What is root canal?

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What is root canal?

10:17 AM

What is root canal?

What is root canal?

@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan

Root canal is a dental treatment in which the pulp inside a tooth is removed, then, the area is disinfected, and is sealed off with a filling (usually gutta percha. This procedure is usually prescribe by a dentist when the tooth infection is severe and penetrates deep into the roots of a tooth.

The purpose of root canal is to relieve inflammation and pain while preserving the tooth so it wouldn't have to be pulled out for extraction.

In a root canal procedure, blood vessel, nerves, connective tissue, and necrotic tissues inside an infected tooth are removed. A professional called an endodontists performs this dental procedure.

Root canal is done using local anesthesia in a dental clinic.
 It usually only takes 2 dental appointments to be completed.

On your initial visit for a root canal procedure, visualization diagnostic procedure will usually be performed such as dental x-ray. Local anesthesia will be used to numb the area. The pulp of the infected tooth is extracted and the area is sealed with a temporary filling. You'll have to come back to the endodontists for a permanent filling once they determine the tooth is free of infection.

Is kawasaki disease a lifelong disease?

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Is kawasaki disease a lifelong disease?

10:11 AM

Is kawasaki disease a lifelong disease?

Is kawasaki disease a lifelong disease?

@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan

Kawasaki disease is not a lifelong disease, but this disease can leave complications individuals bear for the rest of their lives. In fact, kawasaki disease is the leading cause of acquired heart disease among children.

Kawasaki disease is characterized by inflammation of blood vessels throughout the entire body. Without prompt treatment, this disease is life-threatening.

Complications of kawasaki disease includes:

• aneurysm -- weakening and bulging of blood vessel wall which can potentially rupture (causing internal bleeding and blockage of blood flow)
• dysrhythmia --irregar heart rythm
• myocarditis -- inflammation of the heart
• vasculitis -- inflammation of blood vessels

18 Facts about Asthma

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18 Facts about Asthma

9:59 AM

18 Facts about Asthma

What usually comes into our mind when we hear the disease "asthma" is it's main symptom of difficulty breathing caused by an inflammed narrowed airways.

18 Facts about Asthma

@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan

1. Asthma is a chronic disease marked by inflammation of the respiratory tract causing constriction and swelling of the airways (bronchial tubes) and overproduction of mucus.

2. Asthma is a non-communicable disease. It does spread from person to person. Although the exact cause of asthma is unknown, factors like genetics plays a role in it's development.

3. Asthma inflicts a staggering number of the population. In America alone, 27 million people suffer from this chronic disease.

4. Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children. In fact, in America, 1 out of 12 children suffers from it.

5. There is no cure for asthma. It is marked by remissions and exacerbations.

6. Being infected with a viral infection as a child increases an individual's risk of developing asthma.

7. Asthma has a genetic predisposition. If your parents have asthma, there is a high possibility that you'll also end up having this disease.

8. Individuals living in highly polluted areas are more likely to develop asthma.

9. Common asthma triggers includes:

• dust mites
• smoke
• pollen
• pet dander
• mold
• chemical irritants
• strong smell
• temperature change
• stressful events
• physical activity

10. Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is the term used to describe an asthma attack that is triggered by a physical activity such as exercise.

11. Physical activity is crucial to attain a good health so make sure to consult your doctor to best manage your asthma that will enable you to stay physically fit and active.

12. Signs and Symptoms of an asthma attack includes:

• wheezing
• shortness of breath
• difficulty of breathing
• chest tightness
• chest pain
• coughing
• increase in respiratory rate
• fatigue

13. Asthma usually don't come with chills and fever. It can be a symptom of another airway disease such as bronchitis.

14. Emotions such as crying, laughing, anger, and sadness can trigger an asthma attack in some people.

15. Individuals may have varying severity of asthma attack.

16. Management of asthma includes preventing contact with potential irritants that can trigger an asthma attack, taking anti-allergic medications, and treatment symptoms once an asthma attack occurs.

17. The treatment plan prescribed for one person may not be an effective solution for some people. Each person may have varying response to asthma triggers and medicine.

18. Common medicines use to manage asthma includes corticosteroids (fluticasone), bronchodilators (salbutamol), steroids, and anti-inflammatory medications.

