Tag: White Blood Cells

What Causes Sinus Infection

Ever wondered what really causes a sinus infection? There are many possibilities and it is sometimes hard to pinpoint which one is the culprit. You could have gotten it while you are at work, out in the mall, doing a certain activity or even at home so here are some of the known causes of sinus infections.

Most sinus infections are caused by the common cold otherwise known as viral influenza. This causes congestion in the nasal passages and inhibits the drainage of the sinuses which is why it becomes inflamed.

When this happens, the nose is filled with mucus caused by the accumulation of white blood cells in the lining of the nose. This makes it difficult for the person to smell or even breathe and the only way to get rid of it is to blow it out.

Generally a common flu stays a maximum for a period of one week. After that we usually recover, but it leaves our sinuses inflamed. The nose is a very sensitive part of our body which catches a viral infection very easily.

Sinus infection can also be caused by exposure to dust particles, pollen and other irritants in the air. If there is too much of this already in the nasal passages, it prevents mucus from draining away. When these bacteria such as streptococcus pneumoniae and haemophilus influenzae end up in our upper respiratory tract and multiply, then it causes us to have a sinus infection.

You can come into contact with these every time you go outdoors or when you are inside the house especially in places where natural sunlight cannot reach. Another example is the fungus known as aspergillus that can cause problems to the immune system.

If you have asthma, you are a high risk for sinus infections because your nasal polyps inside your nose are swollen. This results in chronic sinus infections that could last for 2 weeks.

Lack of water also causes a sinus infection. This is because the mucus will thicken making it difficult for the cilia to move it through the sinuses.

Sinus infections can also happen whenever we are stressed. To prove the point, one such condition known as vasomotor rhinitis shows that stress does cause excessive swelling and mucus production.

You can also get a sinus infection by blowing your nose too much. This is because your nose will swell after blowing it too hard or too much.

Certain activities that are fun can also cause sinus infection. Traveling by air and scuba diving are very common because to much pressure in the sinuses causes bacteria to grow.

If you dont watch your kids carefully, they may inhale harmful substances or other foreign objects that introduce bacteria into the sinuses.

Certain medications are also known to cause sinus infections as a side effect because it may affect the functioning of the mucus membrane.

Lastly, although very rare, you can get a sinus infection from disease teeth because the maxillary sinus in the cheekbone becomes infected by the root of a diseased upper tooth.

There are many causes of sinus infections and it is not only bacterial or viral. Now that

Antibiotics For Sinus Infections

Antibiotics for Sinus Infections

Are there really effective antibiotics for sinus infections? Antibiotics are used for patients who are suffering from certain infections like that of the sinus. The medicine kills the bacteria inside the body which is responsible for the infection. Doctors dont prescribe antibiotics for viral influenza and common cold because it is ineffective for fighting viruses.

A healthy body can easily fight bacterial infections but this is not the case all the time. Some individuals are not that healthy and this means that their immune system is not working at its best, in short, the immune system is impaired. The white blood cells and the antibodies in some unhealthy individuals are not enough to fight the illness. The most commonly used antibiotics these days are penicillin, ,macrolides, cephalosporins, and flouroquinolones.

Antibiotics can be narrow-spectrum and broad-spectrum. In most cases, doctor prescribes the former kind of antibiotic because it is much cheaper but very effective in treating the bacterial infection. On the other hand, the latter often promotes antibiotic resistance and so it is given when badly needed.

Penicillin and macrolides are both narrow-spectrum antibiotics while the cephalosporins and flouroquinolones are noth broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Penicillin

Bacteria can easily reproduce, thereby multiplying at a fast rate especially when they have entered the hosts body. Penicillin can interfere with the building functions of the bacteria thereby stopping the infections. Amoxicillin is a very good example for treating sinus infections.

Macrolides

This antibiotic blocks or slows down the bacterias protein formation. This medicine does not eliminate the bacteria since its primary function is to curb the multiplication of the bacteria. By using the medicine, the immune system will be the one to eliminate the said bacteria. When this antibiotic is administered in large doses, it can also kill certain kinds of bacteria. Clarithromycin and erythromycin are very good examples of this kind of antibiotic. ENT specialists often prescribe clarithromycin for sinus infections.

Cephalosporins

This is already a broad-spectrum antibiotic and it works by inhibiting synthesis in the bacterias cell walls. Individuals who have a penicillin allergy are often given ceftibuten dehydrate which is a 3rd generation cephalosporins. Most ENT experts prescribe this antibiotic for those with penicillin allergic reactions.

Fluoroquinalones

Like the cephalosporins, this is another broad-spectrum antiobiotic and it is among the newest class. This antibiotic interferes with the bacterial DNA replication process. For sinus infections, Moxifloxacin is often given to patients.

Doctors cant just prescribe any antibiotic for the patient suffering from sinus infections. There are certain factors to consider like the cost of the medicine, the allergies of the individual, the possible side effects or serious reactions to the medicine, the illness severity and nature, and the rate at which the medicine is eliminated by the body.

Mild infections can be given narrow-spectrum antibiotics such as amoxicillin. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are given to patients with chronic sinus infections. Oftentimes, medical practitioners cant prescribe the same line of antibiotics because the effects vary from one individual to another. Having a personal doctor is an advantage because he or she is familiar with your medical history.

