Immunity Power To Fight with Diseases

Immunity to Diseases:

Vaccination to child

Antibodies are involved in producing immunity to disease. When certain foreign substances, such as those introduced by pathogenic bacteria or viruses, enter the body, antibodies are formed as a defensive response. Antibodies are protein substances or globulins derived from B and T lymphocytes, which originate in the bone marrow. They are specific to the particular invading substance, known as an antigen, and thus provide highly selective protein. Because antigens stimulate antibody production is important to epidemiology because titers of specific antibodies can be measured in individuals and used to indicate the relative immunity of different populations to specific disease, as well as to identify asymptomatic cases of disease.

The major differences between active and passive immunity have to do with how rapidly protection against a given disease is conferred and how long the protection lasts. In general, active immunity takes about two to three weeks to offer immunity, while passive immunity persists about two weeks if received from a serum and up to six mouths if received by placental transfer or breast-feeding.
Many vaccines are available for use in the Unite States to prevent potentially serious communicable diseases. General recommendations for adult immunizations may be modified depending on the history of childhood vaccinations and prior diseases. However, a list of the more common vaccines that are currently available for adult immunization is presented in table 3-2 on page 34. Routine childhood vaccines include the following: 

1. Hepatitis B (Hep B) vaccine
2. Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP) vaccine
3. Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine
4. Polio (IPV) vaccine
5. Measles,mumps,rubella(MMR) vaccine
6. Varicella (Var) vaccine
7. Hepatitis A(Hep A) vaccine
With the exception of the Hep A vaccine, which is recommended only in selected states or regions where hepatitis A is a concern, all childhood vaccines are recommended for general administration to children before the age of two.

** Don't take any vaccine without prescription from Medical Practioner !**


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History of Polio: One of dangerous disease

Few diseases frightened parents more in the early part of the 20th century than polio did. Polio struck in the warm summer months, sweeping through towns in epidemics every few years. Though most people recovered quickly from polio, some suffered temporary or permanent paralysis and even death. Many polio survivors were disabled for life. They were a visible, painful reminder to society of the enormous toll this disease took on young lives.

Polio is the common name for poliomyelitis, which comes from the Greek words for grey and marrow, referring to the spinal cord, and the suffix –itis, meaning inflammation. Poliomyelitis, shortened, became polio. For a time, polio was called infantile paralysis, though it did not affect only the young.

Cause of Polio
Polio is caused by one of three types of poliovirus (which are members of the Enterovirus genus). These viruses spread through contact between people, by nasal and oral secretions, and by contact with contaminated feces. Poliovirus enters the body through the mouth, multiplying along the way to the digestive tract, where it further multiplies. In about 98% of cases, polio is a mild illness, with no symptoms or with viral-like symptoms. In paralytic polio, the virus leaves the digestive tract, enters the bloodstream, and then attacks nerve cells. Fewer than 1%-2% of people who contract polio become paralized. In severe cases, the throat and chest may be paralyzed. Death may result if the patient does not receive artificial breathing support.

History of Polio
It is likely that polio has plagued humans for thousands of years. An Egyptian carving from around 1400 BCE depicts a young man with a leg deformity similar to one caused by polio. Polio circulated in human populations at low levels and appeared to be a relatively uncommon disease for most of the 1800s.

Polio reached epidemic proportions in the early 1900s in countries with relatively high standards of living, at a time when other diseases such as diphtheria, typhoid, and tuberculosis were declining. Indeed, many scientists think that advances in hygiene paradoxically led to an increased incidence of polio. The theory is that in the past, infants were exposed to polio, mainly through contaminated water supplies, at a very young age. Infants’ immune systems, aided by maternal antibodies still circulating in their blood, could quickly defeat poliovirus and then develop lasting immunity to it. However, better sanitary conditions meant that exposure to polio was delayed until later in life, on average, when a child had lost maternal protection and was also more vulnerable to the most severe form of the disease.

Because of widespread vaccination, polio was eliminated from the Western Hemisphere in 1994. Today, it continues to circulate in a handful of countries, with occasional spread to neighboring countries. (Endemic countries are Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan.) Vigorous vaccination programs are being conducted to eliminate these last pockets. Polio vaccination is still recommended worldwide because of the risk of imported cases.



***Help the poor and eradicate Polio from world !***



Source: http://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/timelines/polio

Nutrition to Build Healthier Communities

Nutrition to Build  Healthy Community:

Food for Nutrition

We must all take responsibility for our own behavior, and we are all in charge of what we eat. Good health begins with our own personal responsibility.That's why we need communities that support our healthy choices. We all need access to fresh fruits and vegetables. We need healthy choices in our workplaces and communities. Our children deserve to be offered healthy choices in school. 

What are the best practices in Developed Country to build healthier communities:

1. Healthy eating in schools:

It is  including breakfast promotion, improved lunch and healthy snacks including classroom celebrations and incentives, fundraising, concessions and vending. Which can promote healthy living also.

2. Farm to School:

It  is key strategy for healthy eating in schools. By connecting farmers with schools to provide fresh, local foods, everyone wins. Some efforts include school gardens to educate children and supplement food offerings.

3. Healthy food environments in workplaces:

It means providing or improving access to healthy foods in cafeteria and in catering, as well as establishing workplace policies and programs that promote and support breastfeeding for working mothers. 

4. Healthy food environments in communities:

These  strategies work to improve access to nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables by increasing availability and affordability in grocery and corner stores, concession facilities and other food vendors; require calorie or nutrition labeling on menus; facilitate the development of new farmers markets and promote their use; and facilitate the development of new community gardens and other small scale food production strategies. 

