Tag: tumors

What Evidence of Congestive Heart Failure is a Diagnosis Based

What Evidence of Congestive Heart Failure is a Diagnosis Based on?

While all cardiac conditions carry similar symptoms of chest pain and difficulty breathing, congestive heart failure generally presents with a very specific set of symptoms and lab results, giving doctors a very firm set of clues upon which to base a definite diagnosis.

Dyspnea, or difficulty breathing, coupled with severe pitting edema (when the body retains fluid to the point of holding the imprint of an object that is pressed into the skin for several minutes) are generally the first pieces of evidence pointing to congestive heart failure. Heart failure results in the heart not being able to efficiently pump blood throughout the body; as a result, fluid accumulates rather than being excreted and causes the body to swell as if it were a water balloon. Non-pitting edema, or fluid retention that does not hold an imprint, is not caused by heart failure and indicates that another diagnosis needs to be made. The patient may produce a frothy pink sputum when they cough.

In addition to the symptoms related to the fluid accumulation general weakness and malaise, particularly during times of physical exertion are frequent complaints of patients suffering from congestive heart failure, and should not be ignored. This is caused by a lack of nutrients and oxygen from the blood to the body tissues, and may result in permanent damage to the organs if they are left without these vital elements for a prolonged period of time. Anuria, or a lack of urination, is also evidential of heart failure as fluid accumulates in the tissues rather than being properly excreted. Patients may suffer from a changed mental status due to toxins accumulating in the body.

Once the physician suspects heart failure based on the physical evidence, blood samples will be sent to the laboratory. Beta-natriuretic peptide, or BNP, is an excellent screening tool in suspected cases of heart failure. This hormone is produced in greater quantities by the failing heart muscle as fluid levels rise, with a level between one hundred and five hundred pg/mg suggesting congestive heart failure and greater than five hundred being fairly diagnostic; however, an elevated BNP should not be considered to be sufficient evidence upon which to base a positive diagnosis, as conditions such as renal failure, ventricular strain, tumors or hypoxia can also cause BNP levels to rise. Arterial blood gases may be tested to determine the degree of hypoxemia. A decreased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, proteinuria (protein in the urine), and a mild azotemia (elevated blood urea level) can be seen in early to moderate disease. An increased serum creatinine, hyperbilirubinemia (increased bilirubin in the blood) and dilutional hyponatremia (decreased serum sodium levels) are evidence the patient is suffering from a more advanced case of heart failure.

Radiology will also wish to perform imaging studies to evaluate the condition of the heart. A chest x-ray will generally reveal cardiomegaly (enlargement of the heart) and pleural effusion (fluid around the heart). An echocardiogram may be performed to evaluate the internal structures of the heart to evaluate for any structural abnormalities, as in the case of mitral stenosis. This provides evidence to determine the underlying cause of congestive heart failure, particularly in suspected cases of valvular heart disease.

Physicians are like detectives, if you will. Once these tests have all been run they will gather these pieces of evidence together and put them together to form a fairly accurate picture of the patient’s condition, allowing for an accurate diagnosis leading to proper treatment.

Warts in Kids

Nearly fifty percent of children acquire warts at some time or the other. Warts, in the real sense are benign tumors which develop when keratinocytes, a kind of skin cell, is infected by the wart virus. There are many types of warts, the most common being rough bumps which appear on fingers and hands. Others are flat warts, genital warts, plantar warts, and molluscum contagiosum. The difference is based on the types, location, and painfulness of the wart. Common warts appear on fingers and hands and usually are painless. Plantar warts appear on the soles and are sometimes painful. Periungal warts show up around the finger and toe nail. Warts which appear on the face are flat warts.

The symptoms of the common warts are that the skin develops an irregular surface and becomes rough. A dome starts to appear after a day after infection. A popular myth is that warts have roots, but they dont. They grow on the epidermis, which is the top most layer of the skin. The black portion is because of broken veins and clotted blood.

Warts come and go at various stages of life like childhood and teenage years. They usually go away by themselves. But some can be very painful, can spread quickly and some of them wont go away for many years. Such kind of warts should definitely be treated. The most common treatment among the pediatricians is cryotherapy. They will freeze the warts using liquid nitrogen. Cantharidin can also be applied, which is a painless treatment but can result in painful blisters at the end of the day. The minus point is that these treatments sometimes cause blistering and some warts wont come off in one sitting. If the warts wont still budge they are further treated with strong salicylic acid, intralesional immune-therapy, bleomycin, or a pulsed dye laser. Aldara can also be used in worst cases. Because of some treatments the warts grow to the end of the blister, which results in a bigger wart and some might even result in a scar.

Besides other common wart treatments, the most well-known home remedy is duct tape. The affected area is covered with duct tape for about six days. If within that time period, the tape peels off, it should be reapplied. After the sixth day, the duct tape should be removed and the wart should be soaked in water and a pumice stone or emery board should be used to scrap the top skin of the wart. After this, the duct tape should be reapplied again within twenty four hours and the same procedure should be repeated until the whole wart disappears. This procedure takes at least two months to get rid of the wart completely. Some kids hesitate to put duct tape on parts which are visible, like fingers and legs. They can be encouraged by making them wear colored duct tape, other than grey. Many home wart freezing and removal kits are also available in the market whose help can be taken.

Warts spread by direct contact with the wart or any material which the infected person has used like a used towel which has been contaminated. It is contagious and hence it is recommended to stay away from it at the very sight of it. All the cuts, rashes and bites should be cleaned regularly and should be kept covered. Another measure for prevention is wearing closed shoes in public places.

