Health Topics Web

The vaccination schedule for tetanus varies from country to country but the principle is generally the same across the board. It’s important to remember that tetanus is a very rare disease. In the UK for example (population approx. 60 million), only 6 people get it each year.

The Principle

With all vaccinations, whether for tetanus or Hepatitis B for example, the principle is the same. You should receive the first few doses quite close together to encourage a strong reaction by your immune system. Later, you can receive booster doses years apart.

United Kingdom

In the UK, for example, children receive the vaccine at two, three and four months of age. They then get a booster at around 3 years of age and a further booster in their teenage years. This should give full immunity for life.

Adults who never received any immunisation get three shots at one month intervals. They then get a booster shot 10 years later and another one another 10 years after that. Again this gives immunity for life.

United States

The US has a very similar immunisation schedule for tetanus but also recommends a booster shot every 10 years for life. This is at odds with UK opinion. Having said that, there is no risk to having “too many” tetanus shots.

Combined Vaccine

It is quite rare to find a tetanus vaccine on its own. More often you will find them combined with any one or more of the vaccines for diptheria, pertussis and polio.

Risks

It’s important to remember that it is quite difficult to get tetanus, even if you are not immunised (some people cannot due to allergic reaction to the shot, for example). The bacterium responsible for tetanus is anaerobic and cannot multiply when exposed to air. Also, you can only get it if the spores get in your wound. These spores are not found in rust (a common misconception) but are found in animal faeces and organic soil.

So there is a higher risk of tetanus from a puncture wound e.g. from a nail (rusty or not) or from a wound that is visibly dirty where animal faeces or soil is present. A typical random scratch is very unlikely to give you tetanus.

GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, is a chronic condition where acid frequently escapes the stomach and into the esophagus where it causes the most common symptom of a burning sensation. Anyone can have occasional heartburn but if you experiencer it at least once a week (many have it every day) then you are said to have GERD.

Other Symptoms

Heartburn is the main symptom but there are others too. Some people experience regurgitation of acid into the mouth where a foul taste is discovered. The acid can even erode the teeth over time. Another less common symptom is a hoarseness of the voice due to acid affecting the vocal chords. Some may also experience difficulty swallowing.

Causes & Risk Factors

GERD is caused when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) that separates the esophagus and the stomach does not do its job properly. Normally, it should be closed unless food is passing down into the stomach. But in some people it can malfunction and allow acid out.

If you are overweight then you are at greater risk. This is because the stomach becomes distended due to the large amount of food and this in turn causes the LES to malfunction and remain open for long periods.

A significant minority of people may have a hiatus hernia. This is a condition where part of the stomach is squeezed or herniated through the small gap in the diaphragm. This is not life threatening but it does weaken the LES.

Smoking, alcohol intake, family history and advanced age are also risk factors for GERD.

Diagnosis

Often no testing is required. If your doctor notices that you have chronic heartburn and drugs clear it up then he will not run any other tests. If your symptoms are unusual or you’ve been having them for some time or drugs do not make any difference then you may have a number of tests.

An endoscopy is when a camera is put through the mouth and into the stomach to check for hiatal hernia. A pH test can also be done. A very thin tube is placed just above the LES and the acidity (pH) is monitored over a day or two.

Treatment

The good news is that there are a number of ways to treat GERD.

Proton pump inhibitors are used by most people. Thse are a class of drugs that inhibit production of stomach acid. There are few long term side effects but one of them is a greater risk of osteoporosis.

Otherwise you may want to consider natural remedies or lifestyle changes.

Toe nail fungus (or onychomycosis) can be an embarassing condition for either gender. It can be especially difficult to kick because essentially the fungus is feeding off you and your toe nail in much the same way as it would off a plant in nature. Nevertheless, there are a number of ways to get rid of nail fungus, some of them natural and some of them manufactured.

Essential Oils

Particularly tea tree oil for nail fungus is a great cure. No one really knows how it works but it is perhaps one of the best and most safe and natural toe nail fungus cures.

In fact, the best way to obtain it is in the form of a compound, when combined with other beneficial oils such as lavender, clove or jojoba. Your pharmacy or health store will definitely stock this cure.

Vinegar, Hydrogen Peroxide, Bleach

These toe nail fungus treatments I have placed together because they work to attack the fungus. Typically, you should look to soak your nails in a diluted solution of these and then wash off when done. After repeated applications, you should find that the fungus will not return.