Note: Above strategies are simple to read but can prevent most of the killer diseases in the world population if we could use them as a preventive way !

Travelling Tips for Diabetic Patients

Safe pack for diabetic patient

No worries for diabetic Patients during their traveling only if they could follow the following tips carefully!

* What to do to stay safe ?
1.Take a supply of medication in hand luggage, particularly if they have type 1 diabetes.

2.Pack sugar or carbohydrate foods in hand luggage in case of delays or hypos (particularly with type 1 diabetes).

3.Take a doctor's letter or a summary printout showing their medical history and medication and explaining why they need to carry syringes in hand luggage.

4.Prepare well and discuss travel plans with their travel clinic or GP.

There is no reason why people with type 1 (insulin-dependent) or type 2 (non insulin-dependent) diabetes should not travel safely and to as varied a selection of destinations as anyone else. But remember that diabetes increases vulnerability to infections, so patients should look after themselves before and during their trip.
 


* What are the preparation must be done before travel ? 
 
1. Patients should have health insurance and carry some identification that shows they have diabetes such as a Medic-Alert bracelet.

2. Enough medication, testing strips, syringes and pens should be taken, in case suitcases get lost or the patient gets ill.

3. Patients should have all recommended immunisations and take all recommended precautions.

4. On adventurous trips, it is safer if people with type 1 diabetes travel with a companion who can recognise a hypo and knows how to help if they get ill.

* What are the risk condition one must watch out ?.

1. Diarrhoea and vomiting. Having diabetes means sugar control and metabolism are vulnerable. Patients should seek advice early and watch for deterioration

2. Any illness, particularly with type 1 diabetes, as it can raise insulin requirements. Patients should never stop their insulin and consider increasing it.

3. Travel sickness, as vomiting can lead to loss of diabetes control

4. Signs of hypos. If in doubt patients should take something sweet (they should carry cereal bars or biscuits). It is better for blood sugar to be too high for a few days than to have a hypo.

5. Their feet - hot sticky climates can lead to blisters or fungal infections. Hot sand and stones can burn. Foot infections can spread quickly in people with diabetes and cause serious infections throughout the body.

6. Dry, cracking skin should be kept moist.

7. Sunburn - patients should look after their skin, as a burn can stress the body and destabilise diabetes.

8. Be careful to avoid dehydration if it is hot – a particular danger with diabetes

* What to do during Travel ?

1. Patients should take extra food with them in case of delays.

2. Airlines will usually have diabetic meals but patients should not rely on this, particularly if they have type 1 diabetes.

3. Insulin can be stored at normal room temperature, but the warmer it gets the faster it goes off. Patients should keep their insulin in a cool, dark place, wrapped in wet flannels. Heat can reduce the effectiveness of insulin so they should make sure they have plenty of supplies.

4. If flying west, patients should stretch the gap between doses by 2 or 3 hours twice daily, but also consider extra monitoring. If flying east, they should reduce the time between doses by 2 to 3 hours each time but watch for hypo. It may also be sensible to decrease doses of insulin by 6 units. The key is careful monitoring.

5. Make sure they carry a doctor's letter explaining the necessity of carrying syringes in hand luggage.

6. If crossing different time zones, patients should seek advice from their diabetes doctor well before the departure date for instructions on changes to medical routines.

7. Make sure they carry a doctor's letter explaining the necessity of carrying syringes in hand luggage and outlining their diabetes plan.

Have a safe journey !

Determinants of Health To Minimize The Diseases Condition

Determinants of Health Many factors combine together to affect the health of individuals and communities. Whether people are healthy or not, is determined by their circumstances and environment. To a large extent, factors such as where we live, the state of our environment, genetics, our income and education level, and our relationships with friends and family all have considerable impacts on health, whereas the more commonly considered factors such as access and use of health care services often have less of an impact.

1. Education
2. Employment and working condition
3. Physical environment
4. Income and social status
5. Social support networks
6. Biology and Genetics
7. Health services
8. Gender 

1. Education :
Education is a strong predictor of long-term health and quality of life. At least one investigator has argued that education causes health, but the pathways through which it leads to better health and longer life expectancy are not yet clearly understood. What is clear is that health, human development and well-being are dynamic processes that are closely related to socioeconomic status (SES) and educational attainment. An individual’s health is highly correlated with his or her social position, and success in school and years of schooling are major factors in determining social and occupational status in adulthood.

  

2.Employment and working condition:
The most important factors shaping people’s social position include employment and working conditions. The Employment Conditions Knowledge Network (EMCONET) developed models and measures to clarify how different types of jobs, conditions of underemployment and the threat of becoming unemployed affect workers’ health. 

3. Physical environment: 

Safe water and clean air, healthy workplaces, safe houses, communities and roads all contribute to good health. Employment and working conditions – people in employment are healthier, particularly those who have more control over their working conditions.

  

4. Income and social status:

Higher income and social status are linked to better health. The greater the gap between the richest and poorest people, the greater the differences in health. 

5. Social support networks: 

Greater support from families, friends and communities is linked to better health. Culture - customs and traditions, and the beliefs of the family and community all affect health. 

 

 

6. Biology and Genetics:   

Inheritance plays a part in determining lifespan, healthiness and the likelihood of developing certain illnesses. Personal behavior and coping skills – balanced eating, keeping active, smoking, drinking, and how we deal with life’s stresses and challenges all affect health.

  

7. Health services: 

Access and use of services that prevent and treat disease influences health. That’s why provision of health services in the community directly influence to individual’s Health. 

8. Gender: 

Men and women suffer from different types of diseases at different ages. 

Note :- Determinants of Health are the ways to minimize all kind  of diseases possibilities.