Author: James John

Mesothelioma is a rare neoplasm (cancerous neoplasm) that arises from mesothelial cells lining the parietal and visceral pleura of the lungs. Mesothelium is the protective lining that covers most of the internal organs (including lungs) of the body. The commonest site of mesothelioma is the pleura, which is the outermost lining of the lungs and the chest wall. But mesothelioma can occur at any site where mesothelial cells lining is present like peritoneum, heart etc. The most important cause (and most likely the only cause) of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Most of the patients of mesothelioma have worked on…

Pure uncontaminated water dose not occur in nature. The natural water contain impurities both natural and man made. The natural impurities are not dangerous like man made impurities. The natural impurities are dissolved gas (nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide which are picked up during rain), and dissolved minerals (salts of calcium, magnesium and sodium). The minerals are due to contact of water with soil. Natural water also contain suspended impurities (clay, sand, mud, silt etc.) and microscopic organisms (bacteria, virus, planktons, fungi etc). All the natural impurities are derived from the soil, catchments area and atmosphere. Water pollution by man…

Human Health can be affected by drinking contaminated water through food or directly as drinking water and also by use of contaminated water for personal hygiene or recreation (swimming pools for swimming and diving and other water sports). The term water related disease include water borne disease also. Developing countries carry a heavy burden of water borne diseases due to lack of safe drinking water supply. Among the water borne and water related diseases diarrhea is most important. Water related disease can be biological (water borne disease) and chemical. Biological: They are two types those caused by the presence of infective…

There are 14 documented disorders which can be due to excess exposure to heat. Some of the common and important disorders are discussed below: Effects of Heat: Heat stroke Heat stroke Also known as sunstroke. This is due to failure of heat regulating mechanism of human body. The main feature of heat stroke is very high body temperature of about 110 degree Fahrenheit(430 Centigrade). High temperature is accompanied by convulsion, delirium and partial or complete loss of consciousness. Skin is usually dry and hot. Sweating is absent or very scanty. Death rate is high (about 40%) even it quick medical attention is…

Theoretically typhoid is an eradicable (as smallpox) disease as Salmonella that cause enteric fever survive only in human hosts and are spread by contaminated food and water. But high prevalence of typhoid in developing countries and lack of adequate sewage disposal and water treatment make the goal of eradication of typhoid impracticable at present. So travelers from developed countries to developing country should monitor their food and water intake carefully and also get vaccinated for typhoid. Typhoid vaccines: At present 2 types of typhoid vaccines are commercially available: (1) Ty21a, an oral live attenuated vaccine of Salmonella Typhi (given on days 1, 3,…

The clinical features of typhoid fever are nonspecific. So diagnosis of typhoid fever should be considered if a traveler returning from developing country with fever, especially from Indian subcontinent, and Latin America or in developing countries any patient with fever. Other diagnosis to be considered in case of fever and international travel are malaria, hepatitis, bacterial enteritis, dengue fever, rickettsial infections, leptospirosis, amebic liver abscesses, and acute HIV infection etc. A positive blood culture is the only confirmatory test for diagnosis of typhoid fever and other laboratory tests are not diagnostic. There may be non specific laboratory changes like leukopenia…

Contact lenses are used for corrective (to correct refractive errors of eyes, improve vision etc.), therapeutic and cosmetic purpose. Previously there were only hard contact lenses available, but thanks to Czech chemists Otto Wichterle and Drahoslav Lim who invented present modern soft contact lenses. They also invented the gel that is used for the production of these soft contact lenses. Contact lens was first successfully fitted by Adolf Eugen Fick, a German physiologist, while working in Zurich in the year 1887. only hard contact lenses were available at first and they had many disadvantages like chances of injury to the…

Weight loss is a major problem for the obese and overweight people. If you are obese than you must have tried many different strategies, but failed to loose weight or after losing weight failed to maintain it and regained weight. If you are in the above category of obese or overweight person than you should worry no more. Losing weight and also maintaining lost weight is no more a tough job. With the help of acai berry products you can easily lose weight as well as you can maintain it without any hassle. At present more than 20 companies are…

Losing weight for obese and overweight people may be very disturbing. It is more problematic if you can not maintain body weight within normal limit after losing it. In case of failure to maintain body weight within normal range after losing it, after using traditional weight loss techniques like a low calorie diet and regular exercise, surgery is an alternative and excellent option. There are many weight loss surgery techniques available and one of the most popular and successful surgery is “lap band surgery”. The lap band surgery is a simple and uncomplicated surgery and takes approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour…

There are many weight loss products in the market. Many weight lose products like Acai berry products are very well known to the general public, thanks to its promotion by many celebrities like Oprah Winfrey. But there are many more products which are as good as Acai berry products if not better and one of such product is hoodia gordonii. Hoodia gordonii is a leafless spiny desert plant that grows naturally South Africa and Namibia in the deserts. Hoodia gordonii was discovered by Colonel Robert Jacob Gordon (so named gordonii) in 1779 in and around Orange River. The hoodia plant was long…