Winter flu and precautions!

Low temperature is always succeptible to flu infection. Usually temperature below 10 degree celsius is a suitable circumstance to catch a cold among humans. Children mostly suffer from influenza virus, which is critical for 'lung pneumonia'. In Japan, norovirus, a type of RNA virus is common flu-induced problem among children. Norovirus has also gastrointestinal symptom. The geriatric population (older population) are also victims of these viral infections during winter season, who mostly suffer from lung pneumonia, referring severe cardiorespiratory problem. Sometime this flu-induced infection among children and geriatric population become fatal. Therefore, precaution should be taken to keep body temperature increased. In addition, washing hands and rinsing mouths (gargle) are suggested after returning back home.

Is personality a factor for heart disease!

It is already acknowledged that personality has been related with development of heart disease by blocking artery of heart. Then, we look for personality which is harmful for our heart. It is suggested that people with type-A personality are susceptible to grow heart disease. People with type-A personality have more sympathetic outflow from autonomic nervous system, that eventually inducing excessive fat deposition on the cardiac arterial wall, developing blockage of cardiac artery. Sometime, social environment may aggravate behavioral anxiety, initiating aggressive personality in exuding excessive sympathetic flow. 'Self-meditation' such as deep breathing relaxation may be useful in abstaining from personality relating heart disease.

Importance of Brain Scan in Seizure: A Perspective!

The unintentional jerking of body (involuntary) is termed as seizure in medicine. The symptom of seizure has significant importance during clinical evaluation of a patient. For example, one young adult person may have seizure without other abnormality, so whole-brain scan should be additional investigation for clinical interpretation. With this perspective, childhood trauma of brain can not be ruled out as one cause, that can be assessed by brain imaging technique. Usually, CT and MRI are useful imaging techniques. Therefore, nowadays, advanced nuclear medicine technique such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging has also significant role in the functional and anatomical assessment among seizure patients with childhood brain trauma.

Benefits of Tomato against cancer!

For last few days, I am thinking to write about the beneficial effects of ‘tomato’, a seasonal fruit. There is a mixed impression on this fruit (tomato) relating with the taste. I myself use to take it as salad. However, the benefit of ingredient of tomato is little known to us, which is called lycopene, a carotenoid pigment usually found in the red and yellow fruits and vegetables. It has been studied that lycopene has anti-oxidant effect, that may prevent abnormal growth of cells in the body. I would like to mention that this lycopene has anti-cancer affect. It is studied that lycopene in the tomato may prevent prostate cancer in the middle decade of life. In addition, it has been postulated that lycopene has also anti-oxidant effect against breast cancer. Why do not we take tomato in our daily recipe? For any inconvenient taste of tomato, it can be taken as ketchup with our daily meal, I suggest.

Non-therapeutic approach: a benefit for psychological health!

Psychological symptom may be pronounced at any stage of life. Advanced technology such as nuclear medicine imaging method (positron emission tomography) has already stated that some neurotransmitters (chemical substances in the brain) have vast role in controlling human psychological status, synchronizing the brain and mind (emotion). Therefore, it is acknowledged that the emotion is mostly influenced by the higher brain function. There is therapeutic option (psychiatric medication) to prevent this psychological disorder in the medical procedure. However, some non-therapeutic approaches may have beneficial effects on higher brain function for modulating psychological symptoms. Body mind training (BMT) such as ‘deep breathing exercise’ is one useful non-therapeutic approach for psychological disorder, I suggest.

Hypertension and Lacunar stroke!

I would like to focus on hypertension-inducing brain stroke. There is always a chance of initiating brain stroke, suffering from malignant hypertension (MHTN). In the chronic stage (MHTN), there might be infarction of deep-brain structures, which is called lacunar stroke. Usually, deep structures of the brain are mostly involved in lacunar stroke, which is caused by the blockage of small arteries of deep brain.
Once this lacunar stroke is developed, it might be symptomless or mild symptoms are pronounced such as mild loss of sensation in the face, limbs or other parts of the body (sensory symptoms). MRI imaging method is useful to find out the lacunar stroke related deep brain lesions among the patients suffering from MHTN. However, it is useful to control chronic hypertension (MHTN) to prevent from lacular stroke.

Symptomless disease!

I desire to write about one devastating pathogenesis of major artery of human – carotid artery stenosis. I use to mention this stenosis carotid artery as carotid artery disease (CAD). The most devastating feature relating with clinical symptom is that this carotid artery stenosis sometime reveals symptomless, which is harmful for developing cerebral ischaemia. If we consider about medical problems that persuading carotid artery stenosis, cardiac disease (CD) or hypertension (HTN) are mentioned. Therefore, in regular medical check up of CD or HTN, it is wise to arrange one bed side examination of carotid arteries using US imaging method (ultrasound imaging).