Blood doping: How Athletes Cheat the Game

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Blood doping: How Athletes Cheat the Game

9:51 AM

Blood doping: How Athletes Cheat the Game

Is winning so glorious that an athlete would want to win a medal out of cheating through blood doping?

Blood dopping is an illegal way to enhance performance among athletes. This method to boosts athletic performance is banned by sports organizations including the world-renowned Olympics.

Blood doping to boost athletic performance is cheating!

@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan

Blood doping: winning by cheating
How does blood doping works?

Blood doping works by boosting the oxygen carrying capability of the blood. When muscle receives more oxygen supply, the individual is able to perform better and endure longer duration of physical activity with minimal fatigue.

Blood doping is especially advantageous to athletes who participate in a sports activity where endurance and stamina is a key to victory like marathon and cycling.

However, this method is strictly banned in sport events because it is an unnatural way to boost physical performance. Strength and endurance should be built through rigorous practice and training, not through a bag of blood or drug enhancers. Like the use of performance enhancing drugs, blood doping violates the philosophy and rules of a fair game and friendly competition.

Sports events celebrates naturally-built human strenght, not the puny strategy of blood doping.

Blood doping methods

Blood doping can take several forms. The most notorious are erythropoietin injection, blood transfusion, and synthetic oxygen carrier transfusion.

1. Erythropoietin injection

Erythropoietin is naturally released by the kidneys in response to low oxygen level to trigger the bone marrow of bones to produce red blood cells. However, athletes who practice blood doping abuse erythropoietin's function by injecting themselves with it's synthetic form. Red blood cells are blood component that facilitates the transport of oxygen throughout the body.

Using erythropoietin injection as a form of blood doping is often hard to detect because the narrow window of time synthetic erythropoietin can be detected in the blood.


2.  Blood transfusion

Blood doping can take the form of a blood transfusion, in which an athlete, even without valid medical indication, receives an intravenous infusion of blood product to increase circulating levels of red blood cell. Red blood cells' primary function is to transport oxygen throught the body. The athlete could either receive his/her own pre-extracted saved blood (autologous transfusion) or blood from another person (homologous transfusion).

In homologous blood transfusion, there is a risk that the athlete receiving the blood can develop life-threatening blood transfusion reaction, even when blood typing and crossmatching is done.


3. Synthetic oxygen carriers

Blood doping by introducing synthetic oxygen carriers works like blood transfusion in increasing the blood's oxygen carrying capacity, although in this type of blood doping method, no actual blood is transfused. Instead, chemicals that acts as oxygen carrier in the blood stream is infused to an athlete.

A good example of synthetic oxygen carriers is hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier (HBOC).

Blood doping can kill an athlete

Blood doping doesn't come without risk to an athlete who practice it. It can lead to serious health issues, even death. Increasing circulating blood cells thickens the blood which causes the cardiac muscle to pump harder to be able to propel blood throughout the body. This leads to an increase in blood pressure and pulse rate.

The increase viscosity of the blood owing to blood doping can increase the individuals risk of developing deadly blood clots, which can cause a sudden heart attack or stroke.

How to catch athletes who exercise blood doping?

To maintain the integrity and honor of a competition, it is fitting to remove cheating athletes. Several tests can determine if an athlete is guilty of blood doping.

The World Anti-doping Agency uses "Athlete Passport" in which laboratory test (usually blood and urine test) is compare from previous tests to detect significant difference that can point out a potential blood doping practice. Synthetic oxygen carriers can be determined from blood samples.

Localized tetanus

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Localized tetanus

6:36 AM

Localized tetanus

Localized tetanus is a form of tetanus that is restricted to a localized area of the body -- the site of entry of the Clostridium tetani bacteria.

Localized tetanus

@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan

In localized tetanus, the tetanospasmin, the neurotoxin produced by the bacteria, does not spread to the central nervous system. This form of tetanus is rare.

Sign and symptoms of localized tetanus includes weakness of the affected site and localized painful muscle contraction of the area.

Tetanus is not a communicable disease. Infection can occur when the bacteria Clostridium tetani contaminates burn, cuts, and wound. Deep wounds and improper wound care provides a suitable environment for Clostridium tetani growth.

Clostridium tetani, the bacteria responsible for causing tetanus, is an obligate anaerobe which means it can only grown in an environment where their is an absense of air. Deep wounds, dead tissues, and poorly debride wound offers a viable condition for these bacteria.

