Diseases Caused by Helminths

Diseases caused by Helminths are simply referred to as Heminthiasis and are common in the society today. It is estimated that more than 3 billion people live with helminths across the world. Heminthiasis refer to infections caused by parasites such as pin worms and wound worms. Normally, these worms target the intestinal tract, although an increase in number may force some of the worms to invade organs such as lungs and the heart.

The severity of the diseases caused by Helminths depends on the type of worm, as well as the affected body part. While in the intestinal tract, helminthes may cause abdominal pains, which may characterize stomach discomfort, cramps and stomach tenderness. Diarrhea is also a common symptom of helminthes. Other people may experience fever and fatigue, especially when one is suffering from bouts of diarrhea. If one does not take sufficient water during such times, they can easily suffer dehydration.

SEVERS DISEASE

Apart from the digestive tract, the liver is the next common target for helminthes. When such occurs, one may suffer an enlarged liver, which is often because of localized swelling. More often than not, an enlarged liver go hand-in-hand with a swollen spleen. These two need urgent medical attention. Helminths may also attack the lung, and when such is the case, coughing is usually observed as a symptom.

Apart from allergies, helminths are the next leading cause of eosinophilia in humans. Eosinophilia is a condition where the blood registers abnormal amounts of eosinophils. Although these sub-groups of lymphocells play an important role in maximizing the immune system potent, they do not kill pathogens released by the helminthes, and without support from other immune cells, they are actually considered useless against other kinds of infections in the body.

Other diseases caused by helminths include chest pains, skin symptoms, bloody diarrhea, dehydration, anemia, bowel obstruction and mal-absorption. Since they suck nutrients from consumed foods, humans rarely get to enjoy the nutritious benefits of the foods they eat. In very severe cases, weight loss is observed. In children, helminths make the abdomen distended, which can easily be confused with malnutrition symptoms. In humans who the helminths have gained access to the nervous system, neurological problems may be observed.

Eye symptoms, such as itching, red and teary eyes may also indicate the presence of worms, while other people may present with malaise. Headaches, itchy skin, itchy anus and irritability are also some of the problems.

Some of the other diseases caused by helminth infections include elephantiasis, lymphatic filariasis, trichuriasis, ascariasis among others. Unless the parasitic worms are treated in good time, they continue reproducing in the human body thus increasing in numbers. The most common way of infection is through ingesting the larvae or eggs of the worms. One can also get infections through the skin, nose, anus, mouth or through sexual intercourse.

Diseases Caused by Helminths

SEVERS DISEASE

What is a Hypertensive Crisis?

A dangerous spike in blood pressure is known as a hypertensive crisis that can lead to a stroke. Extreme high pressure of (top number) 180 systolic and (bottom number)120 diastolic or higher will damage arteries and capillaries. They will become inflamed and leak fluid and/or blood, rendering the heart unable to effectively pump blood under this condition.

There are two types of hypertensive crisis. One is urgent and the other is an emergency. An urgent hypertensive crisis is when your blood pressure becomes dangerously high and your doctor doesn't suspect any damage to your organs. Symptoms and signs of an urgent hypertensive crisis may include, but not be limited to, shortness of breath, severe anxiety, severe headache, nose bleed and elevated blood pressure.

SEVERS

An emergency hypertensive crisis occurs when pressure becomes dangerously elevated and causes damage to your organs. Life threatening complications as a result of an emergency hypertensive crisis such as pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), heart attack, brain bleeding or swelling, stroke, aortic dissection (a tear in the heart's main artery) and eclampsia (high blood pressure with seizures if you are pregnant can occur. If you experience a severe increase in blood pressure, seek immediate medical treatment immediately. Treatment may include hospitalization with oral or intravenous (IV) medications.

