Life can be tough when living with Crohn s disease as it is a chronic condition. Especially with the disease is marked by phases of relapse and remission, it requires a long-term management to keep the symptoms in check. Though the flare-ups can be typically contained using medications, some of the patients with severe symptoms or complications arising from the illness would require surgery.

Before we proceed with the surgical management of the disease, it is essential to understand what Crohn s disease is in case you are not aware of it. It is a chronic illness in which the intestine or the bowel have become inflamed or marked with ulcers and sores and is a part of disorders collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).

When does Crohn s disease require surgery?
Typically, patients who are suffering from complications of Crohn s Disease may require surgery. This may include the formation of a scar that is causing the bowel to narrow down and leading to obstructions, extensive bleeding from the intestine, perforation in the bowel wall or the formation of fistula or abscess. The fistula may be formed in the connecting area between two body parts that do not meet. Also, a condition known as toxic megacolon where the large intestine or the colon becomes severely stretched out causing the toxins to spread all through the blood requires surgical intervention.

What are the different surgical options available for Crohn s disease?

The surgery chosen for Crohn s disease is dependent on various factors such as where the disease has affected, how severe the disease is and most importantly what complication will be treated by the surgery. Here are some of the types of surgeries done for treating Crohn s disease:

Strictureplasty: If the small intestine is affected by the disease, it may show up in the alternating areas of the bowel. Strictureplasty is a surgical way of widening the narrow area of the small intestine into a portion which has been affected by the disease. It doesn t involve removal of the intestine.
Resection: This is yet another surgical process where the affected part of the intestine is removed. It may be required when the stricture has become elongated. The removal of the diseased portion of the intestine may be able to offer some relief from the symptoms.
Colectomy: This surgery refers to the removal of the entire colon, and it is done when the disease is severe and extensive.
Proctocolectomy: When both rectum and colon are affected, both these parts are removed by a process called proctocolectomy. When this process becomes necessary, the waste materials drain into the bag which is emptied every day.
Since, the surgical intervention aims to manage the disease, your doctor would be able to recommend the most suitable option as per your condition.

Crohn's Disease - How Surgical Management Can Help?

What is Allergic Asthma?

Allergic asthma is the condition in which the symptoms of an asthmatic attack appear after exposure to certain allergens. 90% of the cases of asthma in children are allergy driven, while in adults, the percentage is said to be around 50%.

An allergy happens when an individual's immune system exhibits massive reaction or fights vigorously against substances like pollen, dust, animal dander or certain other minute particles which are actually not harmful to the body but are considered so by the immune system.

Symptomatic changes in cases of allergic asthma:

If the symptoms of an asthma attack occur only when you are subjected to these triggers or irritant particles, your case is allergy driven.

In such cases, the airway reacts aggressively to the entry of such allergens.

The airway muscles tighten up and inflammation is observed.

Breathing becomes painful and compromised, and mucus accumulation sets in very quickly.

Coughing is a common phenomenon, as the body tries to expel the mucus accumulated.

The allergens mentioned above are not the only triggering agents. Basically, anything that causes irritation could trigger an allergy and an asthmatic attack thereafter. Symptoms in the case of allergy driven asthma are more or less the same as seen in other asthmatic cases.

Confirming the cause of asthma as allergic or not:

The doctor would give you a much better clarification on whether you're asthma is allergy driven or not. There are pretty much two ways to decipher the same:

One is to administer a tiny amount of allergen to the skin and making a note of the reaction to that. Whether the reaction is a normal one or an aggressive one would tell if an individual has an allergy or not.

Specific IgE test may be done to confirm the cause, or to test the presence of an allergic reaction in the individual.

All your queries pertaining to allergic asthma and asthma, in general, are more than welcome.

What is Allergic Asthma?

There are various forms of Paralysis. Paralysis of the lower limbs is one of the most severe forms of Paralysis. It is also known as Paraplegia. People suffering from such Paralysis lose all sense below the waist. They cannot move their legs or hips, cannot void without help, and cannot have intercourse. They barely feel anything below their waist. However, the degree of inability may vary from one person to another.

In people suffering from such Paralysis, there is usually substantial impairment in movement. Though such inability is not necessarily permanent, rarely do people recover from such inability. Lower Limb Paralysis may put people at risk of deep Vein Thrombosis.