In up to 25% of tetanus cases, there is no identifiable wound or site of entry. However, if there is, wounds from which the localized tetanus originated may present with signs and symptoms of inflammation (pain, redness, swelling) and presence of drainage.

17 Interesting Facts about Clostridium tetani

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17 Interesting Facts about Clostridium tetani

12:07 AM

17 Interesting Facts about Clostridium tetani

Clostridium tetani is the bacteria responsible for causing tetanus in humans. Here are interesting facts about this deadly bacteria.

17 Interesting Facts about Clostridium tetani

@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan

1. Tetanus is a disease caused by a bacteria (Clostridium tetani) that targets the nervous system. In fact, Clostridium tetani can cause 4 types of tetanus:

1. Generalized tetanus is the most common form in which the infection spreads throughout the body.
2. Localized tetanus only affects the area near the site of C. tetani entry.
3. Cephalic tetanus involves the muscle of the face and is very painful.
4. Neonatal tetanus afflicts newborn babies and has a high fatality rate.

2. Clostridium tetani is a rod-shaped, gram positive bacteria.

3. Clostridium tetani is a bacteria that moves using rotary flagellum.

4. The word "clostridium" is derived from the Greek word "kloster" which means spindle.

5. Clostridium tetani spores are resistant to heat and can survive in the soil for several months up to years.

6. Contrary to popular beliefs, Clostridium tetani don't exclusively thrive in rusty nails.

7. Tetanus is a vaccine-preventable disease.

8. Tetanus is not contagious. Clostridium tetani isn't passed from direct person to person contact.

9. Clostridium tetani enters the human body through cuts, laceration, burn, and other wound.

10. In the presence of oxygen, Clostridium tetani bacteria turns into an endospore.

11. Spores or inactive form of Clostridium tetani is commonly found in soil, dust, and animal manure which gets activated when put in an anaerobic environment. As clostridium tetani grows, they release a lethal toxin called tetanospasmin.

12. Tetanospasmin spreads throughout the body through the cardiovascular and lymphatic system.

13. Clostridium tetani grows only in an environment where there is no air (obligate anaerobe).

14. Dead cells provide a suitable environment were Clostridium tetani can grown.

15. The toxin released by Clostridium tetani binds to nerve endings and stimulates uncontrollable muscle contraction. These muscle spasms can be so strong that it can literally break bones.

16. A study reveals that the most effective antibiotic to kill Clostridium tetani is sparfloxacin. Ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, chloramphenicol, eythromycin, gentamycin, metronidazole, penicillin G, and tetracycline also kills the bacteria.

17. Clostridium tetani belongs to the genus Clostridium to which also includes Clostridium botulinum (causative agent of botulism) and Clostridium difficile (an antibiotic-resistant bacteria that causes diarrhea.

4 Peculiar Reasons we Sneeze

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4 Peculiar Reasons we Sneeze

12:01 AM

4 Peculiar Reasons we Sneeze

Sneeze is our natural reflex to expel irritants from our airways. It's how we naturally get rid of foreign substances like pollen, dust, dander, and powder from our nose and airway.

While excessive sneezing can be a cause of annoyance and discomfort, you'll realize the importance of this reflex if you don't want those nasty foreign bodies be left stuck in your nose. But at times, we sneeze because of peculiar reasons.

4 Peculiar Reasons we Sneeze

@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan

4 Peculiar reasons we sneeze

1. Light

Bright light can trigger sneeze in about one fourth of individuals. The exact mechanism remains a mystery, but it's quite possible that it has something to do with the proximity of the optic nerve. Sneeze triggered by light is also called photic sneeze reflex.


2. Temperature change

Going from hot to cold or cold to hot can inevitably trigger the sneeze reflex.


3. Exercise

What? Even something as healthy as exercise can elicit a sneeze. One reason for this phenomenon is physical activity causes a person to hyperventilate which can lead to drying of the airways causing irritation, thus triggering a sneeze.


4. Plucking your eyebrow

Peculiar isn't it? There are people who elicit a sneeze when they pluck their eyebrow. This happens when the nasal nerve gets stimulated.



Sneezing Extremes

Having a terrible day with your constant sneeze? If you think sneezing causes you such tremendous annoyance and inconvenience, think about the cause of Donna Griffiths from England. Her sneezed did not stop for 978 days from January 1981 to September 1983.