Know about Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital geart disease is the name given to heart disorders that are present when we are born. These conditions can be diagnosed before birth, immediately after birth or during childhood. Sometimes the condition is so minor that the symptoms don't show themselves until adolescence or adulthood.

What causes congenital heart disease?

If your child is born with a congenital heart disorder your first reaction will most probably be to ask, "Why me?", The answer is simply - we don't know. It's not a hereditary disease and there is no evidence to show that it is anything other than a matter of chance.

Classification of congenital defects

Common defects include:

• Abnormal blood vessels that restrict the flow of blood
• faulty valves that either restrict or block blood flow
• incorrect connections between heart, arteries and veins
• defects inthe partitions between the atria or the ventricles

The most common of these defects are:

Atrial septal defect (ASD): An opening between the twoatria (the top cardiac chambers) caused by a holle in the atrial septum.

Ventricular septal defect (VSD): An opening between the two ventricles (the lower cardiac chambers) caused by a hole in the ventricular septum.

Pulmonary stenosis (PS): A narrowing of the valve leading to the lungs.

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA): A connection between the aorta and the pulmonary artery, which usually closes at birth, remains open.

Coarctation of the aorta: A narrowing of the aorta - the main blood vessel leading from the heart.

The treatment for congenital heart disorders is usually surgery.

Retinopathy, a Diabetes Complication

What is Retinopathy
Who can develop retinopathy?
Retinopathy and blindness
Stages of retinopathy
Symptoms of proliferative retinopathy
Diagnosis Methods

Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the complications of diabetes. Patients of diabetes type 1 and diabetes type 2 are most likely to develop this disease. Retinopathy is the prime cause that leads to blindness. Early diagnosis and treatment helps avoid blindness.

Who can develop Retinopathy?

All diabetes type 1 and 2 patients are at highest risk to develop retinopathy. More than 40% of total diabetes patients develop retinopathy in initial or later stage. All the diabetes patients should get eye check up done at least once a year.Retinopathy may make health condition complicated for pregnant women. Diabetic women are highly recommended to go for eye check up before pregnancy.

How Retinopathy Cause Blindness?

Damaged blood retina capillaries can result in blindness in two ways.

1. Because of high glucose level leakage of blood and other fluid starts from retina blood capillaries. This is called proliferative retinopathy. Blindness is inevitable in proliferative retinopathy as it is the last stage.
2. In an eye ball, the part that directly gets light rays on it is called Macula. Leaked fluid and blood, when flows through macula, cause macula inflamed. This is called Macula Edema. Macula edema can occur at any stage of retinopathy. Macula edema progresses as retinopathy grows. Half of the patients with proliferative retinopathy also suffer macula edema.

Stages of Retinopathy as per Severeness

There are three stages before retinopathy become proliferative retinopathy. They are as below.

1. Mild Nonproliferative Retinopathy,
2. Moderate Nonproliferative Retinopathy,
3. Severe Nonproliferative Retinopathy,
4. Proliferative Retinopathy

What are the symptoms of proliferative retinopathy?

Initial stages of retinopathy do not show any symptoms. However, last stage (proliferative retinopathy) does. Red or black spots, floating blood drops in vision are some of the common signs (see left side  image). Floating blood drop is an alarm sign to immediately consult physician. Hemorrhage may occur because of more severe leakage.Sometimes blood drops may disappear out of vision without any treatment and you may get healthy vision. But that’s not going to be alright forever. In fact, that’s the sign of loosing eye sight sooner. As time pass the vision get so blurred that at one point patient see complete black.

Diagnosis Method of Macular Edema and Retinopathy

Eye check up of diabetic patients is different from check up of normal people. Complete check up for retinopathy includes five methods.

Visual acuity test

It is a blurred vision test. This is the basic check up for all, diabetic as well as normal people. Patient is asked to observer a chart kept at different distance. The distance is noted down at which patient’s vision is best.