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Cervical Cancer

The lower narrow portion of the womans uterus is called the cervix. This opening to the passageway is called the cervical canal. During a menstrual period the blood flows from the uterus through the canal and into the vagina. Producing mucus that helps sperm move from the vagina to the uterus, the cervix remains tightly closed. Knowing the exact function and location of the cervix will aid a lot as we discuss cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is the formation of abnormal cells on the lining of the cervix. Normally as cells grow they divide, the old cells die, and new cells replace them. When the normal process by which cells divide goes wrong, masses of tissue known as tumors begin to grow. Benign tumors are not life threatening and normally can easily be removed permanently. They usually stay in one location and do not normally spread to other parts of the body. However, some tumors are malignant; these are the ones that are a lot more serious as they have the possibility of spreading and growing at alarming rates if not caught early. They are life threatening and can be removed but sometimes grow again. When these malignant tumors occur, they are known as cancer.

Risk factors that can contribute to the possibility of developing cervical cancer are infections. The main infection that causes cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus,
These are common viruses that are extremely contagious. It is estimated that most adults have at one time in their lives been infected with HPV because of coming into sexual contact with another person with the virus. It can cause changes to the cervix that will eventually turn into cancer, warts, or other uncomfortable and unpleasant problems. A weakened immune system will have the same affect n the cervix or women who have had many partners have a higher level of risk than those who have not. Sometimes normal aging is a factor, usually occurring in women over age 40.

Cancer that spreads from its place of origin to another part of the body the new tumor is identical to the original cell and therefore the cancer is the same no matter what part of the body it has spread to. For example: if a woman has cervical cancer that has spread to her breast we would not call this breast cancer but we would say that the cervical cancer cells are located in her breast. It would be treated as cervical cancer and not breast cancer. If a woman has symptoms arising from cervical cancer then she waited much too long. Regular screenings for cervical cancer is imperative as the cells can be prevented from forming into cervical cancer way before symptoms begin. Today the number of cases in the U.S. has been falling thanks to screening and early detection. Doctors recommend that regular PaP smear test are performed to find cervical cancer or abnormal cells that lead to cancer of the cervix. Early detection is the way to preventing this kind of cancer, it is treatable with a high rate of success, so get tested regularly to prevent this from becoming a big problem. It is hard to prevent diseases without living in fear, but as long as you are observant of signs, you will be able to reduce the risk of mortality.

Scoliosis in Adolescents

Normally, a spine when viewed from rear should appear straight but if the spine is lateral or curved or sideways or rotated then it is affected by scoliosis. It gives an appearance as if the person has leaned to a side. According to Scoliosis Research Society the definition of scoliosis is the curving of the spine at an angle greater than 10 degrees on an x-ray. Scoliosis is a kind of spinal deformity and shouldnt be confused to poor posture. Usually there are 4 common kinds of patterns of curves experienced in Scoliosis which are: Thoracic wherein the right side has ninety percent curves, lumbar wherein left side has seventy percent curves, thoracolumbar wherein right side has eighty percent curves and double major where both right and left sides have curves.

In majority of the cases, as high as eight to eighty five percent, the cause of the deformity is unknown, this is also known as idiopathic scoliosis. It is observed that females have scoliosis more commonly than males. According to some established facts 3 to 5 children per 1000 has chances of developing spinal curves which is a number big enough requiring medical treatment. There are three types of scoliosis that can develop in children namely congenital, neuromuscular and idiopathic. Congenital scoliosis is seen in 1 out every 1,000 births which is caused due to vertebraes failure in normal formation, vertebrae is absent, vertebrae is formed partially and vertebrae is not separated. Neuromuscular scoliosis is linked with various neurological conditions and particularly in children who dont walk like cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, tumors in spinal cord, paralytic conditions and neurofibromatosis. The cause of third type of scoliosis called Idiopathic scoliosis is still unknown. It is further divided into infantile, juvenile and adolescent scoliosis. Infantile scoliosis occurs up to the age of 3 years from birth wherein the vertebrae curve is towards left and is more frequently observed in boys. The curve takes normal shape with the growth of child. Juvenile scoliosis is common in children of age three to nine. Adolescent scoliosis is common in kids of age ten to eighteen and this is also the most common form of scoliosis occurring more in girls than boys.

The other possible causes of the deformity include hereditary reasons, different lengths of legs, injuries, infections and tumors. There are numerous symptoms attributed to scoliosis which can vary from individual to individual. The symptoms are: Difference in heights of the shoulders, off-centered head, difference in the height or position of the hip, difference in the position or height of shoulder blade, different arm lengths in straight standing position and lastly different height back sides when the body is bent forward. Other symptoms include leg pain, back pain and change in bladder and bowel habits do not belong to the symptoms of idiopathic scoliosis and require medical checkup by a doctor. The symptoms may be similar to other problems related to spinal cord or other deformities or could result from an infection or injury and consulting a doctor is the best bet in this situation who may conduct diagnosis to know what exactly it is.

The diagnosis of scoliosis requires thorough medical history of the teenager, diagnostic tests and also physical examination. The doctor asks for entire prenatal history, birth history and also would want to know if anyone in the family has scoliosis. The doctor may also ask for the milestones related with the development of the teenager since some kinds of scoliosis are known to be related to neuromuscular disorders. The delay in development may need additional medical evaluation. Doctor may also prescribe x-ray, CT scan and MRI scan of the back to measure the degree of curvature in the spinal. There are various treatments available for scoliosis which is decided by the physician depending on teenagers age, medical history and health in general. The method of treatment also depends on the extent to which disease has reached. The tolerance of the teenager to certain medicines, therapies and procedures are also taken into consideration. Expectations and opinion of the parents or teenager is also the criteria in deciding the type of treatment. The main aim of the treatment is stop the curve from progressing and avert deformity. The treatments include observation and repetitive examinations, bracing and surgery to correct the defect.

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