To diagnose a hypertensive emergency the health care provider might ask you several questions to understand your medical history. They will also ask you what medications you are taking including prescription, nonprescription medications, recreational drugs and herbal or dietary supplements; a history of other co-morbid conditions and prior cardiovascular or renal disease. Tests will also be conducted to monitor blood pressure and assess organ damage including blood pressure monitoring, blood and urine test and pressure monitoring. Early emergency room triage is top priority to identify those patients who may require more aggressive care in the emergency room. Once a hypertensive emergency has been established the first order of business is to bring the pressure down with intravenous blood pressure medication to prevent further organ damage. Any organ damage that has already occurred will be treated with the appropriate medication and therapies.

Most hypertensive urgencies and emergencies are preventable. They are often the result of inadequately treated or untreated stage I or II hypertension or non adherence to hypertensive therapy. Hypertension affects roughly 50 million people in the United States each year. Hypertensive crisis affects close to 500,000 Americans each year. Approximately 30% of adults are unaware of their hypertension and 40% of the people with hypertension are not receiving treatment. Of those treated up to 67% do not have their blood pressure controlled to less than 140/90.

Hypertension develops at an early age and is more common and severs in African Americans compared to age matched non Hispanic whites. Hypertensive crisis is more common in African Americans compared with other races. The lifetime hypertension risk is 86 to 90% in females and 81 to 83% in men.

The best way to avoid hypertension and hypertensive crisis is to manage your blood pressure through exercise, healthy eating and proper medications when prescribed.

What is a Hypertensive Crisis?

SEVERS

Crohn's Disease Definition - Will Crohn's Disease Define You?

Do you let Crohn's Disease define you as a person? I used to do this for many years when I was younger and was sick with Crohn's Disease. Being sick at the time all I did was exist, I wasn't really living life. I had let Crohn's Disease take over my life and that was all I focused on, quite often in a negative manner.

huntington's disease

By doing this at the time I was unknowingly letting Crohn's Disease control my life which was not good for me long term. Heading down this road can lead to depression and a negative downward spiral that not only affects you mentally but physically as well.

DISEASE

One of the biggest mistakes that I was making at this time in my life was that I was letting my illness get the best of me, and that really affected my quality of life. If on the other hand I chose to be at peace with my illness and change my perspective about the situation; I would have been able to enjoy life and have more happiness, even though the situation I was in may not have changed all that much.

Some of the ways I did this was to keep my mind active, sure when you are really sick you don't really want to do much but it is important to do something. Even if it is a simple hobby that you enjoy, for example one thing that I could do when I didn't feel like doing anything is make model aeroplanes. This was something that isn't that hard but kept my mind active and focused on something other than being sick and feeling sorry for myself.

Something else I found really useful is to give thanks for all the great things that I have in my life. Even when I was really sick there still were many great things in my life that I could give thanks for. I have a great family that loves me and helps me any way they could, access to good food, clean water, shelter, having the freedom to be able to pursue my dreams without being thrown in jail or having my life threatened, just to name a few.

When you have a look at your life there are many things to be thankful for even when it seems that everything is going against you. When you look there is always something to be grateful for in your life.

Crohn's Disease Definition - Will Crohn's Disease Define You?

DISEASE

MMORPG - Where You Can Fly

The Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game also commonly known as MMORPG is a genre of games played online that allows several groups of players to access and play simultaneously from all over the world. This allows interaction between players in the virtual world and also allows a player to assume a particular role in the game. The player will be responsible for all the actions taken by that particular character in the videogame till the player is logged on to the MMORPG. One main difference between normal games and MMORPG is that this game is still in action and existence even after the player is offline as there are several other players simultaneously accessing the game and thus helps things progress. The other difference between a normal videogame and the MMORPG is in the number of players involved. In a simple online game it would be one or two players, however in a MMORPG there are several thousands and some times even millions of players online playing at one time. These games usually are run on separate severs.

There are several categories of MMORPG games available these days to MMORPG fans like adventure games, sports, fantasy, games where one can fly, games where the player can be the bad person and much more. In this article we have put together details of some MMORPG's where the player can fly.

