Diseases & Conditions Blog

This is a very serious condition most commonly seen in children under the age of two (the average age is seven months). It is caused by one portion of the intestine pushing inside the next segment. The pressure of the outside intestine compresses the blood vessels of the inner loop, cutting off the local blood supply. If not relieved quickly the inner portion of the loop may become gangrenous. This condition is two times more frequent in boys than in girls.

Symptoms

an infant cries out suddenly with violent abdominal cramps and then starts vomiting. The cramps subside and then occur again at fairly regular intervals, leaving the child weak and almost flaccid. But the telltale and most frequent sign of intussusception is blood in the stools. At times only a slight discharge of blood is passed by rectum, but more frequently there is a mixture of blood and mucus which because of its semblance to cranberry or currant jelly has been frequently called a “cranberry stool” or “currant jelly stool.”

Treatment

This is an acute emergency and a doctor should be called immediately, for unless the intussusception is relieved it may prove fatal. Often the physician can feel the mass in the abdomen caused by the condition. In rare instances it will subside under manipulation by the doctor. At other times it will subside when the child is given a diagnostic barium enema prior to x-ray or fluoroscopic examination. But if the intussusception is not relieved, an immediate operation is necessary. Time is very important, for if one waits too long and gangrene occurs, an amputation of a part of the intestine may be necessary. This is a very serious and critical operation for a small child already extremely ill and completely prostrated.

What is this group of conditions?

Malignant lymphomas are a group of malignant diseases originating in lymph nodes and other lymphoid tissue. Nodular lymphomas have a better prognosis than the diffuse form of the disease, but in both, the prognosis is worse than in Hodgkin’s disease.

What causes them?

The cause of Lymphosarcoma is unknown, although some theories suggest a viral source. Up to 35,000 new cases appear annually in the United States. Malignant lymphomas are two to three times more common in men than women and occur in all age-groups (median age is 50; rare in children). Also, incidence is higher for whites, particularly people with Jewish ancestry.

What are their symptoms?

Usually, the first indication of malignant lymphoma is swelling of the lymph nodes, enlarged tonsils and adenoids, and painless, rubbery nodes in and around the neck. In children, the disease causes shortness of breath and coughing.

As the lymphoma progresses, the person develops symptoms specific to the area involved and systemic complaints of fatigue, malaise, weight loss, fever, and night sweats.

How are they diagnosed?

Biopsies of lymph nodes, tonsils, bone marrow, liver, bowel, or skin help the doctor diagnose this disorder. (Biopsy differentiates malignant lymphoma from Hodgkin’s disease.)

Other tests include bone and chest X-rays, lymphangiography, liver and spleen scan, computed tomography scan (commonly called CAT scan) of the abdomen, and intravenous pyelography. Common lab tests include a complete blood count, uric acid, blood calcium, blood protein, and liver function studies.

How are they treated?

Radiation therapy is used mainly in the early localized stage of the disease. Total irradiation of lymph nodes is often effective.

Chemotherapy is most effective when combinations of drugs are used. For example, one drug protocol, called the CHOP protocol includes cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone.

In 1827, Richard Bright of London described a disease which thenceforward bore his name and is probably the best known of medical eponyms (diseases named for the discoverer). Bright’s disease is not a single entity. Several varieties are now recognized, and there is some confusion about definitions. In a very broad way, the group of diseases may be called nephritis inflammation of the kidney not resulting from infection in the kidney. Fine blood vessels of the glomeruli, the filtering units of the nephron, are commonly affected; hence the awkward term, glomerulonephritis.

Causes of Nephritis

Although germs are not a direct cause of nephritis, recent research has incriminated certain strains of germs as probable indirect causes. Acute glomerulo­nephritis may occur several days after a patient has suffered an infection caused by group A hemolytic streptococci, of the sort that often cause “strep throat” and scarlet fever. Delayed-action toxins produced by the germs are thought to be responsible.

Salts of mercury and some other metals can cause nephritis. The kidneys, guardians of the blood’s purity, filter and excrete innumerable kinds of harmful substances day and night. Metabolic diseases may produce scarring in the kidney and inflammatory reactions. And the very vascular kidneys are subject to sclerotic or artery-hardening processes. This form of nephritis is called nephrosclerosis.

Symptoms of Nephritis

Acute glomerulonephritis usually affects young people, but no age is exempt. Symptoms include loss of appetite, head­aches, nausea, vomiting, and scanty urine. There is puffy water logging of tissues. The urine contains much albumin (protein), evidence of kidney damage. Blood pressure usually rises. The patient is kept in bed and his diet carefully regulated with respect to intake of fluids, sodium, and other food elements. The great majority of patients recover completely and rarely have a second attack.

Chronic glomerulonephritis has a more serious outlook, though it is by no means to be regarded hopelessly. The condition may be latent for many years during which no active treatment is required. Dropsy is not quite so common a symptom of active disease as in acute glomerulonephritis. There is often anemia and a sallow complexion, and wastes tend to accumulate in the blood from diminished capacity of the kidneys to excrete them. There is albumin in the urine. Blood pressure rises. Although kidney impairment increases slowly, there may be a latent period, even of many years, during which the patient may feel quite well and be able to carryon an active life. Inflammatory reactions tend eventually to cause renal insufficiency, uremia, and there may be accompanying congestive heart failure. The chronic condition has many aspects of generalized vascular disease in which the kidneys are conspicuously involved.

The relationship between high blood pressure and vascular kidney disease is of great interest because of the general high incidence of hypertension. Special tests to uncover these relationships are now available, such as renal arteriography-x-ray films of kidney vessels. When high blood pressure is present, these special tests should be carried out by a team of urologists and internists to rule out or confirm renal causes of hypertensive disease. When renal artery obstruction is demonstrated, surgical correction is frequently possible, as by constructing a bypass of the affected artery.

A health savings account – or HSA – can help you save money (tax-free) to allow you to cover large cost deductibles, while using a cheaper insurance policy to cover major medical bills. It may sound complicated but it’s really not. Here are a few tips that can guide you through the murk of health insurance plans and tax breaks.

Anyone under the age of 65 with a high-deductible health policy can start an HSA. You can’t be covered under another policy that isn’t a qualified high-deductible plan although you can still have other plans for disability, dental, long-term care or vision. According to About.com you can put up to $2,900 for singles with families being able to put aside $5,800. Policyholders aged 55 or older can put aside an additional $900 into their HSA. The amount you can put into your HSA can change year-to-year so it’s important to know what amount you’re allowed to set aside.

How does one go about opening an HSA account?

You can open a health savings account on your own or by opening one through your employer. You can find a list of health savings accounts at Med Health Insurance. There you can compare several policies from different companies. The list of companies offering HSAs continues to grow every month as it becomes a very popular health policy option. Many plans offered through your employer may have this HAS as an option. Talk to your company’s benefits or payroll manager to find out if this is an option or will soon become one. If your employer offers one of the high-deductible health insurance policies, you may qualify to make pretax contributions, the same way you would with a flexible spending account.