Archive for September 12th, 2007

Tuberculosis (السل, الدرن)

Posted by Bloggylife in medical on September 12, 2007

Since I so don’t trust our Doctors here and our maid ‘maskeena’ is sick, I looked up her diseases. She has been in the hospital for several months now. Need I talk about our hospitals!!! Anyway even she ‘la3at chabdha’ and wants to get out. I talked to the Dr. and he said why are you so eager to get her out? Dr. ‘nafseyatha ta3bana’ she doesn’t want to spend Ramadan here!!!

Anyway here is what I found since the Drs don’t tell you anything. Trust Google. The disease infected her bones bas el-7emdellah it’s not contagious. She can come home rest and take her treatment.

What is tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the microorganism Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It can affect several organs of the human body, including the brain, the kidneys and the bones; but most commonly it affects the lungs (Pulmonary Tuberculosis). The first stage of the infection usually lasts for several months. During this period, the body’s natural defenses (immune system) resist the disease, and most or all of the bacteria are walled in by a fibrous capsule that develops around the area. Before the initial attack is over, a few bacteria may escape into the bloodstream and be carried elsewhere in the body, where they are again walled in. In many cases, the disease never develops beyond this stage – and is referred to as TB infection. If the immune system fails to stop the infection and it is left untreated, the disease progresses to the second stage, active disease. There, the germ multiplies rapidly and destroys the tissues of the lungs (or the other affected organ). In some cases, the disease, although halted at first, flares up after a latent period. Sometimes, the latent period is many years, and the bacteria become active when the opportunity presents itself, especially when immunity is low.
The second stage of the disease is manifested by destruction or “consumption” of the tissues of the affected organ. When the lung is affected, it results in diminished respiratory capacity, associated with other symptoms; when other organs are affected, even if treated adequately, it may leave permanent, disabling scar tissue.

What parts of the body are affected by tuberculosis?
First and foremost, tuberculosis is a disease of the lungs. However, the infection can spread via blood from the lungs to all organs in the body. This means that you can develop tuberculosis in the pleura (the covering of the lungs), in the bones, the urinary tract and sexual organs, the intestines and even in the skin. Lymph nodes in the lung root and on the throat can also get infected. Tuberculous meningitis is sometimes seen in newly infected children. This form of the disease is a life-threatening condition.
What are the symptoms?

Typical signs of tuberculosis are:

- Chronic or persistent cough and sputum (بصاق) production. If the disease is at an advanced stage the sputum will contain blood.
- Fatigue.
- Lack of appetite.
- Weight loss.
- Fever.
- Night sweats.
The TB is extrapulmonary (outside of the lungs), it may cause few noticeable symptoms or a wide range including:
- Back pain and paralysis (spinal TB)
- Weakness due to anemia (TB in the bone marrow)
- Joint pain
- Pain associated with reproductive system or urinary tract, and possibly, resulting in infertility
- Abdominal pain
- Fever and shortness of breath (TB in the lining around the heart, the pericardium, or miliary TB, a large number in the bloodstream)
- Altered mental state, headache and coma (TB in the brain and/or central nervous system)

How is tuberculosis treated?

Today, treatment involves three or four different kinds of antibiotics given in combination over six to nine months.

Multiple medicines are necessary to prevent the emergence of resistance, which would lead to treatment failure and the nightmare of multiple drug-resistant organisms.

Single medicines must never be added to a failing treatment regime. Therapy should be directed by a chest physician who will have specialist knowledge of the complications and side effects of TB medicines.

Attention to the details of treatment is vital. The main cause of treatment failure is non-compliance with what is perceived as a demanding and prolonged programme of therapy.

Those patients who are microscopy or smear positive are infectious and, if possible, should avoid contact with other people for two weeks.

Patients do not require hospital admission in order to start treatment. Other patients with a lower bacterial load are smear negative but culture positive on testing. These patients are not as infectious but should still have therapy along conventional lines.

Chemoprophylaxis with a single medicine, isoniazid, may be given for 6 to 12 months with the aim of preventing future disease in individuals who show no evidence of disease, but have a strongly positive tuberculin skin test and no evidence of previous BCG vaccine to explain the positive skin test.

Pregnant women with TB must be treated urgently as the disease may progress rapidly with high risk to both mother and baby.

Surgery
Surgery is rarely used to treat tuberculosis (TB). However, it may be used to treat complications of an infection in the lungs or another part of the body.
Surgery for TB outside the lungs
Surgery occasionally may be needed to remove or repair organs damaged by TB outside the lungs (extrapulmonary TB) or to prevent other rare complications, such as:
- TB infection of the joints. You may need surgery to repair damaged areas of your spine or joints (orthopedic surgery).

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Turning a new leaf

Posted by Bloggylife in personal on September 12, 2007

Called my brother yesterday before sleeping


ترى باجر نطلع 6.15 أوكي

انزين

طبعا اليوم أنزل 6.15 و طبعا للحين قاعدين ما اخلصوا!!!

شقاعد اتسوي


ألزق طوابع

والله العظيم بيبون أجلي …

Anyway since tomorrow is Ramadan I decided to make myself hot-coco. Then I hear my brother …

قاعد اتسويلج حليب ككاو لوسمحت سويلي معاج

As I was driving my youngest brother, takes out a tissue puts it on his lap and starts clipping his nails. You would see his nails fly and land anywhere but on the tissue!! I’m like we’re back. They do their homework, studying, memorizing, ask me school questions, clip the nails, eat their breakfast, sleep, wear their shoes, all in the car. طبعا انا تعودت على هالنظام

The eldest is going to high school now and I am not sure where it is … but I think I have an idea … next to the cinema nooo restaurant hmmm I think the club …

العناد اللي فينيي kicked in, I am not asking my parents nor him sitting in the back seat, because of the first-day-school-must-have family action that happened as always yesterday morning. So I called my big bro twice he didn’t pick up and I carried on driving and as I was about to reach it he called. And I was right in my guessing :D Found the school and for the first time in my history in driving my younger brothers to school did I drop them far from their school and make them walk ;)

The eldest didn’t speak cz he knows better. The youngest.


جنج طوفت اللفة

لا امش كاهي المدرسة

لاااا مالي خلق

هذا نظام يديد. شفت الزحمة جدام كل هذا علشان أخرتوني اليوم.

لا عادي. مو زحمة بس لأن الطلعة ظيجة

أقول لما تسوق تعال كلمني

مع السلامة…. مع السلامة

As he was leaving the car, he takes his tissues. I speak:


مو على الأرض ها بالزبالة
أدري

and I smile and kick up the radio volume … muster up all the patience left in me to drive to work in this traffic jam

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