You cant use a certain antibiotic without the prescription of your doctor because it can only worsen your condition. Consult your doctor right away if youre having a sinus infection. That way, your current condition can be assessed thoroughly and a new line of medicines can be prescribed.

Understanding Acne in Puberty Stage

Puberty acne develops from a few simple steps. First, teenage acne occurs when for some unknown reason or combination of reasons, hair follicles, also known as pores, become blocked. Although the exact combination of reasons that pores become clogged may not be fully known, many contributing elements for teenagers and adults alike can include:

* genetics (whether or not there is a history of acne problems and if so, to what extent)

* hormones

* dietary and vitamin make up (or lack of /deficiency)

* stress related factors

Other denominators in the development of puberty acne could include factors like how your body normally rids itself of its dead skin cells. And influences that may be working against this regularity.

For example, climate and other environmental factors, overall body health at the time of the outbreak, and your hormones and their effect on your own body’s sebum production (especially for females).

Second, the normal dead skin cells that combine with your body’s natural sebum oil as it drains through the skin’s surface become clogged in these blocked pores. This substance becomes somewhat sticky, further clogging the passageway.

Third, bacteria begins to grow around these clogged areas. As a normal reaction, your body’s white blood cells attack the bacteria, fighting it and pushing it out of the body.

And forth, the resulting growths during this 14-day to 21-day battle are called microcomedones. Microcomedones turn into comedones, commonly referred to as blemishes, pimples or acne.

There are basically four types of puberty acne: whiteheads, blackheads, pimples and nodules.

Whiteheads are when the sebum (oil) and resulting bacteria are trapped below the skin’s surface and you can actually see a white head appear above (or near popping out of) the skin.

Blackheads are when the sebum and resulting bacteria are only partially trapped, slowly draining out the surface and turning black because of your skin’s melanin or pigmentation.

In the absence of either white or blackhead are generally (but not always) smaller pimples. And the often deeper, boil-like lesions are referred to as nodules.

All forms of puberty acne can be mild, moderate or severe. Typically, mild puberty acne is visible in the form of whiteheads and blackheads, sometimes pimples.

With moderate puberty acne, more pimples and pustules are present on the face, some may appear on the back or chest.

And with severe puberty acne, many nodules develop, often large and sore, over parts of the face, back, chest and other body areas. This type of acne can lead to scarring.

Actually, lesser cases of puberty acne have been followed by scarring. So for those with possible nodular acne, seeking advice from a healthcare provider as soon as possible is recommended.

A gender issue to note is that males more often have the severe form of acne rather than females, due to their hormones. And the areas where they tend to break out most frequently are unfortunately more difficult to treat, the chest and back.

Understanding Bad Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a very familiar medical term almost to anyone, particularly the middle age group. It is a common thing the word will never be a part of teen-age lingo. The main reason is, most of the dreaded ailments accompanying “high cholesterol” levels are associated with hypertension, heart failure, diabetes and other long term and acquired conditions, which does not could also happen to younger generation as juvenile complications. To make it clear, when the majority is talking about lowering cholesterol, it is all about alleviating the further progress of bad cholesterol.

There are two kinds of cholesterol accumulating or present in the human body. Bad cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein is harmful because it can cause atheroma. Atheroma is considered to be the plaque of the arteries, commonly referred to as fat streaks. If not watched carefully, accumulation of ‘macrophage white blood cells’ can happen to a child even before the age of 10.

The early symptoms may start as early as 5 years old, while the child grows up and the condition is accumulating quietly in the veins. Most of the time, the exact symptoms are only given prognosis after the onset of heart attack or stroke, which is already too late for the patient. The attack of silent killers may not cause death but chances are it can lead to lifetime disability.

It is debilitating to imagine how high levels of bad cholesterol can cause serious consequences to the body. When most people may appear healthy all the time, cholesterols can only be checked through lab tests. Sometimes it surprises people to find out how high their cholesterol build-up has soared for the past years.

There is no mystery behind the strengthening of bad cholesterol other than high consumption of saturated fats in the diet. In the advent of labels or guides in processed foods like canned goods and other packed products in the groceries, it is easy to see the amount of cholesterol a food has. This is just a small matter on how to grasp the essence of being cholesterol conscious.

The major way to lower down cholesterol levels in the body is to understand how it metabolizes in the body. Cholesterol doe not actually come from diet alone. It is a whole process within where diet is just one of the contributing factor. Good cholesterol aids in the body’s biochemical functioning like producing bile, regulating of vitamins that are fat soluble such as A, K, D, and E.

It also has impact on the synthesis of the body hormone. After cholesterol has been utilized in the body, it excretes as excess lipids in the liver and gall bladder as crystal particles. Because cholesterol is not water soluble, it circulates over and over and gets converted to bad cholesterol (low density lipoproteins). For normal individuals with healthy metabolism, bad cholesterol is minimal and comes in as large quantities. The harmful ones are those that come in many number of small sizes trapped in the veins as accumulated clogs.

When it comes to lowering high cholesterol, basically there is nothing to ponder about genetic weaknesses, the key is watching over food intake. Cholesterol is highly present in animal meats and fats, especially pork and beef. It is easy to watch fatty foods with all the precautions available today. But it takes discipline to live a life with less cholesterol consumption.