Dilated Eye Exam

This is known as indirect ophthalmoscopy in medical language. In this check up doctor throws bright light ray in each eye with the help of special device.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT)

This is like CT scan of retina. Thickness of the retina is figured out with the help of cross section image obtained by scan. This check up is decisive for macular edema and inflamed retina.

Digital Fundus Fluorescein angiography

Special dye is injected in hand. An image is captured when dye flows through capillaries of retina. This is very effective method to spot leakages.

Slit Lamp Biomicroscopy Retinal Screening Programs

This program is used for early diagnosis of retinopathy. This method is may accompanied with other above mentioned diagnosis method to detect retinal problem.The only rule for diabetes patients that help avoid blindness is ‘Yearly (or as suggested by doctors) eye check up.

Antiplatelet or Anticoagulant Drugs Overview

Antiplatelet/Anticoagulant Drugs

Antiplatelet drugs work by blocking or reducing formation of blood colts by activating platelet substances and humoral coagulation system (A process that form blood clots). Although blood clotting is an essential natural process for healing, it may lead to dangerous and life threatening health condition if it happens in arteries, capilleries of heart.

When a person is wounded, body system sends platelets to the site which group together to form a blood clots which eventually stops the bleeding. Blood clots formation, even when a person is not bleeding because of injuries, blocks blood flow in heart artery and leads to heart attack (or any serious cardiovascular condition) and stroke

Antiplatelet drugs are effective drugs for serious heart related health condition such as stroke, heart attack, blockages in heart.

Depend upon type of action and mechanism Antiplatelet drugs are classified in four categories.

ADP Antagonists (ADP-receptor blockers: thienopyridines)

Phosphodiesterease Inhibitors

COX Inhibitors

GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors

 

ADP Antagonists also known as ADP-receptor blockers thienopyridines: Ticlopidine (Ticlid) and clopidogrel (Plavix) belong to this class. Drugs of this class blocks platelets aggregations by preventing binding of ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate) to its receptors. Since platelets aggregation forms blood clots the interference stops formation of more blood clots.

Clopidogrel when taken along with aspirin lowers risk of other serious heart problem in patients with acute coronary syndromes by 18%-21%.

Phosphodiesterease (PDE) Inhibitors

PDE Inhibitors works by blocking uptake of platelets aggregating compounds such as adenosine and inhibits cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase. Abundance of adenosine deaminase and phosphodiesterase causes an accumulation of adenosine, adenine nucleotides, and cyclic AMP which blocks platelet aggregation and vasodilation.\r\n\r\n

COX Inhibitors

Aspirin which fall in this category inhibits COX (Abbreviation of cyclooxygenase). COX play role of a mediator of the blood clotting process by generating an enzyme, known as Thromboxane, which activates platelets aggregation.

Aspirin along with other drug compound significantly reduces the risk of life threatening serious heart events in patients. It is also a first-line antiplatelet drug recommended for patients who are belived to be at risk of serious cardiovascular events.

GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors

These drugs have Eptifibatide as an active ingredient. Eptifibatide works by binding itself to receptors of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIa (GP is one of the platelets that triggers off blood clotting process) and leaves no place for glycoprotein IIb/IIa. This prevents the of fibrinogen and other adhesive ligands to bind its receptors and leads to blockade of platelet aggregation and prevents blood clots development.

Neurotransmitters, Depression and Medicines

Neurotransmitters play role of messenger of signals between Neurons (in nervous system) and cells. Job of Neurons is to generate and process information and transmit them with the help of Neurotransmitters. This process is called electrochemical signaling.

Since neurotransmitters carry signals from one point of the brain, they are an essential chemical for normal brain functionality. Neurotransmitters are responsible for both good functioning and malfunctioning of functions such as sleep, hunger, pain and above all mood.

What Does Anti Depressant Drugs Do?

