What is Aplastic Anemia?

By David Austin

Aplastic anemia is a condition that can have a significantly negative effect on the cells in a human body. Even if the illness is considered to be a rare one, thousands of individuals are still diagnosed every year worldwide. A number of treatment options are available for patients with this disease; however, there are cases when the body does not respond positively to the treatment - these are the cases when the disease can lead to life-threatening situations.

Every human body has platelets, red blood cells and white blood cells traveling through its bloodstream at any given time; all of these cells are responsible for ensuring that the body's functions are carried out properly. The bone marrow (which is the spongy material located in the center of the bones) is where these cells are produced. The bone marrow is responsible for keeping the blood cells healthy and producing at a rate which the body requires; when a person is diagnosed with this disease, it means that their body is not producing the blood cells in the rate that is needed for the body to keep functioning in a healthy way.

Details of Aplastic Anemia

A lot of people are wondering how is different from other types of blood cancer, such as leukemia. The fact of the matter is that these cancers are all related in some way, with every single one of them attacking the human body's blood. More serious cases have a way of eventually developing into full-blown leukemia.

When an individual's blood level does not have adequate amounts of red blood cells, aplastic anemia occurs. These red blood cells are essential in making sure that oxygen is carried through the different parts of the body. Without these cells (and as a result, without the adequate amounts of oxygen carried throughout the body), it is not possible for a person not to feel fatigue and dizziness on a regular basis. A person who is positively diagnosed has bone marrow that has ceased to  the produce adequate amounts of new blood cells; these also includes white blood cells, which are needed for the body to properly fight infection. Any problems in the bone marrow will also have an effect on the platelets, which may result in improper blood clotting or excessive bleeding.

Aplastic Anemia Causes

Studies show that less than 1,000 people are diagnosed with this disease in the United States every year. The exact cause of this affliction still remains a mystery, even though it is not a common disease and is made up of a group of similarly-related conditions. Recent studies show, however, that there is a link between the development and an individual's exposure to the toxic chemical benzene, a known carcinogen present in cigarettes and in gasoline.

When the bone marrow becomes further damaged by another form of cancer, a secondary  form of the disease occurs. Some of the factors that are believed to be linked in the development of this secondary form are pregnancy, certain prescription drugs and chemotherapy.

Treatment of the Disease

Physicians will choose the treatment option best for the patient based on the severity of the illness and the time when the diagnosis was made. Mild cases of the affliction would involve blood transfusions, bone marrow transplants and specific medications, as these are considered to be the best options available. Experts are continuously doing research on aplastic anemia, in hopes of learning something new to eventually help lessen the number of those being afflicted with the condition.

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Anel Fissure

Anal Fissure - The Tearing of Anus Lining

By Jennifer Rey Stone

Anal fissure may sound like the name of some flora-fauna but it is actually a medical term for the small split or tear in the thin moist tissue lining the anus (lower rectum). This fissure is also known as fissure-in-ano and it can cause pain, bleeding and itching.

Anal fissures are common in infants and its rate decreases gradually with school-aged children and adults. In adults, it may be caused by constipation, the passing of large, hard stools, or by prolonged diarrhea. In older adults, anal fissures may be caused by decreased blood flow to the area. Anal fissures are also common in women after childbirth and persons with Crohn's disease. Other causes may be digital insertion (during examination), foreign body insertion, or anal intercourse, health conditions such as Vitamin B-6 deficiency, abdominal pain, fever, weight loss, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes bloody diarrhea, syphilis, a suppressed immune system, tuberculosis, HIV infection, anal cancer. A low fiber diet may also contribute to the development of a fissure.

The fistula symptoms are sharp, burning pain during bowel movements, malodorous discharge, constipation or crack in the skin in the middle when the area is stretched and bleeding. This blood is separate from the stool. Blood mixed with the stool indicates some other conditions (like colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease).

Generally, anal fissures heal themselves and do not need treatment, aside from good diaper hygiene in babies. Usually home care methods are successful like, avoiding constipation by high fiber diet and substances that absorb water while in the intestinal tract, more fluid intake, using stool softeners, cleansing gently, sitz bath (soaking anal area in plain warm water), muscle relaxants applied to the skin, numbing cream, if pain interferes with normal bowel movement, petroleum jelly applied to the area and avoiding sharp, hard-to-digest foods.

Usually, acute fistula symptoms take few days or weeks while chronic anal fissure may take more than 6 weeks, by the home treatment method. Natural anal fissure treatment prevents bleeding and helps to heal damaged tissue. When it does not prove to be successful, it is re-examined by a rectal exam and a sample of the rectal (anal) tissue. The treatments may be Botox injections into muscle in the anus (anal sphincter) or a minor surgery to relax the anal muscle.

As goes the saying, prevention is better than cure, it is wise to be aware of the pointers which can prevent anal fissures at any age. Keeping the anal area dry, wiping with soft materials or a moistened cloth or cotton pad, promptly treating any constipation or diarrhea and avoiding irritating the rectum are some of the prevention techniques. Children's diapers should be changed frequently to prevent anal fissures in infants.

