Toxoplasma IgM Antibody Tips

With viral fever on the rise, it is advisable to prevent yourself from dengue and chikungunya. Dengue is caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes. It is an acute illness of sudden onset that usually symptoms such as headache, fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen lymph nodes, and rash. The presence of fever, rash, and headache is particularly characteristic of dengue. 

Read this Too: Diet Plan For Dengue

The most common symptoms of dengue are:
Symptoms, which usually begin four to six days after infection and last for up to 10 days, may include

• Sudden, high fever
• Severe headaches
• Pain behind the eyes
• Severe joint and muscle pain
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Skin rash, which appears two to five days after the onset of fever
• Mild bleeding (such as a nosebleed, bleeding gums, or easy bruising)

How to diagnose and prevent dengue?
Diagnosing dengue fever: A blood test to check for the virus or antibodies to it . IgG AND IgM for Dengue Fever.

Prevention against dengue fever:

1. Stay away from heavily populated residential areas, if possible.
2. Use mosquito repellents, even indoors.
3. When outdoors, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants tucked into socks.
4. When indoors, use air conditioning if available.
5. Make sure window and door screens are secure and free of holes. If sleeping areas are not screened or air-conditioned, use mosquito nets.

Role of homeopathy in treating dengue: 
Homeopathy treats the person as a whole. It means that homeopathic treatment focuses on the patient as a person, as well as his pathological condition. The homeopathic medicines are selected after a full individual examination and case analysis which includes the medical history of the patient physical & mental constitution, family history, presenting symptoms, underlying pathology, etc. A homeopathic doctor tries to treat more than just the presenting symptoms. The focus is not on curing the disease, but to cure the person who is sick; to restore for health. If a disease pathology is not very advanced homeopathic remedies give hope for cure; even in incurable cases, the quality of life can be greatly improved with homeopathic medicines. Homeopathic medicine help to increase the platelet count and immunity of the patient. Consult an Expert & get answers to your questions!

If you are in an area which has a lot of mosquitoes, any fever that is not subsiding in a couple of days is a cause for concern as it can be due to dengue. It is one of the dreadful diseases doing the rounds in the recent years and when someone complains of fever and joint pain, the first question we ask if they got checked for dengue. This is caused by a virus that is carried by an infected mosquito.

The blood is made up of 3 types of cells mainly that are in a liquid medium called the plasma. The red blood cells are the oxygen-carrying cells and the white blood cells fight infection and provide immunity. The third type are the platelets, they are smaller than the other two and help in blood clotting. With dengue fever, both the white blood cell count and the platelet count are decreased. Normal platelet count in the body ranges from 1.5 to 4 lacs and in patients with dengue; this can go down to as low as 20,000 to 40,000. This is because of the following:

• Dengue suppresses bone marrow, which is the platelet-producing area, leading to decreased platelet count.
• Blood cells affected by dengue virus damage platelets, leading to their drastic fall in numbers
• Antibodies produced in dengue also lead to massive destruction of platelets

Patient presents with nonspecific symptoms including a high fever that does not subside, vomiting, pain behind the eyes, headache, nausea, and severe muscular and joint pain. The eye pain and the joint pain lead to the suspicion of the dengue fever. Symptoms develop after 4 to 7 days after the bite. The fever lasts for about 5 to 7 days and is followed by a prolonged period of fatigue, joint pains, body pain, and rashes.

For the sake of confirming the diagnosis, the doctor will run some lab tests. These include testing for antibodies IgG and IgM, PCR testing to check the virus and a complete blood count. This will reveal the decrease in the white blood cells and the platelets to a significant degree. Whether or not a person requires platelet transfusion will be decided by the doctor based on the person’s age, immunity levels and severity of the disease.