SEVERS

DOMO (Dream Of Mirror Online)

DOMO is developed by Softstar and hosted by Aeria games and belonging to the 3D fantasy genre that can be played on the windows platform. This is a free MMORPG that has more than 400,000 users registered to play in Taiwan itself. It is available to players all around the world. Domo is based on teamwork and relationships. To succeed in this game it is very essential that the player builds a great network of very close friends. In this game the player can choose between 6 skills, 4 races and 6 classes which help the player gain experience and points through the various missions and the quests that the player has to undertake in each of these race, class or skill. The weapons that the player has chosen grows too, the players also have pets which are their allies and help them in a combat. In this game the player can fly around from one place to another. They can even ride on some of their weapons. The winners of the games are the ones who have been elected leaders by their friend's network and who have conquered their enemy groups.

Dark Orbit

Dark Orbit is an MMORPG that requires no download and is a game based on the browser. This 2D game was developed by Bigpointgames. The game belongs to the fantasy genre and is just the apt game for a Sci-fi fan. The game is all about the war between three mining corporations for ultimate control and power. The player will have to join one of these mining corporations while joining the game for the first time. The player can engage in trading, mining and battling. The player will come across several alien space ships that need to be annihilated if they are enemies. Uridium is the currency of the game and is very vital for the success of a player. Uridium is used for buys different equipments, for repair and many other things. The player has to complete various tasks and has to emerge victorious in order to be a winner. Since this game is all about the mining corporations in the space, the players can fly and battle in the space. This game requires a lot of strategy in order to be a winner.

MMORPG - Where You Can Fly

SEVERS

Lyme Disease - Natural Remedies

Lyme disease or borreliosis is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria. It is the most common tick borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere. Borrelia is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks belonging to the genus of hard bodied ticks.
 
Stiff neck, fever, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, depression, flu-like feelings and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans are all symptoms of Lyme disease. Left untreated late manifestations involving the joints, heart and nervous system can occur.
 
The infection and its symptoms can be eliminated especially if diagnosis and treatment occur early in the cause of the illness. Late, delayed or inadequate treatment can lead to late manifestations which can be disabling.
It is diagnosed clinically based on symptoms, objective physical findings (such as erythema migrans, facial palsy or arthritis) a history of possible exposure to infected ticks as well as serological tests.
  Lyme Disease Natural Remedies

liver disease

Attached ticks must be removed promptly. Protective clothing includes a hat and long-sleeved shirts and long pants that are tucked into socks or boots. Light-colored clothing makes the tick more easily visible before it attaches itself. People should use special care in handling and allowing outdoor pets inside homes because they can bring ticks into the house.
 
If you have joint pain as a result of this infection you can halt your pain using fish oil.
 
You can treat it with an all natural supplement. You can also use the "mushroom of immortality" from China for relief.
 
To help block Lyme disease from progressing in your body you need to head to the grocery store and load up salt and vitamin C.
 
Drink lots of clean water to reduce your pain and symptoms. Use Olympic Athletes hot/cold pain cancellation techniques to finally get some relief from aching muscles and sore joints.
 
There is a homeopathic remedy that stops the progression of the disease dead in its tracks. For early cases, prompt treatment is usually curative.
 
Lyme disease natural remedies help sufferers to experience a full recovery and full relief from symptoms.

DISEASE

Lyme Disease - Natural Remedies

DISEASE

Why is Parkinson's Disease Difficult to Diagnose?

While Parkinson's disease has very distinctive features, it is rather a difficult disease to identify, particularly while it is in its early stages. Unfortunately there are no precise tests, which doctors can do to establish an exact diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and regrettably especially in its early stages it might be mistaken for other diseases. If and when this happens, it delays or prevents the appropriate action being administered in the quickest feasible time.

lyme disease

The trouble with diagnosing Parkinson's disease accurately is just that the symptoms are not always as clear as doctors would like them to be, Actually there are suggestions that up to 25% of those people presently being treated for Parkinson's disease might have been wrongly diagnosed and are thus getting inappropriate treatment.

