AtoZ Diseases

What is this condition?

Metabolic acidosis is a combination of excess acid accumulation and insufficient base compounds in the person’s system. This acid-base imbalance is usually brought on by a medical disorder.

This imbalance of body chemicals depresses the central nervous system. Left untreated, metabolic acidosis can lead to dangerous changes in heart rate and rhythm, cardiac arrest, and coma. The prognosis improves if the underlying cause is identified quickly and the body’s normal acid-base balance is promptly restored.

Metabolic acidosis is more common in children than in adults.
What causes it?

Metabolic acidosis is commonly caused by excessive burning of fats in the absence of usable carbohydrates. This can be caused by diabetes, chronic alcoholism, malnutrition, or a low-carbohydrate, high­fat diet - all of which produce more acids than the body can handle. Other causes include:

*

too little oxygen to burn carbohydrates (as occurs after a heart attack) and a corresponding rise in lactic acid level
*

kidney insufficiency and failure (the kidneys may fail to secrete sufficient acid)
*

diarrhoea and intestinal malabsorption, which cause loss of sodium bicarbonate
*

aspirin overdose (less frequently) or some other poisoning
*

Addison’s disease.

What are the symptoms of Metabolic Acidosis?

Metabolic acidosis typically causes a headache and lethargy, progressing to drowsiness, central nervous system depression, and rapid breathing (as the lungs try to compensate by “blowing off” carbon dioxide), and stupor. If the condition is severe and goes untreated, the person may suffer a coma and die.

The person usually has stomach problems that produce appetite loss, as well as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which may lead to dehydration. If the person has diabetes, he or she may have fruity­smelling breath.
How is it diagnosed?

After he asks about symptoms, the doctor will order blood tests to confirm metabolic acidosis and determine its severity. The key test for detecting metabolic acidosis is called arterial blood gas analysis.
How is it treated?

If severe metabolic acidosis is diagnosed, treatment begins with intravenous sodium bicarbonate, which helps to neutralize body acids. The doctor evaluates and corrects other electrolyte imbalances - for example, a person with metabolic acidosis may also need treatment for excessive potassium.

Other treatments may include mechanical ventilation to ensure adequate breathing, replacement of fluids, and antibiotics to treat infection. Ultimately, the doctor must correct the underlying cause. For example, in diabetic ketoacidosis, a low-dose continuous, intravenous infusion of insulin is recommended.

No Comments yet »

In this condition, endometrial tissue occurs outside of its customary location: the lining of the uterine cavity. Called ectopic tissue, it’s generally confined to the pelvic area, but it can appear anywhere in the body. This ectopic endometrial tissue responds to normal stimulation in the same way that the endometrium does. During menstruation, the ectopic tissue bleeds, which causes inflammation of the surrounding tissues. This inflammation causes fibrosis, leading to adhesions that produce pain and infertility.

Active endometriosis usually occurs between ages 30 and 40, especially in women who postpone childbearing; it’s uncommon before age 20. Severe symptoms of endometriosis may develop rapidly or may develop over many years. This disorder usually becomes progressively severe during the menstrual years; after menopause, it tends to subside.
What causes it?

Although there are several theories to explain this disorder, its precise cause remains unknown.
What are the symptoms of endometriosis?

The painful menstruation is one of the main endometriosis symptoms which may produce constant pain in the lower abdomen and in the vagina, posterior pelvis, and back. This pain usually begins from 5 to 7 days before a period reaches its peak and lasts for 2 to 3 days.

Other clinical features depend on the location of the ectopic tissue:

*

ovaries and oviducts: infertility and heavy menstrual flow
*

ovaries or cul-de-sac: deep-thrust dyspareunia (painful intercourse)
*

bladder: suprapubic pain, dysuria, and hematuria
*

recto vaginal septum and colon: painful defecation, rectal bleeding with a menstrual period, and pain in the coccyx or sacrum (base of the spine)
*

small bowel and appendix: nausea and vomiting, which worsen before menses, and abdominal cramps
*

cervix, vagina, and perineum: bleeding from endometrial deposits in these areas during a menstrual period.

How is it diagnosed?

The doctor will perform a pelvic exam to detect endometriosis. He or she may be able to feel multiple tender nodules on the uterosacral ligaments or between the rectum and vagina or detect ovarian enlargement. Laparoscopy must confirm the diagnosis and determine the stage of the disease before treatment begins.
How endometriosis is treated?

Treatment varies according to the stage of the disease and the woman’s age and desire to have children .Conservative therapy for young women who want to have children includes androgens, such as Danocrine, which produce a temporary remission. Progestins and oral contraceptives also relieve symptoms. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, which work by inducing false menopause, are commonly used to provide a remission of disease. When ovarian masses are present, surgery must be performed to rule out cancer. Conservative surgery is possible, bur the treatment of choice for women who don’t want to bear children or for extensive disease is total removal of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.

No Comments yet »

What do Doctors call this Condition - Gastritis

What is this Condition?

Inflammation of the stomach lining is an irritation or infection that leaves the lining red, swollen, bleeding, and scarred. It can be an acute attack or a chronic problem. Chronic inflammation is common among elderly persons and persons with pernicious anemia. It’s often found to inflame all the stomach lining layers. Acute or chronic, the inflammation can affect people of any age.

What Causes it?

Acute inflammation has many possible causes, including:

• irritating foods, such as hot peppers or alcohol (or an allergic reaction to them)

• drugs such as aspirin (large doses), caffeine, corticosteroids, antimetabolites, Butazolidin, and Indocin

• swallowing corrosives or a poison such as DOT, ammonia, mercury, or carbon tetrachloride

• bacterial infection

• other acute illnesses, especially following a serious injury, burn, severe infection, or surgery.

Chronic inflammation of the stomach lining may be linked to conditions that back up bile and other acids into the stomach, bacterial infections, anemia, kidney disease, diabetes, and a list of irritating substances: drugs, alcohol, cigarette smoke, environmental chemicals.

What are its Symptoms?

A person experiencing acute inflammation typically reports a rush of symptoms; stomach discomfort, indigestion, cramping, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, or vomiting blood. Symptoms may last from a few hours to a few days.

A person with chronic inflammation may have similar symptoms or only mild discomfort. Often symptoms are vague, such as an intolerance for spicy or fatty foods or slight pain relieved by eating.

How is it Diagnosed?

The doctor may order lab tests to detect traces of blood in vomit or stools (or both) if stomach bleeding is suspected. Also, blood tests may help distinguish anemia from bleeding. The doctor may use a scope to check for inflammation and obtain a specimen for study.

How is it Treated?

Inflammation cause by bacteria is treated with antibiotics and swallowed poisons are neutralized with the appropriate antidote .

Simply avoiding aspirin and spicy foods may relieve chronic inflammation of the stomach lining. If symptoms develop or persist, the person may take antacids. If other serious illnesses are the cause, drug therapy may relieve symptoms, but a total cure is difficult.

No Comments yet »