Those problems that cause discomfort and pain in the chest are often called stomach problems. Most issues are related to the digestive tract, symptoms are also due to the condition of the urinary tract, body wall, reproductive tract, body wall, or organs of the chest.
Generalized stomach issues may be related to infection, inflammation, or diet. In women, these problems are maybe due to infection or menstrual cycle. Problems related to the upper gastrointestinal tract and stomach include Hiatal hernias, GERD, gastritis, peptic ulcer, heartburn, or blenching.
SYMPTOMS
Symptoms may aggravate when in a supine lying position or due to certain food.
Abdominal swelling
Fever
Pain
Numbness
Rash
Unexplained weight loss
Tingling
Cough
Enlarged glands and liver such as lymph nodes and spleen.
Bloody stool, blood in vomiting, bleeding from the rectum.
Breathing problems such as wheezing, shortness of breath, choking, or labored breathing.
Unresponsiveness or passing out.
CAUSES
Gallbladder stones or disease
Celiac disease
Diverticulitis
Lactose intolerance
Gastritis
Irritable bowel disease
Hepatitis
Pancreatitis
Ulcers of the duodenum or stomach
Inflammatory bowel disease
Viral, bacterial, or parasitic infection.
Hiatal or abdominal hernia
Endometriosis
Cancer of abdomen
Menstrual cramps
Kidney stones
Pneumonia
Pleurisy
Urinary tract infection
COMPLICATIONS
Internal hemorrhage
Bowel infarction
Organ dysfunction or failure
Spread of infection
Spread of cancer
PREVENTION
Make a habit of taking small bites and chewing them well, you may add gases to the stomach that can cause stomach pain.
Try to avoid eating too much spicy, fried or fatty food, they can even cause constipation.
Eat nutritious food full of fibers and vegetables, this makes the metabolism at a healthy speed.
If your stomach cramps after taking dairy products or drinking milk you might have lactose intolerance. In this case, try to eat less or stay away from such type of food.
Try to stay away from caffeinated and alcoholic beverages this can lead to gas and cause stomach pain.
Wash or sanitize your hands to stop the spreading of germs.
Manage and ease stress by getting engaged in hobbies, going meditating, and doing regular exercise.
If your symptoms get aggravate consult doctor as soon as possible.
It is a type of cancer that starts from the lungs. Your lungs are organs present in the chest that inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. It is the main leading cause of death throughout the world.
Individuals who tend to smoke have a higher risk of getting lung cancer as compared to those who never smoked.
CAUSES
Lung cancer may occur in individuals who smoke but also occur in individuals who did not smoke but are exposed to passive smoking for a long time.
SYMPTOMS
Weight loss
Pain in bones
Difficulty in breathing
Fatigue
Problem when swallowing
Swelling in face
Wheezing
Discomfort
Headache
Cough that is new and does not go away.
Blood in coughing
WHEN TO SEE DOCTOR
When your symptoms get worsen and you are unable to quit smoking, your doctor will help you to make strategies that quit smoking
RISK FACTORS
Exposure to passive smoking, radon gas, asbestos, and carcinogens.
Family history.
Smoking.
COMPLICATIONS
Blood in coughing
Shortness of breath
Pleural effusion
Cancer that spreads to other parts of the body also.
DIAGNOSIS
Family history
Physical exam
Medical history including the symptoms
Lab tests, including the blood and sputum
Biopsy of lungs
PREVENTION
Don’t Smoke.
If you are a smoker and try to quit smoking, this reduces the chances of lung cancer.
If you work or live with a second-hand smoker then urge him or her to smoke outside, this is because passive smoking in long run may cause cancer.
Have a test for radon in your house.
Take precautionary measures and protect yourself from toxic chemicals.
Take care of your diet. Eat a diet that contains the proper proportion of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Avoid taking a large amount of vitamins pills as this may turn harmful in long term.
Make a habit of doing exercise for two to three days a week.
TREATMENT
Lung cancer treatment depends on its severity which includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, laser therapy, etc.
If your symptoms are getting worsen consult doctor as soon as possible.