DISEASE

Generally patients that are suspected of suffering from Parkinson's disease are given tests to guarantee they are certainly not suffering from an illness that can be diagnosed using common methods such as CT scanning, urine sampling X-ray and blood tests etc. However just because these tests may have an inconclusive answer, it doesn't always mean the person is definitely suffering from Parkinson's disease. Regrettably some doctors think this is the case, and will automatically offer a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

Tests that can be carried out to test for Parkinson's disease involve systematic neurological assessments that comprise testing the person's reflexes, balance, muscle strength walk and common movement. Because there are a range of neurological disorders that have similar characteristics to Parkinson's disease, it's not very surprising that Parkinson's disease is so regularly misdiagnosed. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, it doesn't always hurt to ask your doctor for a second opinion or even better to request to be referred to a physician who specialises in this kind of disease.

An early accurate diagnosis of Parkinson's disease is normally the key to the sufferer being able to preserve their independence and a decent quality of life for fairly a long time.

Some neurological conditions that are regularly confused with Parkinson's disease include: -

Multiple system atrophy

Supranuclear palsy

Benign Essential Tremor

Multiple Sclerosis

Huntington's disease

Striato-Nigral Degeneration

Brain tumour

Remaining as independent as feasible is vital to the wellbeing of most sufferers of Parkinson's disease, and ensuring the symptoms are kept to a minimum by both an accurate diagnosis and treatment is the key to achieving this.

Why is Parkinson's Disease Difficult to Diagnose?

DISEASE

Alcoholism Disease and Alcoholism Physical Symptoms

Alcoholism disease and alcoholism physical symptoms should be understood if there's a concern about alcohol abuse. Alcoholism disease can be defined as a drug addiction where alcohol consumption is at a level that interferes with the person's physical and mental health and negatively impacts family, social or work responsibilities.

parkinson's disease

Because alcohol consumption can involve many organs in the body, long-term heavy drinking puts a person at risk for developing serious health conditions and illnesses. While each of the health conditions listed below can exist for reasons unrelated to alcoholism disease, certain conditions and alcoholism physical symptoms may be indications that alcohol abuse exists and is affecting the health of the person.

DISEASE

Here are examples of health conditions and related alcoholism physical symptoms that may indicate alcoholism disease:

o Liver Inflammation - alcoholism physical symptoms for liver inflammation include abnormal yellowing of the skin, eyeballs and urine, fever and abdominal pain. Since alcohol destroys liver cells and the ability of the liver to regenerate new cells, long term abuse of alcohol can lead to cirrhosis of the liver.

o Cirrhosis of the Liver - symptoms of cirrhosis or scarring of the liver tissue can be tiredness or even exhaustion, nausea, loss of sex drive and appetite loss leading to weight loss.

o Malnutrition - a common alcoholism physical symptom is malnutrition. While the symptoms will vary with the specific malnutrition-related disorder, general symptoms include dizziness, tireness, unexplained weight loss and reduced immune system function.

o High Blood Pressure - high blood pressure symptoms include dizziness, headache, blurred vision and nausea. And the American Heart Association advises that excessive alcohol consumption can raise levels of triglycerides in the blood and related increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.

o Pancreaitis - long term heavy drinking can result in the development of inflammation of the pancreas which is called 'pancreatitis'. The pancreas are needed for food digestion, and pancreaitis symptoms include severe abdominal pain and weight loss.

o Erectile Dysfunction - alcoholism disease will likely affect a man in the bedroom. Heavy drinking can cause sexual dysfunction, meaning the man may have difficulty getting an erection. And the likelihood of alcohol-related erectile dysfunction occurring increases as a man gets older.

o Insomnia - the connection between sleep problems and disturbances and alcohol abuse has been proven by numerous studies. Alcohol in the body can interfere with getting to sleep and with enjoying deep, restful sleep. In fact, insomnia may continue for weeks or months after alcohol abstinance.

Additional long term alcoholism disease health effects include damage to the brain, nerve damage, bleeding in the esophagus and depression. Alcohol consumption can increase the breast cancer risk in women undergoing hormone replacement therapy, according to the National Cancer Institute. Alcoholic beverages are considered cancer-causing by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Important note -- all of the conditions listed above may be due to reasons other than alcoholism disease and must not be considered conditions that should be self-diagnosed. Most of these conditions can become life-threatening and should only be diagnosed by qualified health care professionals.

