to flare up and remit in an alternate phase. The remission can last from few weeks to few years.

Methods adopted to diagnose Ulcerative Colitis-
Ulcerative Colitis is very similar to an inflammatory bowel disease known as Crohn s disease. The only differentiating factor is the fact that, ulcerative colitis affects the colon whereas, Crohn s disease affects the digestive system and the small intestine. A doctor might prescribe certain tests such as the colonoscopy, blood tests, CT scan, pill camera, stool sample tests etc.

Why is surgery necessary to treat Ulcerative Colitis?
An estimated 40 percent of all Ulcerative Colitis patients need to undergo surgery to recover completely. The reason surgery becomes necessary to treat ulcerative colitis are the following:

Drug therapy and medication become ineffective.
Without undergoing surgery, the condition might increase the risk of developing cancer.
The colon has the risk of getting ruptured if surgery is not performed on time.
There could be excessive bleeding.
Toxic megacolon might set in.
Types of surgery available to treat Ulcerative Colitis
A procedure where the entire colon is removed is known as the colectomy. In case both the colons are removed, the procedure is termed as proctocolectomy. In this procedure, an external pouch needed to be attached to the stoma that collects the stools. There is another method known as pouch surgery. 

Pelvic pouch or ileal pouch is also termed as IPAA. This procedure doesn t involve permanent stoma. In this procedure, both the colon and the rectum are eradicated from the body. The small intestine is then used to form a J-shaped pouch, that serves as the new rectum. The pouch is then connected to the anus. The whole procedure is done via two surgeries.

What are the surgical complications of this procedure?

There could be an excessive bowel movement.
There are instances where an inflammation of the pouch is observed. This condition is known as pouchitis.
There could be a situation of intestinal blockage from adhesion due to surgery.
There could be pouch failure that can happen inside within 5 few years. This is observed in 4 out of 100 patients who are treated. In this case, the patient should go for a permanent ileectomy.

Ulcerative Colitis - What You Need To Know?

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