Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a respiratory infection that has recently been reported in a number of regions.
It is a new type of atypical pneumonia* that infects the lungs, caused by a new strain of coronavirus.
Atypical pneumonia refers to an infection of the lung that is caused by certain organisms such as Mycoplasma, Legionella and Chlamydia. SARS is a type of atypical pneumonia.
As more information has become available, WHO has revised the SARS case definitions as follows:
Suspect CaseA person presenting after 1 February 2003 with history of high fever (>38C) and one or more respiratory symptoms including cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing AND one or more of the following:
close contact* with a person who has been diagnosed with SARS
recent history of travel to areas reporting cases of SARS
(* close contact refers to having cared for, having lived with, or having had direct contact with respiratory secretions and body fluids of a person with SARS)
The travel or close contact history are key criteria in suspecting the diagnosis and helps distinguish SARS from other causes of fever and cough such as the common cold or the flu.
Probable CaseA suspect case with chest x-ray findings of pneumonia or Respiratory Distress Syndrome or a person with an unexplained respiratory illness resulting in death, with an autopsy examination demonstrating the pathology of Respiratory Distress Syndrome without an identifiable cause.
TreatmentLargely supportive. At present, patients are being treated empirically with antibiotics and in some cases, anti-viral agents.
Jumat, 05 September 2008
Selasa, 05 Agustus 2008
MAHKOTA DEWA ( God's Crown )
A powerful anti-oxidant that fights life-style diseases: diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, and reduces cholesterol and fats.
For centuries, the people of Indonesia have used the fruit and leaves of the tree Mahkota Dewa (literally God’s Crown) to counter diabetes, liver diseases, vascular problems, cancer, and high blood pressure.
Recent research is now confirming the experience of the years. In laboratory testing and clinical trials, there is now scientific proof that Gods Crown contains an effective battery of phyto-chemicals (plant chemicals) that combat not only the traditional cancers and fevers such as malaria, but also the so called life-style diseases.
Medical science has given extended life-spans through the introduction of hygiene and better nutrition. Average length of life has increased twofold as man’s understanding of microbes and food hygiene has improved. Advances in drugs and surgical techniques have further enhanced average longevity.
But it must be admitted that the greatest advances in human health and life-span are due not to advanced medical science, but to two very basic factors: improvement in the practice of simple hygiene; and better food. Washing your hands with soap stops spread of disease. Clean nutritious food adds years to your lifespan. It is surprising that the other major breakthroughs such as use of antibiotics, anaesthetics, immunization, hormonal and systemic drug treatments have added relatively little to the average length of life.
All the might of the burgeoning health industry with the billions of dollars spent annually contributes precious little to increase life-spans...
Do you want the truth? The early death syndrome…
So today, the dramatic advances of medical science, wonder drugs, laser surgery and all the rest seem to be powerless in the face of the growing epidemics of heart disease and cancer, the two greatest causes of death today. Sometimes, the “sickness industry” seems to operate only to limit our last days to a constant round of radium and chemo-induced misery, at great cost to our purse and the extended suffering of us and our loved ones.
The figures tell the story. In the USA, heart attacks, often leading to sudden death, take a quarter (28%) of those who die each year. Despite the best that medical science has to offer, 60% of cancer sufferers die of the disease within 5 years. That’s another 23% of deaths each year. Stroke hits another 7%, and of those, half will not die immediately, but will be permanently incapacitated.
But we have some positive information for you. There is a new, natural way that all three of the top causes of early death can be prevented. These are well authenticated answers that anyone can follow. And if you think you should take your chances because you could stop a bullet anyway, it is very unlikely. Despite all the hype, only about 0.7% of deaths in the USA are due to homicide, and they are heavily concentrated in racial minorities and poor communities.
Want a bit of science? Here’s some explanation. Hardening of the coronary arteries (atherosclerosis) is the most common form of heart disease. Fatty cholesterol deposits line the walls of the arteries and are hardened (sclerosis) by deposits of calcium or lime salts.
The walls of the arteries can be further narrowed by the clotting of blood (thrombosis). Clots break loose and plug the artery downstream and usually cause a heart attack. If it is not fatal, it will often leave the subject disabled or at least in poor health for the rest of their life.