Besides alcoholism physical symptoms, learn more about the alcoholism warning signs, alcoholism stages and proven resources available online that can help. It is never too late to begin recovery from alcoholism disease and alcohol addiction.

Copyright 2006 InfoSearch Publishing

Alcoholism Disease and Alcoholism Physical Symptoms

DISEASE

Crohns Disease Health Problems

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that results in the swelling of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It affects the lower part of the small intestine, the ileum. The swelling, which extends deep into the lining of the affected organ, can cause pain and make the intestines empty frequently, leading to diarrhea. As the symptoms of Crohn's disease are like other intestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis, it is difficult to diagnose.

lyme disease

Crohn's disease affects men and women equally and seems to run in some families. Occurring in people of all age groups, the disease is more often diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 35. Abdominal pain, often in the lower right area and chronic diarrhea are the early symptoms. Rectal bleeding, fever, weight loss, loss of appetite, arthritis, and skin problems may also occur. Bleeding may be severe and constant, leading to anemia. Children with Crohn's disease may suffer delayed development and stunted growth and fatigue resulting from anemia.

DISEASE

Obstruction or blockage of the intestine due to swelling and the formation of scar tissue is a general health problem related to the disease. Crohn's disease may also cause sores, or ulcers, that tunnel through the affected area into surrounding tissues, such as the bladder, vagina, or skin. The tunnels, called fistulas, often become infected. Sometimes fistulas can be treated with medicine, but in certain cases surgery is essential. About one third of the people who develop Crohn's disease, have problems around the anus. Small cracks called fissures may also progress in the lining of the mucus membrane of the anus.

Nutritional health problems such as deficiencies of proteins, calories, and vitamins are common. These deficiencies may be caused by inadequate dietary intake, loss of protein, or malabsorption. Other health problems associated with Crohn?s disease include inflammation in the eyes, mouth or spine; reddish skin nodules, kidney stones, gallstones, and diseases of the liver and the biliary system. Medical science has not yet discovered a cause or cure for Crohn's disease, but many drugs are available to control the symptoms.

Crohns Disease Health Problems

DISEASE

Severs Disease of the Heel in Children

Pain in the heel of children is not common, but when it does happen the most common reason is a condition known as Severs Disease. This is pain that develops in the back of the heel where the Achilles tendon inserts into the heel bone. The most common symptom of this is pain on activity and pain on squeezing the sides of the heel bone near the back.

Before we are born almost all bones in the body are a cartilage shell that is used as the framework for building bone. In the heel bone, the main part of the bone starts developing in the middle. There is also a flat plate of bone that starts developing at the back of the heel. Up until around the age of fifteen years, a small piece of cartilage separates these two growth areas of bone. It is at this cartilage that allows normal growth to occur. Around age fifteen years, these two areas of bone fuse to make one heel bone. Before this age, there can be some sort of strain of this cartilage area that can become painful, resulting in Severs Disease. Some like to consider this to be a stress fracture of the cartilage. It is more common in active children especially on hard surfaces as this adds more load to the growing area. The forces from the Achilles tendon also put a lot of strain on the growing area.

SEVERS DISEASE

The first stage in treating this is some sort of activity modification. The child will need to cut back, but not necessarily eliminate, sporting activities to give it a change to heal. Heel raises inside the shoe are often used. The heel raise helps reduce the pull from the Achilles tendon and provides some cushioning to the damaged area. Sometimes strapping is also used to help reduce the pull of the tendon on the bone. Occasionally, some anti-inflammatory medication is needed to help settle it down. Foot orthotics have been reported as being helpful in those with biomechanical problems. If this does not help, then complete rest from sport is needed, and even a walking cast may need to be applied. This condition is self limiting, in that they will outgrow it by the time they reach age 15 or so when the bone fuses into one. However, there is plenty that can be done to help the symptoms before then.

Severs Disease of the Heel in Children

SEVERS DISEASE

Rugby League - Four Nations - Does England Have a Chance This Time?