There isn't a particular level below which a person would require platelet transfusion. In aged people and with people who have other chronic diseases, platelet transfusion may be required even if the blood count is about 50,000. The doctor will decide this based on the patient’s health. The right thing to do is to go for a medical consultation and discuss your situation with the doctor and identify what needs to be done for your condition specifically. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Nutrition for you will never be as important to you as it is during pregnancy, because while eating you have to think not only about you, but also the development of your unborn child. However, merely eating is not enough you have to eat right. Here is your guide of what to eat and what to avoid, during pregnancy, so that your child gets the best nutrition.

Things to eat: 

1. Whole grains: Whole grains, which can be found in food items like cereals, whole-wheat breads and pastas, are rich in folic acid, iron and fibers. Make sure you incorporate ample amount of whole grains in your diet to remain healthy during pregnancy.
2. Beans: Beans are extremely nutritious for pregnant women, as they contain protein, fiber, iron, folate, zinc and calcium, which are much needed for the development of a healthy baby.
3. Fish: Incorporate enough fish in your diet because they contain healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon, for example, is  exceptionally good for health since it contains less mercury than other fish.
4. Eggs: Eggs are rich in protein, and is also a good source of other nutrients like amino acids, vitamins and minerals, including choline which is crucial for the baby's brain development.
5. Berries: Berries contain vitamin C, calcium, folate and fiber, which is important to your diet, besides being a delicious addition to your meal.
6. Low fat yogurt: Sweetened yogurt is extremely bad for your health, but a cup of plain, low fat yogurt contains copious amount of calcium and is also a good source of proteins.

Things to avoid: 

1. Soft cheese: Soft cheese, like feta, blue cheese, brie, etc. are made of unpasteurized milk, which contain listeria bacteria which might be fatal for you and your child. Hence, they are best to avoid.
2. Undercooked or raw food: Raw meat may contain toxoplasma and other bacteria. Raw eggs in sauces like mayonnaise, uncooked dough, desserts like tiramisu and salad dressings are also harmful for you. Fish in sushis or self caught fish may also contain harmful bacteria and parasites or chemicals released from nearby factories. Do ensure that your meat and fish are thoroughly cooked while dining out as well.
3. Unpasteurized juices: There is always a risk of juices, which are squeezed and unpasteurized, being contaminated with E-coli or salmonella, which can be very harmful for you.
4. Pre-dressed poultry: Poultry that has been dressed and stuffed at the market often run the risk of being contaminated by the juices of slaughtered poultry, proving to be best breeding grounds for bacteria.
5. Unwashed fruits and vegetables: Toxoplasma can breed on unwashed raw foods, which also cause harm to your health, mainly in the prenatal period.
6. Alcohol, coffee and unpasteurized milk: These beverages have been deemed unsafe for pregnant ladies since they can cause severe health damages. If you wish to discuss any specific problem, you can consult a general physician.

Pityriasis lichenoides is referred to a rare type of rash which is characterized by tiny papules that voluntarily flatten and relapse within a period of weeks. This condition which can range from moderate to severe in nature can be either chronic or acute. In the severest cases, it may develop into reddish-brown blisters and crusts.

Causes and Symptoms

This condition which is chiefly prevalent in teenagers and adults is slightly likelier to appear in males. This condition is extremely rare among infants and aged people. Although, the precise cause of the condition is unknown, yet three major hypotheses have been suggested as the reason for the condition. They are:

1) Infectious agents which cause an inflammatory reaction
2) A non-cancerous form of T-cell lymphoproliferative which causes a disorder
3) A hypersensitive vasculitis

Some of the infectious agents which can cause this condition include:

1. Toxoplasma gondii
2. HIV
3. Staphylococcus aureus
4. Parvovirus
The lesions of pityriasis lichenoides usually appear over the course of several weeks or sometimes months.

Common symptoms include:

1) A tiny pink papule which turns reddish brown in color
2) A fine scaly central spot which when peeled off exposes a lustrous, pinkish brown exterior
3) The spot becomes level over a number of weeks, leaving a pinkish-brown mark, which may take several months to fade.
These spots which occur over the buttocks, arms and legs, more typically occur in the hands, feet and even the scalp. Although far from being painful or irritable, pityriasis lichenoides spots can render the skin unsightly.