Causes of Lower Limbs Paralysis:

Paralysis of the lower limbs usually results from injury to the spinal cord or the brain. However, spinal cord injury is the most common cause of such Paralysis. Such injuries inhibit the ability of the brain to receive and send signals from lower limbs. Causes of such inability may include:

Infections in the spinal cord

Lesions of the spinal cord

Tumors in the brain

Infections in the brain  

Nerve damage at the hip or waist.

Oxygen deprivation in the brain or spinal cord due to choking, violence, or surgical accidents.

Stroke

Congenital spinal cord deformities such as Spina Bifida etc.

However, the most common cause of Lower Limb Paralysis is congenital spinal deformity, such as Spina Bifida. The degree of Paralysis depends on the location of the spinal lesion and the extent of spinal cord or nerve damage. Some people with spinal lesions may even walk independently if the lesion is lower down the spine. However, people with upper spinal lesions are usually not able to do that. They may require ortho shoes as well as walking aids in order to ambulate. If these don t work, they may need wheelchairs for mobility. Usually these people learn to ambulate with the aid of ankle foot orthoses.

Treatment of Lower Limbs Paralysis:

There is no treatment for Paralysis. However, in some cases, people suffering from Lower Limb Paralysis are able to regain some of their ability with the help of physical therapy. What physiotherapy does is that it retains the spinal cord and the brain to strengthen nerve connections and muscles so that patients can work around their limitations. If paralysis is due to some underlying cause, removal of the cause can treat the patient.

If an infant is found to be suffering from Spina Bifida, doctors can operate on his spinal cord and bring down the severity of the problem. Such children are less likely than others to use walking devices.

Bowel and Bladder Management:

This is a serious aspect of Lower Limb Paralysis. Patients need to undergo routine bladder and bowel evaluation and device management plans to reduce the risk of organ damage.

Conclusion:

There is hardly any treatment for Lower Limb Paralysis. However, physical therapy may solve some of the problems. If it does not, management of bowel and bladder and watching out for deep Vein Thrombosis should be done on a regular basis.

One can also use alternative methods like Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Massage, and other holistic treatments. However, it is always recommended to consult an orthopedic doctor before opting for any methods.

Paralysis Of Lower Limbs!

The bones and joints orchestrate very well with each other for smooth movements of various joints and the spine. However, due to various reasons, some identified and others unknown, there could be inflammation of the areas where the bones join the muscles leading to impaired movement. The range of motion could be reduced or it could be painful, thereby, limiting movement. Spondyloarthritis includes a group of inflammatory diseases that involves the bones and joints and enthuses which are areas where the ligaments and tendons attach to the bones. This causes conditions like plantar fasciitis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and reactive arthritis. The term spondyloarthritis is a blanket term to describe any of the above-mentioned conditions.

Read on to know a little more in detail about it:

Causes: While the exact etiology is not identified for sure, most patients with spondyloarthritis have an autosomal dominant gene (HLA-B27). Chronic infections could trigger the onset of the disease too.

Symptoms:

1. In all forms of spondyloarthritis, there is always inflammation of the spine, joints and entheses. If the fingers or toes are involved, there could be swelling leading to what are typically known as 'sausage digits'.

2. There is sacroiliitis which is inflammation of the joint between the pelvis and the spine, and spondylitis which is inflammation of the joints between the spines. 3. Family history and autosomal dominant gene.

Diagnosis:

A detailed medical history and physical examination form the cornerstone of a confirmed diagnosis. In addition, radiographic examination and diagnostic blood tests also could be done to confirm the diagnosis. Radiographs, especially, of the spine and the low back show typical changes including sacroilitis in suspected cases of spondyloarthritis. If the spine does not show these changes, but there is a high likelihood of spondyloarthritis, then MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) can be used to confirm the diagnosis.

As a final step, a blood test for the HLA-B27 gene can also be confirmatory. However, it is not true that a person with the gene will definitely develop the disease.