Well the squad for the upcoming 4 nations rugby league tournament has been announced and it has to be said that England coach Tony Smith has made some pretty bold and brave decisions in selecting his squad for this tournament.

Personally I think he is right in what he has done as otherwise we would have had the same problems that the squad had in the last disastrous and quite frankly embarrassing world cup. Saints and Leeds are still the 2 powerhouses of the game and we know from the RFLs review into what went wrong in the World Cup one of the problems was that the squad was basically split into 2, the Leeds camp and the Saints camp and this couldn't have been healthy for team spirit.

SEVERS

We have seen over the last super league season that the rest of the league is starting to catch up with Leeds and Saints, with only really Salford and Celtic Crusaders not really coming up to Super League standard. However the fact that they have another season before their franchises are reviewed gives them time to do some remedial work and the fact that the Crusaders are recruiting Brian Noble as the new coach is a positive step forward. The fact that Warrington and Huddersfield managed to both make it to the Challenge Cup Final boads well for the future of the game.

I think that the emergence of new talent like Richie Myler and Sam Tomkins who have shown great promise over the last season and who are surely the future of the England team and are being given their chance at International level early in their careers, is great credit to the coach.

The halfback positions seem to always be the area where we appear to be a couple of gears behind our australian counterparts whenever we play them both in terms of knowhow and speed. Only by blooding in younger players early in their careers will we reap the benefits in the years ahead. We may not see the fulfilment of that promise in this tournament, but I bet we do very soon. Good luck to the lads in the weeks ahead.

Rugby League - Four Nations - Does England Have a Chance This Time?

SEVERS

Sever's Disease (Calcaneal Apophysitis) - A Misnamed Disorder

Sever's disease is a disorder that commonly occurs in active children between the ages of nine and thirteen years of age. Even though it is misnamed as a disease, it is actually a self-limiting disorder that occurs around the growth plate in the back of the heel.

The Achilles tendon attaches to the upper portion of the heel growth plate. On the bottom of the growth plate is an attachment of a ligament known as the plantar fascia. With increased activity there is a pulling or tugging that occurs on this growth plate, and a portion of the growth plate is being pulled away from its attachment to the heel. X-rays are often taken to verify the position and the location of this growth plate.

SEVERS

In mild cases, elevating the heel through heel lifts in the shoes and decreasing activity level may be enough to control the pain. In more severe cases, orthotic therapy to help control the motion of the heel as well as icing, elevation, and aspirin therapy may be required to alleviate the symptoms. In those children who do not respond to either of the above-mentioned therapy, it is sometimes necessary to place the child in a below-knee cast for a period of four to six weeks. It is important for both the child and parents to understand that once the growth plate has fused to the primary bone in the heel, the pain and swelling associated with this disorder should resolve.
Please realize that the disorder may last from a couple of weeks to as long as one to two years. The treatment plan as prescribed by your doctor MUST be adhered to closely. The activity level of the child must be controlled during the early stages of treatment. All running and jumping sports such as basketball, trampoline, volleyball, tennis, soccer, etc. must be eliminated as part of the initial treatment. Once the child has improved and the pain has subsided, then a rigid stretching program must be implemented.
The purpose of the stretching program is to decrease the pull of the Achilles tendon on the growth plate. In the event that the stretching and the heel lift do not provide relief of the symptoms, the next course of therapy is to limit the amount of motion of the heel through an insert in the shoes, called orthotics. The orthotic accomplishes two basic functions: (1) To elevate the heel and decrease the pull of the Achilles tendon. (2) To prevent the rocking motion of the heel while the child is active. Typically, I have found that the majority of children will respond favorably to this type of conservative care and be able to actively return to their respective sport with very little compromise. In those cases that do not respond well to the above conservative therapy, it is sometimes necessary to take the child out of the sport that is aggravating the condition, until such time that the growth plate fuses to the main bone of the heel.
Typical Treatments
Mild Cases
1. Discontinue all running, jumping, etc. activities.
2. Application of ice to the affected heel, 10 min. on 20 min. off, for 2-3 hours.
3. Aspirin as directed.
4. Heel lift.
Moderate Cases
1. Discontinue all strenuous activity.
2. Ice and elevation to the affected heel.
3. Anti-inflammatories.
4. Temporary orthotics with heel lift to be worn in all shoes.
Severe Cases
1. No weight bearing to the affected foot, crutch walking only,
2. Below knee casting for a period of 4-6 weeks.
3. Anti-inflammatories.
4. Treatment to follow based on symptoms after removing cast, i.e., mild/moderate.
Timely presentation for an examination following the first symptoms of heel pain in children, usually allows for a quick resolution to this condition. Treatments are also tailored to help prevent recurrence of the condition, and to allow for the child to maintain an active lifestyle.
Sever's Disease (Calcaneal Apophysitis) - A Misnamed Disorder
SEVERS

