Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) are the drug of choice for alleviating pain. However it is important to understand the effects of them on various organs and use them with care.
In ancient times, herbs and plants were used to treat pain, fever, sores, swelling and inflammation. In 1879, aspirin was discovered and to this date continues to be widely used by people to deal with pain and inflammation. Aspirin belongs to a class of drugs called NSAIDs which are known for their…
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Dr. Dinesh Khanna, (Professor of Medicine at University of Michigan, USA.), spoke about Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) and its treatment in scleroderma at the 2024 Sclerocon conference organized by Scleroderma India. Dr. Khanna highlighted that lung fibrosis affects 60% to 70% of scleroderma patients and emphasized the importance of early diagnosis and timely treatment. He also discussed the role of autoantibodies, the necessity of immunizations and shed light on ongoing clinical trials for…
Vertigo and dizziness, a common complaint among older adults greatly impacts daily life and is a major risk factor for falls with severe long term health consequences. Dr Aditi Sinha, an ENT Specialist from Mumbai addresses how vertigo is treated, what happens if left untreated and whether or not vertigo can be reversed. The most common treatments for vertigo include: Home remedies The majority of home remedies are designed to prevent or reduce the risk for a vertigo episode, but some can be…
Vertigo and dizziness is a common complaint among older adults. Globally, 1 in 10 people are affected by Vertigo. In India, a 2001 survey estimated that 0.71% of the rural population (about 90 lakh people) are affected. This greatly impacts daily life and is a major risk factor for falls, which makes it particularly concerning. Dr Aditi Sinha, an ENT Specialist from Mumbai highlights the need for increased awareness on this highly prevalent symptom. What is vertigo? Vertigo represents one of…
Kidney cancer is not a well known cancer. People hardly talk about it. According to GLOBOCAN 2022, yearly incidence of kidney cancer in India is 17,480 with 5 year prevalence of 1.4% per 1 lac population. Number of deaths are 9897. This indicates that patients come in late and if they came early, they would have better chance of survival. Let us go through some frequently asked questions about kidney cancer in this article. What is kidney cancer? Kidney cancer is any cancer that affects the…
Prevention of Sickle Cell Disease There is no known way to prevent this genetic disease. Avoid consanguineous marriages and encourage blood testing before marriage Screening tests such as Prenatal diagnosis or new born screening can be done to check if baby has sickle cell disease for prompt intervention and treatment. We must keep check on symptoms for sickle cell disease and early diagnosis of it. References Image 1 : https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/Article?contentid=745&…
Management of Sickle Cell Disease and its Complications The key to manage sickle cell disease and its complication is rapid hydration and pain control. Any and all major organs are affected by sickle cell disease. Complications such as increased infections, leg ulcers, bone damage, early gallstones, kidney damage, eye damage or multi organ failure can happen. Taking the following steps to stay healthy might help avoid complications of sickle cell disease: Staying hydrated Regular…
Treatment of sickle cell disease aims to manage symptoms and prevent organ damage. Besides bone marrow transplants that can be curative for some people, there are also emerging gene therapies for sickle cell disease. Pain medications for pain crisis Drinking plenty of water daily (8 to 10 glasses) to manage pain crisis Blood transfusion Vaccinations and antibiotics to prevent infections Folic acid to prevent severe anemia Hydroxyurea helps to reduce the frequency of…
Early diagnosis of Sickle Cell Disease and treatment can reduce the risk of complication. Health care providers will recommend necessary tests based on medical history and physical examination. Here are the various tests and their role in screening and diagnosis of Sickle Cell Disease. Hemoglobin Electrophoresis Blood test is done to check if you have sickle hemoglobin and if you are a carrier for sickle cell disease. Genetic testing is used to identify the specific type of sickle…