It is a viral infection that attacks the respiratory tract including the nose, throat, and lungs. It is also known as influenza. For most individuals, it resolves on its own but sometimes it may prove fatal.
CAUSES
Influenza virus can travel through the droplets in the air when someone talks, sneezes, or coughs. You may directly inhale the droplets or get them by touching the object such as telephone, newspaper, or keyboard and then transfer them to your mouth, nose, or eyes. If you had the infection in the past your body has already made antibodies against it. So, if the virus attack again your body can fight the infection more efficiently, but the antibodies level can drop with time.
SYMPTOMS
Fever
Sweating with chills
Stuffy or runny nose
Pain in the eyes or the periorbital areas.
Diarrhea and vomiting
Cough
Sore Throat
Pain in muscles and body
Headache
Tiredness or fatigue
Low appetite
COMPLICATIONS
Pneumonia
Myocarditis-inflammation of the heart muscles
Encephalitis-brain
Myositis-muscle tissue
Multi-failure organ including the kidneys and lungs.
Bronchitis
Asthma
Acute respiratory distress syndrome
Sepsis
PEOPLE WHO ARE AT HIGH RISK OF GETTING THE INFECTION
People at extreme levels of ages are more prone to get the infection like up to 65 years old adults, pregnant women, or children younger than 2 years.
People have a weak immune system.
Native Americans
People have interaction with care facilities for the long term.
People have chronic diseases like kidneys disease, liver disease, diabetes, asthma, etc.
The obese person has a body mass of 40 or greater than that.
People younger than 18 years of age who are taking aspirin for a long time are more prone to get Reye’s syndrome if they get infected with the influenza virus.
DIAGNOSIS
For diagnosis purposes, medical officers first ask the medical history and the sign and symptoms.
There are several tests to confirm the flu. For this purpose, the health care provider will swipe inside the nose to the back of the throat with the cotton swab. Then this swab will be tested for the virus.
EMERGENCY WARNING SIGNS OF FLU
CHILDREN
Bluish face and lips
Pain in the chest
Dehydration that causes no urination for about 8 hours, dry mouth, and no tear production.
Seizures attack
Temperature above 104
Unconsciousness
Not alert situation
Increased in breathing rate, Trouble in breathing.
IN ADULTS
Shortness of breath- dyspnea
Continues pain in the chest or at the abdomen level.
Seizure attack
Unsteadiness or weakness
No urination.
PRECAUTIONS
Following precautionary measures can be taken to prevent the disease.
Wash your hands for about 10 to 20 seconds to prevent various infections.
Use alcohol-based sanitizer to kill the germs.
Cough or sneeze on your elbow or the tissue rather than on the hands.
Take more sleep and rest, this helps your immune system to fight infections.
Take plenty of fluids and water to prevent the dehydrating condition
Stop smoking.
Regularly clean the surfaces you often come in contact with, this helps to reduce the chances of getting an infection.
Try to keep social distancing.
Flu has more chances to spread through a crowded area like office buildings, public transportation, auditoriums, schools, etc. By avoiding going to such areas during peak flu season reduces the chances of infection to the maximum extent.
TREATMENT
Anti-viral drugs are given to treat the condition.
Some painkillers help to manage body pains and aches.
Go and get the flu vaccine every year.
People with mild signs and symptoms must stay home, take rest and drink plenty of water and avoid getting in contact with others.
But for severe symptoms do visit a health care provider or doctor to minimize the chances of getting other influenza-related complications.
Dengue is a kind of virus transmitted through the bite of a mosquito known as the Aedes species. Nowadays dengue is considered the leading cause of illness in high-risk areas. Each year about 400 million individuals get infected by dengue and 40,000 die because of it.
Mild dengue fever condition may cause high fever while severe dengue fever (known as dengue hemorrhagic fever) can cause shock (sudden drop in blood pressure), serious bleeding, or eventually death.
SYMPTOMS
Fever
Bone pain
Nausea
Vomiting (at least three times within a day)
Headache
Aches
Bleeding from gums and nose
Rash
Muscular pain
Swollen glands
Restlessness
Irritability
Laboratory findings of rapid decrease in platelet counts.