Treatment

The condition though diagnosed by its history and appearance, is entirely confirmed through skin biopsy tests. In usual episodes, the skin heals on its own. But if the condition persists for long one may resort to various therapies such as topical steroids, sunburns and oral antibiotics.

Pregnancy is a really beautiful as well as a very sensitive phase in a woman’s life. Craving for your favourite food in the middle of the night, or even throughout the day, is a perfectly normal phenomenon. Although you deserve to be pampered with your favourite food, however, there are certain foods which irrespective of cravings you really need to avoid for the well being of that tiny little life inside you.

Here is a list of food items to be avoided during pregnancy.

1. Starting with fruits, papaya and pineapples are big negatives. These fruits contain substances that produce uterine contractions inducing labour, and thus, abortion.

2. Sesame seeds also tend to excite uterine muscles thereby causing contractions which may lead to abortion. So it would be an intelligent step to avoid intake of these. Other dry fruits like raisins, dates, almonds, walnuts, pistachios are safe to consume in a moderate amount.

3. Spices that make way into this list include fennel and fenugreek seeds. These may induce uterine contractions too.

4. Although fish is rich in omega 3 and is an important food to include in the pregnancy diet, intake of some sorts of fish might not be a good idea. Here is a list of the kinds of fishes that should be avoided.

   • Fishes containing mercury

   • Smoked or refrigerated seafood.

   • Fishes cultured in polluted water

   • Shellfish that is undercooked. Eg, clams, mussels, oyster

5. Undercooked or raw eggs may be tainted with salmonella bacteria that might cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Desserts or sauces containing raw or uncooked egg should be avoided.

6. Any form of undercooked or treated meat or poultry. This is because a parasite named toxoplasma may be present that might cause excessive food poisoning which in turn could cause foetal damage or miscarriage.

7. Milk is one of the essential foods in pregnancy diet; however, any sort of unpasteurized milk is strictly negative.

8. Sprouts and raw vegetables should be avoided. However, these can be eaten if shallow fried.

9. One major setback for coffee addicts is that caffeine intake is required to be lowered to minimum amounts; that is, not more than one cup a day.

   • Herbal tea

   • Supplements

   • Saccharine

   • Canned food as well as street food.

There are many more little details that should be taken care of but this list would be handy for newly pregnant women.

Pityriasis lichenoides is referred to a rare type of rash which is characterized by tiny papules that voluntarily flatten and relapse within a period of weeks. This condition which can range from moderate to severe in nature can be either chronic or acute. In the severest cases, it may develop into reddish brown blisters and crusts.

Causes and Symptoms: This condition which is chiefly prevalent in teenagers and adults is slightly likelier to appear in males. This condition is extremely rare among infants and aged people. Although, the precise cause of the condition is unknown, yet three major hypotheses have been suggested as the reason for the condition. They are:

1. Infectious agents which cause an inflammatory reaction
2. A non-cancerous form of T-cell lymphoproliferative which causes a disorder
3. An hypersensitive vasculitis

Some of the infectious agents which can cause this condition include:

1. Toxoplasma gondii
2. HIV
3. Staphylococcus aureus
4. Parvovirus

The lesions of pityriasis lichenoides usually appear over the course of several weeks or sometimes months.

Common symptoms include:

1. A tiny pink papule which turns reddish brown in color
2. A fine scaly central spot which when peeled off exposes a lustrous, pinkish brown exterior
3. The spot becomes level over a number of weeks, leaving a pinkish-brown mark, which may take several months to fade.

These spots which occur over the buttocks, arms and legs, more typically occur in the hands, feet and even the scalp. Although far from being painful or irritable, pityriasis lichenoides spots can render the skin unsightly.

Treatment: The condition though diagnosed by its history and appearance, is entirely confirmed through skin biopsy tests. In usual episodes, the skin heals on its own. But if the condition persists for long one may resort to various therapies such as topical steroids, sunburns and oral antibiotics.