How does hair implant works?

                         

Image via Wikipedia

Alopecia Areata

 News about hair implants    

 

 Hair transplant changed James Nesbitt's life

•    "Several years ago I began losing my hair, and like a lot of men it was a major concern to me - in fact, it was practically an obsession. But also I’m an actor, so I'm in the public eye a lot, and I really felt that my hair loss could affect my career prospects," Nesbitt told Mail on Sunday newspaper. 

Nesbitt had two transplant operations, which involved taking hair follicles from the back of the head, where they were growing well, and moving them to the scalp.

"I'm also using the approved medications finasteride and minoxidil to improve the quality of my hair and to prevent further hair loss.".......

        from the    The Daily Telegraph

     
       Hair transplant is a microscopic surgery procedure where hair follicles from one area of the head is implanted in the balding spot.A hair and scalp specialist known as trichologist, well first determine the cause of hair loss then he can recommend the proper treatment.Hair implant is not immediately recommended at the first sign of hair loss.Doctors usually waits until the hair loss had been happening for sometime before hair transplant is done.Patients may have varying type of hair loss like receding hairline or alopecia.The pattern of hair loss and balding areas must be well established  first before finally transplanting hair follicles to the bald spots to insure better prognosis of the hair implant procedure.

2 Methods of Hair transplant
1. Follicular Unit Extraction Technique - a hair transplant technique where individual hair follicles are  removed  from one area of the head.Hair implant is done by making an incision in the bald area. Smaller scar formation with this procedure.
2. Another method is, a strip of hair is taken from the donor area,this is dissected into single hairs and through incision in the bald area, these individual hairs are implanted.This method makes a bigger scar from donor site.

How to prevent hair loss
1. Proper Nutrition.a balanced diet of protein, fruits, vegetables and nuts would help in over all health including the growth of hair follicles.
2. Avoid stress.An increased in dihydrotestosterone or DHT, a male hormone usually which rises during stress, causes hair fall out.
3. Avoid smoking which could cause decreased blood supply to hair follicles.
4. avoid crash dieting because nutrient imbalance could affect hair growth thereby may cause hair loss.
     Some people have genetics to blame for their hair loss but for others it could be due to some of the reasons above,what ever the cause, there is a remedy out there called hair implant.People may seek help for cosmetic reasons to improve their appearance and self-esteem.They could be victims of ridicule or accidents like burn victims,hair transplant could help them.Before the hair transplant procedure,patients are informed that hair growth after the transplant could take place after maybe 3 months which will improve with in 1 year of the hair implant.

Is there Illness Protection from nuclear radiation exposure?

Image via Wikipedia

A Nuclear Reactor Plant in the US

Japan Finds Contaminated Food Up to 90 Miles From Nuclear Sites

By KEN BELSON and HIROKO TABUCHI

Food safety inspectors said the amount of iodine-131 found in the tested milk was five times higher than levels deemed safe. They said the iodine found in the spinach was more than seven times higher. The spinach also contained slightly higher amounts of cesium-137.

Iodine-131 and cesium-137 are two of the more dangerous elements that are feared to have been released from the plants in Fukushima. Iodine-131 can be dangerous to human health, especially if absorbed through milk and milk products, because it can accumulate in the thyroid and cause cancer. Cesium-137 can damage cells and lead to an increased risk of cancer.....

Dr. Swartz said people consuming milk and produce, particularly children and pregnant women, should be taking potassium iodide, which saturates the thyroid gland with nonradioactive iodine, and prevents it from taking in the radioactive form. Children and fetuses have the highest risk of thyroid cancer from exposure to radioactive iodine.

The Japanese authorities recommended Wednesday that people in the affected area start taking iodine......via New York Times

          http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/world/asia/20japan.html
   
      The disaster in Japan Nuclear Power Plant will cause  nuclear radiation exposure to possibly lots of people affecting their life and causing future illness.According to experts,exposure to 100 millisieverts a year can lead to cancer.Children,young adults and elderly are very vulnerable including those who work in these reactor site.The radiation from the power plant will expose people to  3  harmful radioactive elements.These elements can cause  illness like cancer and DNA damage if the body absorbs more than its limit.Radiation poisoning is also a worry for those who directly comes in contact or works in the affected nuclear plants.It could cause destruction of the blood cells,gastrointestinal and neurovascular symptoms.
      Prevention is the best  illness protection from nuclear radiation.But if exposure can not be avoided there are possible protection we can use  for each radioactive material.          

Radioactive materials and illness as a result of Nuclear Radiation exposure:
1. Iodine  131
     - found in the air from reactor plumes,when inhaled, it goes to the thyroid glands.
 Illness it can cause - Cancer of the thyroid glands
Illness Protection:
      Potassium Iodide in the form of pills or tablet.It should be taken before exposure to radio active iodine or  with in 6 hours after exposure.It works by saturating the thyroid preventing the damaging effect of radioactive iodine.

