Sore Throat

23rd December, 2008 - Posted by Andy - No Comments

sore-throatA sore throat (acute pharyngitis) is one of the most common winter complaints, and is a symptom of infection, usually viral, or of an irritation of the pharynx - the back portion of the mouth behind the tongue. The irritation may be a local throat infection or the result of post-nasal drip caused by discharge from allergies, sinusitis, or a head cold.

Children are especially susceptible to sore throats because their immune systems are not mature enough to fend off flu and cold viruses. They are also exposed to viruses from sneezing and coughing classmates.

Viral pharyngitis may develop gradually. It is often accompanied by the flu or a cold, and body aches. If a fever is present, it will generally be in the range of 101 degrees F or below. A bacterial sore throat may be associated with swollen and tender lymph nodes in the neck. Fever is typically 102 degrees F or higher. The throat may appear extremely red and have either white or yellow spots at the back.

CAUSES
Almost everyone is susceptible to pharyngitis at one time or another. Frequent episodes can be the sign of underlying disorders or chronic disease such as diabetes, malnutrition, or immune disorders.

Sore throats caused by a cold or flu virus are usually self-limiting, and will clear on their own in a few days. Viral infections do not respond to antibiotics, although their symptoms can be relieved by self-help measures.

About 10 to 15 percent of sore throats are caused by bacterial infections, either streptococcus (strep throat) or staphylococcus bacteria. Bacterial infections should be treated with doctor-prescribed antibiotics, rest, and self-treatment. Without a throat culture, differentiation between a viral sore throat and one caused by bacteria is difficult.

TREATMENTS

Self Help
To treat sore throat pain, one should follow time and tested procedures such as good diet, adequate rest, and plenty of liquids.

In terms of OTC medicines, many throat lozenges, some of which contain mild anaesthetics, provide temporary relief of sore throat symptoms. Gargling several times a day with a mixture of 1 teaspoon of salt stirred into 8 ounces of warm water can also temporarily soothe a sore throat, break up congestion, and help flush out bacteria if present. A cup of tea or hot chocolate can relieve a sore throat by warming the irritated membranes.

Use a humidifier or a cool-mist vaporizer in your bedroom at night and keep your nasal membranes and throat lining moist.

Cool-air vaporizers have received bad press because improperly maintained machines may send dust mites and mold spores all over a room. In the case of ultrasonic humidifiers, they can coat furniture with a fine, white film. This can trigger allergies, colds, flu, and sore throats. However, if you clean the water tank according to instructions, these machines may help alleviate more health problems than they cause.

People with cold-congested noses tend to breathe through their mouths. To prevent this from causing a dry, sore throat; drink extra liquids throughout the day.

Over-the-counter nasal sprays may temporarily halt mucus production, but do not use them for more than three days because you may suffer from the “rebound effect.” As the body builds a tolerance, these sprays lose effectiveness, causing a dramatic increase in mucus secretion and nasal discomfort.

To help relieve the pain and inflammation of sore throat, you can consider acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin tablets as directed. Children should not take aspirin because of its link with Reye’s syndrome, a potentially life-threatening disorder.

Acute Sore throat
Contact your doctor if your sore throat persists for more than three days or if you have any other concerns. You may have a bacterial infection and benefit from antibiotic or other treatment. Also, if you have an accompanying earache, call your doctor.

Similarly see your GP immediately if the sore throat symptoms suddenly cause your voice to change to what is called “a hot potato” voice. This muffled tone sounds as if you have hot french fries in your mouth and cannot fully enunciate.

This could indicate that an abscess has formed in the throat and pus is collecting beyond the wall of the tonsils. Both the tongue and throat may swell. Other symptoms include a fever of 103 degrees F, with swollen, tender glands in the neck, and difficulty swallowing.