A region of the heart deprived of blood because a clot has stopped circulation is called a myocardial infarct (dead or dying heart muscle). Myocardial infarction is more commonly known as heart attack, whereas sudden cardiac death is more commonly known as cardiac arrest. It carries off more than a quarter of those who die each year. But the alarming thing is that the number grows each year. We are seeing an epidemic.
Often associated with cardiovascular problems, the other “lifestyle diseases” of hypertension, diabetes, together with high cholesterol and blood fats (hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipidemia), hasten the grim reaper. Or worse, leave people in a vegetative state for years through strokes or Alzheimers. Obesity increases the risk factor considerably, and smoking multiplies the damage.
It is often asserted that our modern lifestyles, with food additives, fast (fatty) food, polluted atmospheres and water supplies, high stress and high consumption of tobacco and alcohol (and the increasing incidence of free radicals in our bloodstreams) and the accompanying low level inflammation in our bodies are the major causes for the growing incidence of cancer in our society.
We should understand these diseases as a collapse of the body’s homeostasis, together with the low level inflammation that is the long term precurser to the onset of cancer and heart disease, and the destruction of our ability to mount the defences and make the adjustments that are needed to protect us from these scourges.
The good news is, these things can be beaten. You can rebuild your body’s defenses. A change in lifestyle will give great benefits, but even without it, you can get protection. That’s right, you can improve your chances substantially without changing anything.
Without doing a thing - other than taking a few capsules every day. With extracts from plants that grow in the tropical forests of the Spice Islands – the Indonesian Archipelago – this one, a major component in your new wellness regime, is called Mahkota Dewa, literally Gods Crown.
Mahkota Dewa is one of the extraordinary finds that the world is only beginning to learn about. The Wellness Tree has identified the best answers to protection from the damage caused by the stress, overwork, pollution, contaminants and processed foods of unhealthy western lifestyles. And one of the best is the herb, Mahkota Dewa.
(Tree of Wellness.com)
For centuries, the people of Indonesia have used the fruit and leaves of the tree Mahkota Dewa (literally God’s Crown) to counter diabetes, liver diseases, vascular problems, cancer, and high blood pressure.
Recent research is now confirming the experience of the years. In laboratory testing and clinical trials, there is now scientific proof that Gods Crown contains an effective battery of phyto-chemicals (plant chemicals) that combat not only the traditional cancers and fevers such as malaria, but also the so called life-style diseases.
Medical science has given extended life-spans through the introduction of hygiene and better nutrition. Average length of life has increased twofold as man’s understanding of microbes and food hygiene has improved. Advances in drugs and surgical techniques have further enhanced average longevity.
But it must be admitted that the greatest advances in human health and life-span are due not to advanced medical science, but to two very basic factors: improvement in the practice of simple hygiene; and better food. Washing your hands with soap stops spread of disease. Clean nutritious food adds years to your lifespan. It is surprising that the other major breakthroughs such as use of antibiotics, anaesthetics, immunization, hormonal and systemic drug treatments have added relatively little to the average length of life.
All the might of the burgeoning health industry with the billions of dollars spent annually contributes precious little to increase life-spans...
Do you want the truth? The early death syndrome…
So today, the dramatic advances of medical science, wonder drugs, laser surgery and all the rest seem to be powerless in the face of the growing epidemics of heart disease and cancer, the two greatest causes of death today. Sometimes, the “sickness industry” seems to operate only to limit our last days to a constant round of radium and chemo-induced misery, at great cost to our purse and the extended suffering of us and our loved ones.
The figures tell the story. In the USA, heart attacks, often leading to sudden death, take a quarter (28%) of those who die each year. Despite the best that medical science has to offer, 60% of cancer sufferers die of the disease within 5 years. That’s another 23% of deaths each year. Stroke hits another 7%, and of those, half will not die immediately, but will be permanently incapacitated.
But we have some positive information for you. There is a new, natural way that all three of the top causes of early death can be prevented. These are well authenticated answers that anyone can follow. And if you think you should take your chances because you could stop a bullet anyway, it is very unlikely. Despite all the hype, only about 0.7% of deaths in the USA are due to homicide, and they are heavily concentrated in racial minorities and poor communities.
Want a bit of science? Here’s some explanation. Hardening of the coronary arteries (atherosclerosis) is the most common form of heart disease. Fatty cholesterol deposits line the walls of the arteries and are hardened (sclerosis) by deposits of calcium or lime salts.