Treatment:

The most important aspect of treatment is the use of pain medications and anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which help manage pain and inflammation.
Corticosteroid injections may sometimes be given directly into the joint spaces or the membranes to provide quick relief of these symptoms.
ESWT / RSWT has a definite role to cure enthesopathy. Plantar fasciitis, and achillodynia can be cured with ESWT. Even small joints of hand and feet are amenable to treatment with RSWT. It is nonoperative and noninvasive treatment and has no side effects.
Very rarely, stronger drugs such as methotrexate or sulfasalazine may be used.
Another set of drugs known as TNF-blockers (tumor necrotizing factor blockers) are also shown to be highly effective in controlling the pain of the spine and joints.
In very severe cases, surgery may be required to correct joint damages or correct severe degenerative changes.
Exercise plays a very vital role in controlling the issue and improving range of motion.

What You Should Know About Spondyloarthritis?

How to prevent dengue fever

A painful, mosquito-borne disease, dengue (pronounced dengue) fever is on the rise. While in some cases, it has proved to be fatal, in most cases dengue is curable. There is no vaccination available to protect against this fever. So the best way to avoid is to take precautions.
Here are a few precautions you can take against dengue.

1. Avoid public spaces - avoid densely populated residential areas, as more the people, more the virus can spread.
2. Use insect protection - use mosquito repellents and nets when indoors. Use repellents when going outdoors; this is especially important for children playing outdoors.
3. Use air cooling - use the fan or the air-conditioning when indoors as the air-cooling drives the mosquitoes away.
4. Prevent entry - close all doors and windows tightly before sunset. Ensure there are no gaps for mosquitoes to come indoors.
5. Check for symptoms - if you have any of the symptoms, consult your doctor. It is advisable to keep yourself aware about the symptoms so one can react quickly if needed. Some of the symptoms are:

Severe headaches.
Nausea.
Vomiting.
Sudden rise in body temperature.
Mild bleeding in the gums or nose.
Severe muscle and joint pain.
Acute pain behind the eyes.

The one confusing part of dengue fever is that it can be mistaken for normal fever upon onset. However, it can develop to serious problem. People with a weak immune system and people who have had dengue before, are at the higher risks of contracting this again, and at a bigger scale.



Prevent The Dangerous DENGUE Fever - Follow These Simple Steps

Are you a sports person? Your fitness regime can be harmful to your legs and calf muscles. Your daily activities like running, walking or cycling might cause a sprain in your legs. The condition is medically termed as a muscle cramp or charley horse. It is a painful contraction of the muscles. It comes as a sudden attack and may last for a few minutes or for a longer period. Nighttime cramps are very common in sports persons or people who undertake a lot of physical activity throughout the day. Leg cramps usually occur in the calf muscles.

What Causes Muscle Cramps??
It can be caused due to multiple reasons. Ranging from dehydration to serious issues or medical conditions, muscle cramps can be caused due to different reasons. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause behind the cramp. However, the following reasons are the most common factors responsible for cramps:

One may develop injuries during exercising, this may results in cramps. Moreover, faulty postures during exercising cause leg cramps. Overuse of the muscles by spending more time in exercising and exhausting excess energy causes cramps and muscle fatigue.
Cramps may be a common symptom in pregnant women. During pregnancy, a woman s body gets deficient in minerals and vitamins. Also, the weight of the upper part of the woman s body increases during pregnancy. This puts extra pressure on the leg muscles.
Excessive cold weather and use of cold water for bathing or drinking
Improper flow of blood due to heart-related diseases or peripheral arterial disease
Chronic health disorders like kidney disorders, thyroid disease, and multiple sclerosis.
Deficiency of potassium, calcium and minerals in bloodstream
Dehydration
Side effects of medicines like antipsychotics, steroids, birth control pills and diuretics, etc.
Ways to deal with muscle cramps
There are a number of ways to reduce the possibility of occurrence of muscle cramps. Here are some of the ways discussed below:

It is quite important to stretch and massage the muscles on regular basis.
After a hard day's work, it is best to take a warm shower or steam bath. It relaxes the muscles. You can also apply a heating pad.
Apply an ice or cold pack to relax the muscles
Consume painkillers or other medicines after consulting with a physician
Ensure that you consume sufficient amount of water throughout the day. You can also take health or sports drinks to keep your body hydrated always.

Suffering From Muscle Cramps? Ways You Can Deal With It!

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