Largely common in tropical climes, hook worm infection is caused by parasites called Ancylostoma Duodenale and Necator Americanus. Hookworms live in the small intestine of an infected person and are excreted in the faeces. The worms can find their way into your body by penetrating the skin, usually through the feet if you are walking bare… [ Continue Reading ]
Most babies suckle easily and naturally. They are born with the suckling reflex. To start the suckling reflex, a stimulus has to touch the baby’s hard palate. The stimulus is provided by the nipple, which has to be offered to the baby. But, occasionally a baby has to learn to suck. Especially in cases where… [ Continue Reading ]
Breast feeding is instinctive and most mothers take to it naturally. However, a lot of mothers switch over to formulae at the slightest problem. One of the most common causes cited for resorting to top feeds is inadequate milk production. Primary lactation failure is an extremely rare event. Usually it is due to secondary causes…. [ Continue Reading ]
Shoma is a computer professional and is doing very well in her career. She spends a lot of time in the office crouched in front of her terminal. Recently, she has developed lower backache that is bothering her a lot. Backache is a common problem during pregnancy. It is caused by certain pregnancy hormones which… [ Continue Reading ]
An acute viral disease of the central nervous system, rabies is usually fatal. Normally, dogs, cats, jackals and wolves are carriers of the disease, which is transmitted to human beings if they are bitten or even licked by a rabid animal. Caused by a virus called Lyssavirus type 1, rabies is transmitted through the saliva… [ Continue Reading ]
Women often complain of breathlessness during the last trimester, though some women experience it throughout their entire terms. It is caused by the enlarging uterus which pushes the abdominal content upwards underneath the ribs. The uterus pushes the diaphragm into the chest which in turn constricts respiratory movement of the chest. When you exhale, your… [ Continue Reading ]
The Hepatitis C virus is a fairly new entity for professional practitioners of medicine, since it was identified as recently as 1989. Transmission The virus is mainly transmitted through transfusion of contaminated blood or using contaminated equipment such as needles. Most of the Hepatitis C cases are intravenous drug users, who share needles. However, unlike… [ Continue Reading ]
Caused by a tapeworm called Echinococcus that exists in the intestines of animals, Hydatid disease is prevalent in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in India. The tapeworms, which are about 7 millimetres in length, live in the small intestines of dogs. Its eggs are excreted in the dog faeces and contaminate the soil, vegetation and… [ Continue Reading ]
A major problem in tropical countries, malaria is caused by mosquitoes which act as hosts to the parasite. There are four types of parasites: Plasmodium vivax Plasmodium falciparum Plasmodium malarie Plasmodium ovale Of these, the Plasmodium Vivax, which is the most common, is transmitted to humans by the infected female Anopheline mosquito. Certain kinds of… [ Continue Reading ]
Rima was expecting and was advised bed rest as she had had a miscarriage earlier. One night she woke up with stomach cramps in the seventh week of pregnancy and began bleeding. It was happening again despite all that rest. An abortion is caused by Malformation: Many spontaneous early abortions are caused by defective development… [ Continue Reading ]
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