Vicks Vapor Rub

Also known as “Tiger Balm” in the East, somehow this has amazing anti-fungal properties. No one really knows why but perhaps it is due to the menthol content.

Drug Treatments

There are many drug treatments available for toenail fungus. These include Lamisil (Terbinafine hydrochloride) and Sporanox (Itraconazole) which are powerful anti-fungal drugs.

Prevention

In general, you should keep the toes as dry as possible. Fungi like dark, dank conditions. It is best to wear breathable socks such as those made of cotton as well as open toe footwear such as sandals.

Fibromyalgia is a debilitating condition that affects millions of people. However, many of these are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed because the symptoms are very similar to other conditions, particularly chronic fatigue syndrome.

Ultimately, the primary symptoms of fibromyalgia are of pain rather than fatigue. Here are just some of the signs to look out for.

General Pain Or Tiredness

Most people with fibromyalgia syndrome will feel general pain (as well as localised) and fatigue and tiredness. This is the main reason why it is often confused with CFS or ME.

Tender Spots

This is fairly unique to this condition. Sufferers will find that they have a lot of tender spots, particularly around the neck, shoulders and spine. The pain will be different at each spot and also change with time. Typically, you won’t have just the one tender spot but more like 10 or so.

Sleep Disturbance

Many sufferers get disturbed sleep. Either they have a form of apnea which is where sleep is interrupted due to a temporary inability to breathe. Other times they may feel the need to void urine and interrupt their sleep in order to go to the toilet. Also insomnia is commonly reported amongst sufferers of fibromyalgia.

Headaches

Regular headaches are common. These are often misdiagnosed because they can take many forms. They can be a mild numbing type headache or a throbbing tension headache or even similar to a full blown migraine in terms of intensity of pain.

Other Symptoms

There are many other symptoms of fibromyalgia include muscle twitching, cramps, dry eyes, sore throat and an inability to concentrate.

It’s important that you visit your doctor if you suffer many of the symptoms above to get an accurate diagnosis of your condition.

Sweating is entirely natural. It’s nature’s way of cooling us down and making sure that we don’t burn up. But for some people it can be a major problem because they sweat too much.

The Problem Of Excessive Sweating

Some people sweat too much. Even when it is not very hot, they still sweat. Their hair looks drenched, as do their clothes. Other people get embarassing wet spots in places like the buttocks or the groin. Others still may sweat so much that they get chafing of the skin and burns.

Thankfully, there are a number of things that can be done to cure excessive sweating, also known as hyperhidrosis.

Look At Your Diet

Are you drinking a lot of caffeine or eating/drinking high sugar content? These can contribute to excess sweating because the brain can misinterpret signals that these chemicals can send.

Try to cut down on these bad foods and replace them with good ones like vegetables and low GI fruits.

Take A Shower

Probably you are already doing this but, if not, you might want to consider taking a shower twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Any stale sweat bacteria that you already possess will only make further sweating more unbearable and also contribute to chafing of the skin and the development of sores.

Whilst taking a shower at night might seem like a waste of time, it most definintely is not as it will help to reduce the amount of night sweating that you could get.

Get A Decent Anti-Perspirant

Many deodorants will only mask the smell and not prevent any sweating. A good deodorant or anti-perspirant will contain aluminium chloride which is highly effective at reducing sweating. If you don’t wish to use this (some say that it is linked to breast cancer) then you could alternatively try a “natural anti-perspirant” which can be found on the internet.

Stress and Anxiety

Worrying and stressing can contribute greatly to excessive sweating. Are you depressed or do you have a lot of anger? If any of these apply to you then it is worth talking to your doctor. Drugs are not the only way to combat these illnesses, therapy is also a good option.

Botox

Botox is a very effective hyperhidrisos treatment. Most of us now know of it as many middle aged women use it to reduce their wrinkles. It has always had a very good medical use and applying it to the sweat glands is extremely effective for stopping sweating.

Surgery

This is considered a last resort and is only applies to those sufferers where excessive sweating is dominating their life adversely. In the operation, the problem sweat glands are actually removed from the body.

Acid reflux is an advanced disease of the digestive system (specifically the stomach) for which there has long been a steady development in medicine.

In long term cases however, a patient may elect to choose surgery so that he or she need not any longer take daily medication which is considered by some to be an inconvenience.

Add to this that the success rate for such surgery is high and the complications are also low.

There are many different types of acid reflux surgery but a common treatment is wrap the stomach around itself and keep this in place with a few stitches. This is especially often used in the case of a hiatial hernia.