The walls of the arteries can be further narrowed by the clotting of blood (thrombosis). Clots break loose and plug the artery downstream and usually cause a heart attack. If it is not fatal, it will often leave the subject disabled or at least in poor health for the rest of their life.
A region of the heart deprived of blood because a clot has stopped circulation is called a myocardial infarct (dead or dying heart muscle). Myocardial infarction is more commonly known as heart attack, whereas sudden cardiac death is more commonly known as cardiac arrest. It carries off more than a quarter of those who die each year. But the alarming thing is that the number grows each year. We are seeing an epidemic.
Often associated with cardiovascular problems, the other “lifestyle diseases” of hypertension, diabetes, together with high cholesterol and blood fats (hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipidemia), hasten the grim reaper. Or worse, leave people in a vegetative state for years through strokes or Alzheimers. Obesity increases the risk factor considerably, and smoking multiplies the damage.
It is often asserted that our modern lifestyles, with food additives, fast (fatty) food, polluted atmospheres and water supplies, high stress and high consumption of tobacco and alcohol (and the increasing incidence of free radicals in our bloodstreams) and the accompanying low level inflammation in our bodies are the major causes for the growing incidence of cancer in our society.
We should understand these diseases as a collapse of the body’s homeostasis, together with the low level inflammation that is the long term precurser to the onset of cancer and heart disease, and the destruction of our ability to mount the defences and make the adjustments that are needed to protect us from these scourges.
The good news is, these things can be beaten. You can rebuild your body’s defenses. A change in lifestyle will give great benefits, but even without it, you can get protection. That’s right, you can improve your chances substantially without changing anything.
Without doing a thing - other than taking a few capsules every day. With extracts from plants that grow in the tropical forests of the Spice Islands – the Indonesian Archipelago – this one, a major component in your new wellness regime, is called Mahkota Dewa, literally Gods Crown.
Mahkota Dewa is one of the extraordinary finds that the world is only beginning to learn about. The Wellness Tree has identified the best answers to protection from the damage caused by the stress, overwork, pollution, contaminants and processed foods of unhealthy western lifestyles. And one of the best is the herb, Mahkota Dewa.
(Tree of Wellness.com)
Senin, 04 Agustus 2008
Extra Tips for People with Diabetes
A free food is one with less than 20 calories and 5 grams carbohydrate per serving. Examples include diet soft drinks, sugar-free gelatin dessert, sugar-free ice pops, sugarless gum, and sugar-free syrup.
Sugar-free does not mean carbohydrate-free. Compare the total carbohydrate content of a sugar-free food with that of the standard product. If there is a big difference in carbohydrate content between the two foods, you may want to buy the sugar-free food. If there is little difference in the total grams of carbohydrate between the two foods, choose the one you want based on price and taste. Make sure to read the label carefully to make the best choice.
“No sugar added” foods do not have any form of sugar added during processing or packaging, and do not contain high-sugar ingredients. But remember, they may still be high in carbohydrate, so you have to check the label.
Fat-free foods can be higher in carbohydrate and contain almost the same calories as the foods they replace. One good example of this are fat-free cookies. Fat-free foods are not necessarily a better choice than the standard product, so read your labels carefully.
(American Diabetic Asociation)
Sugar-free does not mean carbohydrate-free. Compare the total carbohydrate content of a sugar-free food with that of the standard product. If there is a big difference in carbohydrate content between the two foods, you may want to buy the sugar-free food. If there is little difference in the total grams of carbohydrate between the two foods, choose the one you want based on price and taste. Make sure to read the label carefully to make the best choice.
“No sugar added” foods do not have any form of sugar added during processing or packaging, and do not contain high-sugar ingredients. But remember, they may still be high in carbohydrate, so you have to check the label.
Fat-free foods can be higher in carbohydrate and contain almost the same calories as the foods they replace. One good example of this are fat-free cookies. Fat-free foods are not necessarily a better choice than the standard product, so read your labels carefully.
(American Diabetic Asociation)
Africa, the infectious continent
Nov. 4, 1999 - While outbreaks of new, exotic infectious diseases — as well as the resurgence of old killers — have surfaced all over the globe in the past decade, no continent has been harder hit than Africa. But with international travelers flying viruses across time zones in a matter of hours, experts have no doubt that the emergence of menacing microbes in one locale could bring about a worldwide pandemic. Are infectious diseases the new Armageddon?