Anti depressant drugs slow down lowering of particular Neurotransmitters known as norepinephrine and serotonin which are known to decide mood. Lack of these chemicals lead to extreme sadness, rapid change in mood, hopelessness, lack of interest in life, suicidal thoughts that are symptoms of severe depression. These drugs may also being indicated to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, chronic neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and menopausal symptoms.

Anti depressant drugs hold back re-absorption of serotonin and norepinephrine and thus making these natural chemicals available more in nervous system. This brings chemical balance and recedes depression symptoms.

Types of Anti Depressant Drugs

Selective Serotonin reuptake inhibitors

(SSRIs) Anti Depressants
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor drugs act on the neurotransmitter serotonin only. Hence it shows relatively lesser side effects as compare to drugs of other class.

Tricyclic antidepressants\n(Tricyclics) Anti Depressants

Drugs of class tricyclics have been used before SSRIs to treat depression. Tricyclics drugs act on both serotonin and norepinephrine, and may also interact with other neurotransmitters in the body.

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors

(MAOIs) Anti Depressants
MAOI drugs act on all three neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. They are called monoamines. Enzyme of brain and liver known as Monoamine Oxidase burns these three monoamines once they finish sending messages to brain.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitor antidepressant drugs slow down burining process of monoamines. Thus it increases neurotransmitters in body.

Anti Depressant Drugs Of Class Selective Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

Drugs that are belong to SSRIs antidepressants group are.....

• Lexapro (Escitalopram as active ingredient)
• Celexa (Citalopram as active ingredient)
• Prozac ( Fluoxetine as active ingredient)
• Paxil (Paroxetine as active ingredient)
• Zoloft (Sertraline as active ingredient)

Anti Depressant Drugs of Type Tricyclic Antidepressants

• Elavil (Amitriptyline as active ingredient)
• Norpramin (Desipramine as active ingredient)
• Tofranil (Imipramine as active ingredient)
• Aventyl, Pamelor (nortriptyline as active ingredient)

Anti Depressant Drugs of Type MAO Inhibitors

• Marplan (isocarboxazid as active ingredient)
• Nardil (phenelzine as active ingredient)
• Parnate (tranylcypromine as active ingredient)

Rest of the Anti Depressants

• Wellbutrin
• Effexor
• Effexor XR
• Remeron
• Desyrel
  

Acne, Know About it Before the Treatment

Acne is skin disorder normally occurs in puberty. It may occur at other age also. Human skin is made up of unit called pilosebaceous unit. This unit consists of four parts namely, sebaceous gland, hair follicle, hair shaft and the Erectores pilorum (erector pili muscle) which causes erecting of hair when gets contracted.
In puberty period male hormone, known as androgen, causes sebaceous glands to produce sebum (an oily and waxy substance). Functions of sebum are to moisturize skin, protect skin; keep skin and hair waterproof and keep away skin drying due to dehydration. When hair follicle gets blocked excess of sebum get collected. Such condition is responsible for acne breakouts.

What after Acne Breakouts?

After the breakout acne may appear in three different forms. Blackheads, Whiteheads and Pimples.

Blackheads

This condition leads to form comedo. When the comedo is open we know it as blackheads. Comedo appears black in color because of oxidization of keratin and sebum.

Whiteheads

An open comedo is known as whiteheads.

Pimples

Combination of accumulated sebum and dead skin cells results in grow of Propionibacterium acnes bacteria which eventually leads to formation of pimples.
There are four types of pimples. Cysts and nodules are painful and leave mark on the skin.

Types of Pimples

Papules: Small bumps appear red because of inflammation.
Pustules: Filled with pus red at base.
Nodules: Big in size, very painful.
Cysts: Filled with pus and very painful rooted deep in skin. Leaves mark on skin.

Types of Acne

Acne vulgaris: Acne vulgaris is most common type of acne mainly found in young adults during puberty. Occurrence of acne vulgaris is believed to be excess secretion of sebum caused by androgenic hormones.
Cystic acne: When acne develops into cysts it is known as cyctic acne. Cyctic acne is most pain giving form of acne.