Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention - Allergies

Allergy Causes: Our immune system contains two types of lymphocytes (B-cells and T-cells) that protect our body from any external attack. On recognition of a foreign substance, B-cell converts itself into a plasma cell and starts producing antibodies to destroy the foreign particles/substances. The plasma cell produces five basic antibodies which are: IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG and IgM (these antibodies are called Immunoglobulin i.e. Ig to destroy the foreign substance and antibodies produced by it. Among the antibodies produced by the plasma cell, the antibody that causes allergic reaction is IgE. These IgE antibodies attach themselves to mast cells and basophils that produce anti-infection substance histamine. The IgE antibodies recognizes the foreign harmful substance and reacts with the protein markers attached to these harmful substances causing a chain reaction and destruction of the harmful substance. The above mentioned mechanism of foreign harmful substance destruction works perfectly fine in a normal person. But in case of a person suffering from allergy for a particular substance, the lymphocytes fail to recognize a foreign harmless particle leading to the production of IgE antibodies in very large quantities. Theses IgE antibodies attach themselves to the basophils and mast-cells. As this causing substance comes into contact, the IgE antibodies cause destruction of mast-cells and basophils leading to excessive secretion of histamine (which is released in blood by the destroyed basophils and mast-cells) in body.

Allergy symptoms: The above mentioned situation leads to the blood vessel expansion causing low blood pressure in the person. At times, the low blood pressure is almost negligible, but in many cases, it becomes major. Along with low blood pressure, the person may also witness symptoms like sneezing, diarrhea, wheezing, itching of entire body or a particular organ, skin reaction such as rashes, irritation and skin inflammation, swelling of a particular organ and queasiness etc.

Allergy Treatment: Even if your allergist can tell you that you are allergic to some substance, no diagnostic test can be 100% sure about the substance you are allergic to. Allergists use combination of various tests to confirm an allergy causing substance. Scratch/Patch Test (In this test, a solution of possible this causing substance and water is applied on skin of the person and the skin surface is scratched with the help of a needle. If the person is allergic to the substance, then his/her body will develop any of the (symptoms), Elimination Diet/Food Challenge Test and Blood Test are the most commonly used diagnostic tests. Along with the above tests, allergist may also consult your personal and medical history, your physical condition etc. in diagnosis of allergy.

Treat Depression - Why ?

BLEAK FORECAST FOR THE BLUES

Why is it so important to treat depression ? Because it’s more than a mental health issue. For instance, a study in archives of general psychiatry found that older adults with depression were more likely to accrue visceral fat (abdominal fat surrounding internal organs), which has been linked to increased risk of CVD and heart attack. Other studies suggest that depressed patients have low heart rate variability (“hardening” of the arteries), as well as greater levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which may increase the risk of diabetes.

Live Write Solution - ECT

JOLTED INTO A BETTER MOOD

Popular scare stories have saddled electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) with a bad reputation. Perhaps most famously, the 1975 movie one flew over the cuckoo’s nest portrays “shock” treatment as a violent method of psychiatric control. It is true that, decades ago, ECT practices were crude and inured some patients. But your may be surprised to learn that, today, ECT is far and sway the most effective treatment available for severe depression and frequently works when medication does not. An extensive body of research indicates that roughly 85% of severely depressed patients go into remission after ECT (compared with 40-70% of patients who try antidepressants).This is despite the fact that patients on ECT are typically the most difficult to treat.

How it Works

During therapy, doctors use electric currents to provoke a seizure. Scientists still aren’t sure why it works, but the process has been likened to rebooting a computer or even hitting a malfunctioning machine to make it work. The seizures affect a variety of nerve cells and hormones and also alter brainwave speed for weeks after treatment: ECT may derive its efficacy from a combination of these changes.

Who can benefit

Doctors typically recommend ECT for people with serve depression who have not responed to psychotherapy and several different antidepressants. ECT can also treat bipolar disorder and psychotic depression characterized by paranoia and delusional thoughts. Moreover, it serves as an emergency measure for people contemplating suicide or who have stopped taking care of theselves, regardless of whether they have tried medication. In these circumstances, time is the essence, and while finding the right anthidepressant and tailoring its dosage and take weeks or even months., ECT usually starts relieving depression wihin three weeks. During treatment, the most common side effects are temporary learning problems and short-term memory loss, but these usually usually resolve in fact ECT does less damage to the brain than directly linked to treatment has been curtailed in recent years by applying electrodes unilaterally (to just one side of the head).

Some people, particularty seniors, permanently forget events that occurred aroung and during the period of treatment, but whether ECT is entirely responsible is hotly debated. Some experts believe memory loss to depression itself, which harms cognition.