2. Cesium 137
     - It is an environmental contaminant.This is found in contaminated food and water as well as inhaled dust.It affects the whole body.Exposure to this element is usually caused by nuclear accidents.Once it is in the body,it targets mainly the soft tissues like muscles,fat etc.It is eliminated in the urine.The health risk is dependent on length, strength and source of exposure.
Illness it can cause - Cancer
 Antidote:
       Prussian Blue by helping the body eliminate the radioactive elements.
     
3. Strontium 90
       It is an environmental contaminant like cesium 137 contaminating food and water. It acts like calcium and goes to the bones and bone marrow.Just like Cesium 137, the risk depends on strength and length of exposure.
 Illness it can cause - cancer of the bone, cancer of soft tissues near the bone and leukemia.
Antidote:
      Calcium Gluconate IV

     Radiation Poisoning symptoms
 1.nausea
 2. vomiting
 3 .falling blood count
 4. bleeding
 5. infection
 6. abdominal pain
 7. neurological effects- like decreased level of consciousness in  very high  radiation exposure
 8. death - very high doses

     Possible Treatment is mostly supportive
1. Antibiotics
2. Blood products
3. Colony Stimulating Factors
4. Stem Cell transplant when necessary

     A Few Things one can  do if there is nuclear accident
 1. Stay indoors to avoid  exposure to radio active materials.
 2. If exposed out doors,remove your clothes and put them in a sealed container then shower.
 3. Leave or stay away from the area of exposure if possible.

Reference Wikipedia

Ways You Can Avoid Salmonella Infection

Image via Wikipedia   It has been the news these past few days about Skippy Peanut butter recall involving some batches of their peanut butter products.The reason was that these products have been contaminated with salmonella and E. coli.
   Salmonella is a bacteria found in humans and animals.It is responsible for typhoid fever,paratyphoid fever and food poisoning.The route of infection is fecal -oral route.Meaning one can be infected by the organism by eating food or drinking water that are contaminated  by the bacteria.The bacteria can survive outside its host for weeks in dry environment.Longer in water which could be months.Food such as meat and eggs could harbor the micro organism.The microorganism can be killed by heat  of 55 degrees centigrade for 1 hour.It can not be killed by freezing but ultraviolet radiation can effectively kill them.
    The gastric acidity usually destroys most micro organism man ingests.But large amount could cause infection after an incubation period like in salmonella food poisoning.Incubation period for salmonella could be from 12 hours to 72 hours.The elderly,children and those whose immune system is compromised are easily affected.Sickle Cell  Anemia patients when infected with salmonella could develop osteomyelitis.Dehydration brought about by the diarrhea could have serious consequences and should be avoided.Bring the patient to the hospital for proper management.

Symptoms of infection :
 -diarrhea with mucopurulent,bloody stool
 -fever
 -abdominal cramps
  -vomiting

Some ways to avoid infection
  1. Cook meat thoroughly.
  2. Sanitary practices such as building and use of comfort rooms to dispose of  human waste properly.
  3. Proper hand washing after using the toilet and handling pets.
  4. Wash fruits and vegetable properly before eating.
  5. Heat cooked food for at least 10 minutes at 75 degrees centigrade
  6. Don't use stagnant water which could have been contaminated by the bacteria.
  7. Separate containers for cooked and raw food to avoid contamination.
   8. Boil drinking water of questionable source
   9. Wash eggs before using to remove chicken feces from its shell.
  10. Avoid eating raw egg.
  11. To defrost frozen food, put food in the ref over night or use the defrost setting in the microwave for
        faster defrosting time.
  12. Cook food in temperatures  ranging from 68 to 72 degrees centigrade.
  13 .Observe sanitary food preparations like when making your vegetable salad.
 




  

Insulin Pumps for Diabetics

Diabetes management goes high tech for kids 

Yes, there’s an app for that

By Leigh Wilkins, For Health Care Today 

Image via Wikipedia

The use of an insulin pump is becoming more prevalent in children with Type I and II diabetes; Nicholson has prescribed it for children as young as 16 months.

“The pump is quite beneficial for very young children,” Nicholson said. “It is capable of delivering 1/40th of a unit of insulin, which may be all that a small child needs at a given time. The smallest dose an insulin syringe or pen can deliver is a half unit.”

Insulin pumps are worn 24 hours a day and deliver rapid-acting insulin around the clock through a catheter placed under the skin, eliminating the need for daily insulin shots. By the age of 10 or 11, most children can be trained to use the pump and change the insulin set (a needle and catheter) as needed, about every two to three days......

“Using a USB port, they can download data from the pump to their computer, then email it to my office,” Nicholson said. “Then a doctor or nurse can see how much insulin the child is getting and make sure they are testing the pump and changing their insulin set on schedule.”

Many children with diabetes wear a glucose meter, which can be used in conjunction with an insulin pump, syringe or pen. This device is worn on the skin and measures blood glucose levels hundreds of times a day, sounding an alarm if levels get too low or too high....