Canine Heart Disease

Canine heart disease is a very common condition. It is a very serious condition that usually proves to be fatal unless it is detected very early.

heart disease

Types

DISEASE

There are two types of canine heart disease. One type occurs when the heart valves lose their ability to close effectively. This causes blood to flow abnormally. The other type of canine heart disease occurs when the walls of the heart become thin and weak, causing the heart chambers to dilate. Both of these types result in heart failure over time.

Cause

There are a variety of things that can cause canine heart disease. It can be caused by infections, parasites, and congenital disorders. Canine heart disease can also be caused by diet deficiencies. If your dog is overweight, it will only aggravate the condition.

Symptoms

There will usually be no symptoms in the early stages of canine heart disease. As the disease progresses, your dog will begin to show symptoms such as coughing, lethargy, and difficulty breathing. When canine heart disease becomes severe, your dog will experience weight loss, fainting, and irregular and rapid breathing.

Diagnosis

To diagnose canine heart disease, the vet will start off by performing a few physical exams. He will listen to the sound of your dog's breathing and heart. he will also inspect its gums and feel or enlarged internal organs. These physical exams will usually be followed by a chest x-ray, ultrasound, and blood and urine samples.

Treatment

Unfortunately, there is no cure for canine heart disease. Treatment is aimed at relieving symptoms so your dog can have a better quality of life. ACE inhibitors will relieve stress on the heart by reducing blood pressure and volume. Your dog may also have to go on a special exercise program. Success of this treatment for canine heart disease depends on the severity of the disease, presence of other illnesses, and the age of your dog.

Canine Heart Disease

DISEASE

Rabbit Diseases - VHD

What Is VHD?

Rabbit Viral Hemorrhagic Disease (VHD) is a highly contagious disease caused by a calicivirus. In essence it is the rabbit equivalent of the Ebola virus. It only affects rabbits of the Oryctolagus cuniculus species.  Rabbits included in this specie include both wild hares and domesticated rabbits of European descent. This would include all domesticated rabbits in the United States but it does not include wild US rabbits such as cottontails and snowshow hares. The disease is highly contagious, and generally kills within 24-48 hours. Often the rabbits show no symptoms. The ability of blood to clot is eliminated and the animal bleeds to death.

SEVERS DISEASE

Part of the- confusion of VHD is that it is referred to by many different names. These include several other acronyms: RHD (Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease), RCV (Rabbit Calicivirus), and RCD (Rabbit Calicivirus Disease). VHD was first appeared in 1984 in China. Since then it has been seen in Mexico, Europe, Israel, Australia and New Zealand.

History of VHD in United States

2000. The first case of VHD was reported to the  United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through its Animal and Plant Health Inspections Service (APHIS). The affected rabbits lived on a farm in Crawford County, Iowa. They consisted of 27 Palominos and Californians. Of the twenty-seven rabbits in the rabbitry, twenty-five died. The State of Iowa purchased and euthanized the remaining two rabbits. This outbreak was contained and the source of the disease unknown.

2001 (August). A second outbreak was confirmed by the USDA's Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (FADDL). This time it was found in Utah County, Utah. Unfortunately, another rabbitry in Mercer County, IL received 72 rabbits from the infected Utah rabbitry. Over 3,000 rabbits had to beeuthanized in conjunction with this outbreak.