Symptoms usually last about for 2-7 days after that they recover from it.
CAUSE
There are four serotypes of dengue that can cause an infection that including (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, AND DENV-4).
MODE OF TRANSMISSION
Mosquito to Human
The infection is communicated from mosquitoes to people through the bites of currently tainted female mosquitoes mostly the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. The virus starts its replication process inside the midgut of the mosquito. The extrinsic incubation period (EIP) requires an average temperature of 25-28 degrees Celsius and a time of about 8-12 days. If the mosquito gets infected for one time, becomes able to transmit infection for the rest of its life.
Human to Mosquito
Don’t only the humans, mosquito also gets infected from the people that have DENV in the bloodstream.
Symptomatic infection
Pre-symptomatic infection
Asymptomatic (people with no apparent symptoms).
RISK FACTORS
Dengue outbreak is more rapidly occurring in countries like Africa, America, Asia, Middle East, western pacific islands, Southeast, etc. About 141 countries are affected.
Dengue fever in the past. Previous interaction with dengue fever increases the chances to get the problem again.
SEVERE DENGUE CONDITION
Severe dengue can result in internal bleeding, shock, or even death of the patient. Pregnant women, the elderly population, and infants are more likely to get this condition. It may prove fatal within a few hours and sometimes require care at the hospital.
In this case, you may need
Electrolyte replacement
Intravenous (IV Fluid)
Regular monitoring of blood pressure
Transfusions in case of blood loss replacement.
COMPLICATIONS
Organ impairment
Plasma leakage
Severe Bleeding
Damage to lungs and liver
Seizures
Blood Clots
Brain damage
Shock
Damage to the lymphatic system
Circulatory system failure.
PRECAUTIONS
No vaccine available until today for dengue fever instead only avoiding mosquito bites can prevent it.
Dengue breeding is more favorable in clean and stagnant water, covering all the water storage containers or placing them under shelter.
Prevent the accumulation of water in the soil surface of potted plants.
Use insecticide sprays in the home.
Clearwater if any, in the air cooling units.
Wear clothing like long sleeve shirts and pants that cover the part of the body.
Use insects or mosquito repellents both outside and inside the home.
If you are sleeping outside, try to sleep inside the mosquito bed net.
Use windows and doors screens that help to keep the mosquitoes out.
Avoid using heavily scented perfumes or soaps as they may attract mosquitoes towards them.
Try avoiding outside for so long especially during early evening or dawn or dusk timings.
Regularly clean and scrub the vase or remove extra water inside it.
Prevent leaves from blocking areas that may make the water stagnant.
The living area must be clean and tidy.
Cover the wet garbage bin and do keep it separate.
Use anti mosquitoes racket killer to get rid of dengue and other mosquitoes.
Try to dry your wet garments as soon as possible and keep them away from the dry ones.
It’s not about keeping your house clean only it involves the cleaning and precautionary measures implementation to the area and city. During the rainy season if you find any of the gutter not being cleaned or heavily filled with water inform your community head or residence welfare association to take the necessary steps.
If you are having early symptoms of fever, headache, joint and muscle pain do consult your primary physician as soon as possible.
IF A BABY GETS DENGUE FEVER
Person-to-person transmission cannot take place however the pregnant women can transmit the disease to the offspring. Such babies are more prone to pre-term birth, fetal distress, or low birth weight.
DIAGNOSIS
Blood tests are done to check the level of antibodies and the presence of infection. A doctor may use a serological or virological test to identify the issue.
WHEN TO VISIT THE DOCTOR
Severe dengue may prove fatal if it lefts are untreated. Seek medical attention immediately if you have recently visited an area that is at high risk of dengue. Warning signs include blood from the gums and nose, stools or vomiting, pain in the stomach, or difficulty in breathing.
TREATMENT
There is no specific medicine related to the treatment of dengue. However, we can treat and overcome the symptoms by taking precautionary measures.
If you think that you have dengue fever and the symptoms are mild then take a rest, stay hydrated and drink a lot fluid as possible.