A tonsillectomy may be recommended for a child who has:

- Three or more strep throats per year
- More than five non-strep sore throats per year that require doctor visits
- Enlarged tonsils that interfere with night time breathing

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[Sources: NIH, NHS direct]

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Posted on: December 23, 2008

Filed under: General

Psoriasis

22nd December, 2008 - Posted by Andy - No Comments

PsoriasisPsoriasis is quite a common genetic skin condition affecting 2-3% of the UK population that can look quite ugly if left untreated. It can occur at any point in the lifespan, affecting children, teenagers, adults and older people. It affects males and females equally and approximately 30% of people with psoriasis have a family history of the condition,

Patches of psoriasis (often referred to as plaques) are raised red patches/lesions of skin, covered with silvery white scales. The silvery white scales are the accumulation of the skin cells waiting to be shed, and the redness is due to the increase in blood vessels required to support the increase in cell production.

The condition is very simply a speeding up of the usual replacement processes of the skin. Normally skin cells take about 21-28 days to replace themselves; in psoriasis this process is greatly accelerated, and skin cells can be replaced every 2-6 days. This results in an accumulation of skin cells on the surface of the skin, in the form of a psoriatic plaque. The appearance of psoriasis in sensitive areas, such as the armpits and groin is often red and shiny, with little or no scaling.
It is not unusual for psoriasis to be itchy, and it can sometimes feel painful

Plaques can appear in a variety of shapes and sizes, varying from a few millimetres to several centimetres in diameter and usually have a well-defined edge from the surrounding skin. Most people (80%) with have common plaque psoriasis (also referred to as psoriasis vulgaris – vulgaris just means common) in which the plaques tend to appear most often on the elbows, knees, lower back and scalp, although any part of the body can be affected. Psoriasis is not contagious

Guttate psoriasis patches are small (often less than 1cm in diameter) and scaly, and can be numerous, covering many areas of the body. It is seen most often in children and teenagers and can be triggered by a throat infection. Pustular psoriasis is where small blisters appear, usually on the hands and feet and nail psoriasis where changes in the appearance and texture of the nails occur.

CAUSES
Traditionally psoriasis was thought to be a condition of the upper most layer of the skin (the epidermis), but recent research has found that the changes in the skin begin in the immune system when certain immune cells (T cells) are triggered and become overactive. The T cells produce inflammatory chemicals, and act as if they were fighting an infection or healing a wound, which leads to the rapid growth of skin cells causing psoriatic plaques to form. You may therefore hear psoriasis being described as an “auto-immune disease” or “immune-mediated condition”. It is not yet clear what triggers the immune system to act in this way.

Although certain genes have been identified as being linked to psoriasis, many genes are involved and even if the right combination of genes has been inherited, psoriasis may not appear. A trigger is required for psoriasis to develop and this could be a throat infection, injury to the skin, certain drugs and physical or emotional stress.

VARIOUS TREATMENTS
Treatments depend on the type of psoriasis and/or severity. It is vitally important to use a moisturiser to make the skin more comfortable.

1. Topical therapies
Applied directly to the skin, these are available as creams, lotions, ointments, mousse and gels. Most people with psoriasis will use topical treatments to control the condition. The different categories of topical treatments are:

Vitamin D analogues Coal tar preparations
Topical steroids Dithranol Vitamin A analogues

2. Phototherapy
Is treatment with ultraviolet light - there are two types of ultraviolet (UV) light that can be used to treat psoriasis, UVB and UVA. Treatment with UVA requires a chemical agent (tablet or bath form) called psoralen which makes the skin more sensitive to UVA. This treatment is referred to as PUVA therapy. Treatment with UVB does not need psoralens. You will be required to attend the phototherapy centre 2 or 3 times a week for several weeks if you are receiving UV therapy.

3. Systemic
This refers to drugs which all have potential risks and so are reserved for people with moderate to severe psoriasis. The 4 main UK systemic medications are:

Methotrexate and Hydroxycarbamide- both slow down rate of skin cells divide
Ciclosporin - suppresses the immune system
Acitretin – slows down rate of skin cells divide, plus calms inflammation

4. Biological injections
These treatments are available to treat severe psoriasis that has not responded to any of the aforementioned treatments. They work by blocking the action of certain immune cells (T cells) or the chemicals released by them, which play a part in causing psoriasis.

5. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
TCM suggests that the following foods create ‘excessive blood heat’ – hot and spicy food, shellfish, chocolate, alcohol, caffeine drinks like coffee and citrus fruits. Similarly over high central heating and excessive stress will make psoriasis plaques worse.

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Posted on: December 22, 2008

Filed under: General

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