2001 (December). VHD hit the US a second time in 2001. This is the third US Outbreak. The striking difference between this outbreak and the previous two, was that this one did not occur in a rural area. An exotics animal facility in Flushings (Queens) NY was the site of this outbreak. Another difference was that this particular facility was open to the public.

2005. A fourth outbreak was confirmed. This time it was at a private residence in Vanderburgh County, Indiana. The location raised the animals primarily as a food source for reptiles. 200 of the rabbits at the site died within a 10 day period. The remaining were euthanized to prevent further spread of the disease.

Symptoms of VHD

Symptoms do not often appear as a result of this disease. When symptims do occur they show in three ways:

Peracute - Only symptom is a suddenly dead animal

Acute - lethargic, depressed, fever, off-feed, bloody discharge, signs of pain, spasms,

Ubacute -  rabbits show far less sever signs. They may survive. If so they become a carrier of the disease. Infective material can remain in urine and feces for up to 30 days or longer and the animal may be a carrier for even longer.

Transmission

The disease is transmitted in multiple ways, which makes it highly contagious. It can be moved by both animate and inanimate objects. It can be trasmitted by clothing shows, dogs, birds, people, tires and infected animals. It is a hardy disease not known to by affected by either heat or cold.

Prevention

There are several ways to help prevent this disease from getting into your rabbitry. All of them are good husbandry practices.

Keep your rabbitry clean Quarantine all new animals and animals returning from a show Disinfect with bleach Keep rabbits away from other animals When you have an ill animal quarantine it, and do not touch other animals until you have disinfected your hands

At this time the United States does not offer a VHD vaccine. However, there are two VHD vaccine options in the UK. The vaccine can be administered by a veterinarian or for larger herds the vaccine can be purchased.

Summary

VHD is highly contagious. Hopefully it never affects your herd. Immediate action is necessary when symptoms occur. Good husbandry techniques will assist in the prevention of this deadly disease.

Rob Usakowski
Three Little Ladies Rabbitry

Rabbit Diseases - VHD

SEVERS DISEASE

Adolescent Heel Pain - Sever's Disease

Sever's Disease is also referred to as calcaneal apophysitis. It occurs in mainly pubescent children, and is characterized by pain to the heel of the foot. It is a condition that is more common in boys than girls, occurring between the ages of 11-15.

At adolescence the bones are growing at a faster rate than the tendons, if the muscles and tendons become tight, the heel area will be less flexible than it should be, and any injury to the heel, may cause onset of the disease.

SEVERS

Symptoms

- Heel pain that goes away when you are resting.
- Swollen heel/heels.
- Pain that increases when you are exercising.
- Stiff calf muscles first thing in the morning.

Prevention

Maintaining good flexibility whilst the child is growing may help to prevent heel injury and the development of Sever's Disease.

Treatment

Treatment for Sever's Disease depends on its severity, but treatments include:

- Rest - It is best to avoid all physical activities until the condition has eased. Especially avoiding high impact sports such as running and tennis.
- Ice packs - To be placed to the back of the heel in order to reduce inflammation.
- Physiotherapy or Podiatry treatment - Recommended stretching exercises, and massage to the affected muscles may be of some help.
- Shoe inserts - To protect the heel. These should be worn at all times.
- Casting or Splinting - In severe cases immobilizing the affected lower limb/limbs may be necessary.
- Pain-killers - use of anti-inflammatory drugs can help to reduce the pain.
- Podiatric Acupuncture- to encourage the body to heal itself and for pain prevention.
- Adequate sports trainers with good cushioning ability for better shock absorbing qualities.

If adequate care is given, the symptoms of Sever's Disease usually subside in about 2 or 3 months, and the child should then be able to resume normal physical activity. Medical advice should be followed at all times to help prevent severs from worsening.

Webbspodiatry.co.uk provides the very best in Podiatry and medical products backed up with sound patient advise. We have great footcare and Podiatry articles, resouces, video, plus lots more...Visit us at webbspodiatry.co.uk to use our great online shop and seek the best footcare solutions!

Adolescent Heel Pain - Sever's Disease

SEVERS