Usually, someone is not considered for surgery until an accurate diagnosis has been made. This often involves a prior endoscopy which is when a small tube is inserted into the stomach via the throat to perform a full investigation and take biopsies if necessary.

Diabetes is a chronic disease which occurs due to deficiency in insulin when the body cannot produce enough of it on it’s own and is observed via high blood glucose levels. There are two major types: Type I and Type II. It is one of the major causes of premature death in the world.

Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the US and causes a number of other conditions including kidney failure. Also common amongst serious, advanced and untreated cases of diabetes are eye disorders including blindness. However, it can be managed through medication which is taken either orally or intravenously (via injection).

Despite being very serious, we can see that luckily, Diabetes is a very much manageable disease if caught early enough. That said, it can still restrict the activities and freedoms that of the sufferer.

Diabetes is the most common endocrine disorder and genetic factors can also play a part. For instance, Native Americans have a high prevalence of this disease. Unfortunately, once it has developed, it is usually a life long affliction.

Hepatitis B is a virus that is transmitted from the blood or bodily fluids of the infected person.

It is highly prevalent in Africa and Asia and can potentially cause life threatening complications such as cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Most commonly it is spread by unprotected sex, sharing of needles, blood transfusion or from mother to child. Rarely, it is spread amongst members of the same household. Therefore, as long as not engaging in the above activities, transmission is considered to be of low probability.

Most infected adults clear the infection within a few months, around 95%. However, a few do not clear it, and this is more common with children. They go on to develop chronic Hepatitis B.

They will never clear the infection but can be treated with various antiviral drugs.

In the Western world, Hep B infection is normally associated with immigrants, IV drug users and homosexuals. Hence, many sexual testing clinics will offer Hep B vaccines to gay men due to their higher risk profile.

The vaccine is highly effective and a course is typically delivered over several months or weeks depending on how urgently it is needed.

Irritable bowel syndrom, or IBS, is a disease of the digestive system that affects millions of Americans each year.

The typical symptoms of IBS are diarrhea, cramping and feeling bloated.

Closer inspection of stools reveals that even when the faeces are not diarrhea they can be of an irregular texture not normally seen prior to onset of IBS.

No one truly understands what causes IBS. What is known is that it is seen often in the Western world, especially for office workers. It is therefore thought that IBS onset could be related to a combination of poor and changing diets, a sedentary lifestyle, excess weight and modern day stresses.

What Can Be Done To Cure IBS?

Sometimes, dietary changes can make a difference but this differs from person to person both, in whether there will be an effect at all, and in what changes to make. There appears to be no hard and fast rule in these cases.

Secondly, if the person is overweight then it is strongly advised that they lose weight to see what the effect is. Often this has the greatest results and the patient will cease to experience IBS thereafter.

Acid reflux is a condition that affects millions of people around the world.

Also known as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), it occurs when the acid in the stomach escapes and reaches the pipe containing food (esophagus) or further into the mouth.

It is characterised by a burning sensation in the chest, hence the sensation is frequently called “heartburn”, even though it has nothing to do with the heart.

Although acid reflux is often referred to as heartburn, the term is also used to describe frequent heartburn or GERD.

How Does The Acid Escape The Stomach?

In some cases, there is something called a hiatal hernia which is when a part of the stomach is actually pushed through the diaphragm.

However, in other cases, there is no root cause. All that is known is that the lower esophageal sphincter (which keeps the acid in the stomach and stops it leaving) can malfunction and this is what causes the acid to escape.

What Are The Effects Of Acid Reflux?

Aside from temporary discomfort, prolonged acid reflux or GERD can also lead to damage of the esophagus. If left untreated, a condition called “Barrett’s Esophagus” can result which is a form of irreversible damage.

Barrett’s itself is not harmful but approximately 2% of its sufferers will go on to develop esophageal cancer. Unfortunately, the survival rate for esophageal cancer is extremely low.

What Treatments Are Available For Acid Reflux?

Fortunately, there are many treatments available for acid reflux. The most popular are a family of drugs known as PPIs or proton pump inhibitors.

These are intelligent drugs that apply a “switch” to acid production in the stomach and turn it off. Surprisingly, the human body can cope very well without any stomach acid.

However, there are some side effects with PPIs although very limited, such as some loss of bone density. Compared to the risk of complications from untreated GERD, the risk to reward ratio is considered favourable, nonetheless.