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December 2nd, 2011  Posted at   Diseases
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Walking pneumonia is not a serious infection and is never life threatening by itself. Hence, it is not possible for a person to die from walking pneumonia. The illness is caused by bacteria called Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which is a small microscopic organism. It is characterized by a mild infection of the lungs. However, the symptoms of this infection are not at all pleasant and hence, it is advisable to consult a doctor.

The body’s own immune system has the ability to cure walking pneumonia. In normal people, it is better to allow the infection take its course. A doctor’s advice is better because the disease is infectious. It can be transferred to another person even while talking. The air carries small droplets of saliva, carries the bacteria.

The sickness is common from the age groups of 5 to 15 years, and is the most common type of pneumonia in children ages from 9 to 15. The disease develops gradually and as the symptoms tend to be mild, they are rarely noticeable. It is not something that will cause a child to be bed ridden. Some of the mild symptoms are mild fatigue, headaches, runny nose and a sore throat. A common cold usually goes away in a week but walking pneumonia symptoms persist for more than two weeks. It causes a strong cough and hoarse voice.

Pneumonia was once considered to be a fatal disease. However, with the modern intervention of antibiotics it is no longer a life threatening disease. Almost all types of pneumonia can be easily treated. Some cases of pneumonia go away on their own. Also people with walking pneumonia are active and mobile normally. The term walking pneumonia gets its name because patients affected with it are able to walk around and go about their normal lives. The term double pneumonia refers to the fact that the infection has made its way into both the lungs. Walking pneumonia is more likely to affect the teenagers and older children rather than adults. If it is a viral or bacterial infection, it can be treated with the help of anti-virals or antibiotics.

Mycoplasma which causes the disease is one of the most common and the smallest form of living organism. They can proliferate outside a living cell and also found as parasites in animals and humans. It is found in the mucous membranes of humans and can cause diseases when infected. Walking pneumonia gets diagnosed with a physical exam. The doctor checks the chest for breathing pattern and also a hoarse throat. These are strong indications that the patient is affected by walking pneumonia. After that even a chest X-ray is taken along with blood samples. (more…)

December 2nd, 2011  Posted at   Diseases
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Have you been diagnosed with a herniated disc?

If so, you probably have the usual symptoms:

  • Low backache
  • Numbness (if the disc is actually pressing on a nerve)
  • Leg pain

Those symptoms are no surprise.

But what may be a surprise are other symptoms:

  • Severe, sharp, electric shock-like, shooting pain
  • Deep burning or cold in the feet or legs
  • Numbness, tingling or weakness in the feet and legs that doesn’t go away
  • Radiating pain down the legs and into the feet
  • Muscle spasms and deep muscle pain

And those symptoms could be caused by neuropathy – a condition you probably never heard of until you developed a herniated disc.

So Why Does a Herniated Disc Cause Neuropathy?

A herniated disc alone may not cause you that much pain. The pain you experience is caused by the disc putting pressure on the spinal cord and on nerve roots. The location and intensity of the pain you experience depends on which nerves are affected by the disc and where it’s putting pressure.

Let’s say the disc is putting pressure on nerves that lead to your feet. You will probably feel pain and numbness in your feet. The longer the pressure is on the nerve, the more the nerve will be damaged. That nerve damage can lead to neuropathy in your feet.

The same applies to the nerves in any other part of the body. If your disc is putting pressure on nerves that affect that part of the body, you’re in danger of developing nerve damage and neuropathy wherever the nerves are affected.

If you have any of the neuropathy symptoms we listed above, you need to see your doctor, preferably your local neuropathy clinician, as soon as possible. The longer you let the nerve damage go untreated, the more likely the damage will be permanent. (more…)

December 1st, 2011  Posted at   Diseases
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Walking pneumonias, also referred to as mycoplasma pneumonia or atypical pneumonia, results due to an infection by a pathogen known as Mycoplasma pneumoniae. This form of pneumonia is mild and not as severe as other types of pneumonia. The symptoms develop and surface slowly over a period of one to three weeks. Often the symptoms in this disorder can be mistaken for those related to flu or severe cold.

As per MedlinePlus, most people affected by this infection are children or those below 40 years. It is often spread amongst people who are in close proximity. Some of the symptoms include persistent cough, sore throat, and fever or chest pain.

Common fallout of mycoplsama pneumonia is infection of middle ear. Such infections are more common during early childhood and usually affect children in the age group of 6 to 24 months. The chances of children getting affected are more than adults.

While the infection is mild, walking pneumonia has the potential to cause several complications. Some of those complications are highlighted below.

In a middle ear infection, the lining in this section gets inflamed and fluid begins to accumulate behind the eardrum. Some symptoms of this condition are high fever, imbalance, irritability, dizziness, insomnia, and ear pain, drainage in ear, vomiting, appetite loss, temporary loss of hearing, and/or diarrhea. The treatment includes administration of over-the-counter drugs, antibiotics, and warm compress and drainage tubes. If left untreated, the infection can cause rupture of the ear-drum or cause loss of hearing.

People suffering from walking pneumonia are more susceptible to getting hemolytic anemia. In this condition, the bone marrow does not produce sufficient red blood cells to replace the prematurely damaged ones in the blood. Hemolytic anemia can result due to protein abnormality, variation in the protein level in blood, clots in blood, and side effects of medicines, infection or abnormal response of the immune system. Some related symptoms include dark coloration of urine, fatigue, and enlargement of spleen, chills, acceleration of heart rate, fever, and pale coloration of skin, jaundice or difficulty in breathing. The treatment includes ingestion of iron, folic acid, transfusion of blood or administration of corticosteroids.

Another fallout of this condition is rash of the skin. People, who are more allergic and sensitive to antibiotics, are at a greater risk of getting allergic reactions when treated with antibiotics. In this condition, rashes develop which can be red, flat spots; or raised small bumps Amoxicillin or penicillin administration can also trigger this condition. Discontinuation of antibiotics can reduce rashes. (more…)

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