   Glucose meter is a medical device used to measure the amount of sugar in the blood.The blood sample is usually just a drop of blood taken by pricking the finger with a lancet provided.This is placed in a test strip which is inserted into the device to read the amount of sugar in the blood.Some device do not use strips.This device helps diabetics monitor their blood sugar at home with out the need to always go to the laboratory for test.
   Diabetic patients,Type I and Type II, need to monitor their blood sugar constantly.This will help them regulate their calorie intake when the reading is high and to increase when blood sugar is low to avoid hypoglycemia.Diabetic patients on medications need to always follow their doctor's orders  when to take their medications and meals.Taking medicines with out eating proper meals might lead to lowered blood sugar that can become life threatening and prompt action is needed.Hyperglycemia which is  increase in blood sugar could be prevented to avoid complications.
   The invention of the insulin pump and use of glucose meter is a great help  for diabetic patients  since  the insulin pump delivers the exact amount of insulin needed while the glucose meter helps monitor blood sugar.The insulin pump makes it easy for diabetics to get their proper dose of insulin as needed by their bodies. Education and having the self discipline to diet,exercise and willingness to   implement life style  changes could greatly improve the quality of life for diabetic patients.

Little Known Ways to Fight Depression

Study: Male Depression Set to Increase

                                       http://www.flickr.com/photos/

(CANVAS STAFF REPORTS) - For many men, work and self-worth go hand-in-hand. As the recession increasingly strips men of their role as breadwinner, we could see more males battling depression, researchers warned.

According to a press release from Emory University, research showed that about 75 percent of the jobs lost since the recession started in 2007 were held by men. Meanwhile, more women are becoming the primary wage earners. In fact, 22 percent of wives earned more than their husbands in 2007, compared to four percent in 1970.

"Compared to women, many men attach a great importance to their roles as providers and protectors of their families," the release stated Dr. Boadie Dunlop wrote in an editorial in the March 2011 issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry. "Failure to fulfill the role of breadwinner is associated with greater depression and marital conflict.".....

Also, biological and sociological differences in men and women may mean men will find it harder to be the primary care provider to young children. The release stated that could mean men could face the same risk as women faced in older economies, such as being trapped in a family role because of an inability to find employment.

"Men are going to be taking on these roles, some by choice and some will have it forced on them," Dunlop told the TIME blog Healthland. "How well will they be able to adapt, and how well we are able to help them if they have troubles with those roles?"

Although women are twice as likely to suffer major depression, Dunlop stated in the press release that changing socioeconomics in the West could lead to more men and less women suffering depression....to read more go to My Fox New York

    True clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feeling of sadness,loss,anger or  frustration interfere with everyday life for a long period of time according to Pubmed.
     Depression could be brought about by painful experiences,sudden death of a love one,loss of one's job,divorce just to name a few.These could trigger  negative feelings which if left unresolved for a long time could affect one's everyday life.Young and old ,men and women could all experience depression.Recognizing the signs of depression and getting help immediately would prevent deterioration of a depressed individual into becoming suicidal or harmful to others.Support of love ones,family and friends would be needed by some one who is depressed.Physical activities like exercise would help divert ones negative thoughts.Persistent depression may need  consultation with a doctor.There are anti depressant drugs and counseling helps in the management of depression.If you are depressed,reach out, there is help out there.Talking to some one about what's bothering you would help.Lastly avoid turning to alcohol for it will only make things worst.

 

All You Need to Know About Pulmonary Embolism

News about Pulmonary Embolism

       Serena Williams recuperating after blood clot in  lungs 

            By Douglas Robson, Special for USA TODAY

The 13-time major winner was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for the removal of a hematoma, or internal hemorrhage. That followed the discovery and treatment last week of a blood clot in her lungs.

Williams has not played a WTA match since injuring her right foot just days after winning Wimbledon in July.

The clot, known as a pulmonary embolism, surfaced during her return to Los Angeles following doctor appointments in New York for ongoing issues with her foot.- to read more go to USA Today Tennis

    Pulmonary Embolism is a condition where in the main artery of the lung or any of its branches is blocked by an embolus.An embolus could be a blood clot,air, fat,or amniotic fluid which could have travelled else where in the body through the blood stream to the lungs.

Symptoms of pulmonary embolism
  1. Chest pain on inspiration
  2. difficulty of breathing
  3. palpitations
  4. dyspnea - shortness of breath
  5. tachypnea- rapid breathing
  6. chest pain
  7. cough
  8. hemoptysis - coughing of blood
In sever cases, pulmonary embolism could lead to
  1. abnormally low blood pressure
  2. collapse
  3. sudden death

Factors that could lead to Pulmonary embolism known as the Virchow's Triad
  1. alteration in blood flow
       -due to surgery, injury, or long air travel,pregnancy, obesity and cancer
  2. factors in the vessel wall
  3. factors affecting the properties of the blood like
      - hormonal contraception with estrogen
      - genetic thrombophilia
      - acquired thrombophilia
      - cancer

Treatment
  1. anticoagulant drugs like warfarin and heparin
  2. thrombolysis with drug like tissue plasminogen activator
  3. pulmonary thrombectomy - a surgical intervention