Africa's tropical climate makes it a hot zone in the most literal sense. The continent is, to put it simply, a breeding ground for emerging pathogens.
Add to that environmental changes - such as global warming and destruction of the rain forests - rapid population growth and haphazard development, and the scene is set for microbes to thrive, international experts have warned.
Nov. 4, 1999 - While outbreaks of new, exotic infectious diseases — as well as the resurgence of old killers — have surfaced all over the globe in the past decade, no continent has been harder hit than Africa. But with international travelers flying viruses across time zones in a matter of hours, experts have no doubt that the emergence of menacing microbes in one locale could bring about a worldwide pandemic. Are infectious diseases the new Armageddon?
Africa's tropical climate makes it a hot zone in the most literal sense. The continent is, to put it simply, a breeding ground for emerging pathogens.
Add to that environmental changes - such as global warming and destruction of the rain forests - rapid population growth and haphazard development, and the scene is set for microbes to thrive, international experts have warned.
(MSNBC)
What Is Heart Failure?
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can’t pump blood the way it should. In some cases, the heart can’t fill with enough blood. In other cases, the heart can’t send blood to the rest of the body with enough force. Some people have both problems.
“Heart failure” doesn’t mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop working. However, it’s a serious condition that requires medical care.
Overview
Heart failure develops over time as the pumping of the heart grows weaker. It can affect the right side of the heart only or both the left and right sides of the heart. Most cases involve both sides of the heart.
Right-side heart failure occurs when the heart can’t pump blood to the lungs, where it picks up oxygen. Left-side heart failure occurs when the heart can’t pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body.
Right-side heart failure may cause fluid to build up in the feet, ankles, legs, liver, abdomen, and, rarely, the veins in the neck. Right-side and left-side heart failure also cause shortness of breath and fatigue (tiredness).
The leading causes of heart failure are diseases that damage the heart. These include coronary artery disease (CAD), high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Outlook
Heart failure is a very common condition. About 5 million people in the United States have heart failure, and it results in about 300,000 deaths each year.
Both children and adults can have heart failure, although the symptoms and treatments differ. This article focuses on heart failure in adults.
Taking steps to prevent CAD can help prevent heart failure. These steps include following a heart healthy diet, not smoking, doing physical activity, and losing weight if you’re overweight or obese. Working with your doctor to control high blood pressure and diabetes also can help prevent heart failure.
People who have heart failure can live longer and more active lives if it’s diagnosed early and they follow their treatment plans. For most, treatment includes medicines and lifestyle measures.
Currently, there’s no cure for heart failure. However, researchers are finding and testing new treatments. These treatments offer hope for better ways to delay heart failure and its complications.
(National Heart Lung and Blood Institute)
“Heart failure” doesn’t mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop working. However, it’s a serious condition that requires medical care.
Overview
Heart failure develops over time as the pumping of the heart grows weaker. It can affect the right side of the heart only or both the left and right sides of the heart. Most cases involve both sides of the heart.
Right-side heart failure occurs when the heart can’t pump blood to the lungs, where it picks up oxygen. Left-side heart failure occurs when the heart can’t pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body.
Right-side heart failure may cause fluid to build up in the feet, ankles, legs, liver, abdomen, and, rarely, the veins in the neck. Right-side and left-side heart failure also cause shortness of breath and fatigue (tiredness).
The leading causes of heart failure are diseases that damage the heart. These include coronary artery disease (CAD), high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Outlook
Heart failure is a very common condition. About 5 million people in the United States have heart failure, and it results in about 300,000 deaths each year.
Both children and adults can have heart failure, although the symptoms and treatments differ. This article focuses on heart failure in adults.
Taking steps to prevent CAD can help prevent heart failure. These steps include following a heart healthy diet, not smoking, doing physical activity, and losing weight if you’re overweight or obese. Working with your doctor to control high blood pressure and diabetes also can help prevent heart failure.
People who have heart failure can live longer and more active lives if it’s diagnosed early and they follow their treatment plans. For most, treatment includes medicines and lifestyle measures.
Currently, there’s no cure for heart failure. However, researchers are finding and testing new treatments. These treatments offer hope for better ways to delay heart failure and its complications.
(National Heart Lung and Blood Institute)
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