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Facts About Prostate Cancer

Certain Facts About Prostate Cancer

By Sooraj Surendran

Most commonly found non-skin cancer among the humans is the prostate cancer. The probability of a man getting prostate cancer is 33% more than a female getting breast cancer. Prostate cancer commonly occurs in males above the age of 60. Only a few cases of prostate cancer are reported among younger males. This is one such disease which is related to age. Statistics shows that this disease is affecting more and more men like a plague. More than 200,000 cases are reported annually in United States itself. Many die of this disease without getting proper treatment at proper time. A new case of prostate cancer is being reported in every two-and-half minutes.

The prostate gland is found in males behind their pubic bone. It is a sex gland and it is of the size of a walnut. It is located at the lower part of the bladder. It encompasses the urinary tract coming out of the bladder. It produces a thick fluid to provide nourishment for the sperms and also helps with the ejaculation of the sperms. The growth pattern of this gland is different from that of others. At the time of birth, the prostate will only be the size of a peanut and this will become the size of a walnut at the age of 20. Then the growth stops until the age of 45 and after that it increases in size again. This variation in its growth pattern is one of the causes for the occurrence of cancer at an older age.

Prostate cancer in its initial stages is called Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy. Malignant tumor has the capacity to invade other cells and destroy them. A benign tumor does not spread out, but will cause damage to the tissue it has attacked. The abnormal cells in prostate will grow out of control to form small bumps and nodules on the surface of the prostate gland. If not treated properly at this stage the disease will escalate to become malignant and can be called Prostate cancer.

The occurrence of cancer can be recognized by conducting a PSA test and rectal examination. Though it is commonly occurring in males above the age of 65, it is recommended that such tests be taken from the age of 50 itself. Some of the common symptoms of this disease are not being able to urinate, difficulty in starting the urination, weak flow of urine, pain etc.

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Tattoo Ink Cause Skin Cancer

Can Tattoo Inks Cause Skin Cancer?

By Richard Miles

It seems today most people obtaining tattoos are more concerned about the quality of the tattoo and the effect of aging altering the tattoo, than any potential long term health risks. The health dangers associated with being injected by hundreds of needles into the dermis or the inner layer of the skin are widely publicised and most tattoo artists take these issues very seriously. We have all heard about Aids and Hep C, but are you aware of the current debate on the possible skin cancer risks associated with tattoo inks?

Recent years have seen an increase in stories associated with the potential of getting skin cancer from tattoo inks. Limited studies taken to date have not confirmed a direct link between cancer and tattoo inks..

Phthalates and other chemical ingredients used in tattoo inks have raised questions about the long term risks on our health such as skin cancer.It has been reported that some forms of phthalates are believed to have the potential to disrupt testosterone or mimic estrogen. Phthalate exposure has been identified to possible sperm defects and altered thyroid hormones. The phthalates in tattoo inks are believed to be cleared from the body within hours unlike many other forms of phthalate exposure. A study reported that Phthalates applied to the skin in a lotion were absorbed and metabolised and the same thing is likely to happen with the phthalates in tattoo inks. It would be well advised for pregnant and nursing women to avoid any exposure to phthalates.

Injecting tattoo inks, containing exogenous pigments, into the dermis creates a unique situation, due to the large amount of metallic salts and organic dyes remain in the skin for a lifetime. The potential carcinogenic risks of tattoo inks remain debatable. Several studies have identified the presence of potential carcinogenic or procarcinogenic products in tattoo inks.One chemical commonly used in black tattoo ink called benzo(a)pyrene is known to be a potent carcinogen that causes skin cancer in animal tests. As tattooing injects inks such asbenzo(a)pyrene directly into the dermis damaging the skin. You could conclude it may contribute to skin cancer.

Scientists and health professionals continue to debate the possible link between tattoo inks and cancer. In the last forty years there have only been 50 documented cases of squamous cell carcinoma, malignant skin melanoma or basal cell carcinoma with possible connections to tattoos, compared to the millions of tattoos obtained. Epidemiological studies on the effects of tattoo ink could be taken, although they would not be easy. A large number of tattooed people would have to be monitored over a long period of time to see whether they developed problems such as skin cancer near their tattoos. The low number of reported skin cancers arising in tattoos could be considered coincidental.

Further in depth studies will need to be carried out to give more conclusive evidence on the effects of tattoo ink and the cancer risks associated. The FDA is growing more concerned about the ingredients in tattoo ink. In the early 2000's, the FDA received a large number of complaints associated with giving and receiving tattoos. Since then the FDA has commenced more research into the chemical components of tattoo inks. The FDA is investigating how the body breaks down the tattoo ink as it fades over time. Is the body absorbing the ink or is it fading from sun exposure? A common pigment in yellow tattoo inks, Pigment Yellow 74, is believed to be a risk of being broken down by the body.

When skin cells containing tattoo inks are killed by sunlight or laser light, the tattoo inks break down and could possibly spread throughout the body. It is believed that tattoo inks could spread into lymph nodes whether this has unknown health concerns or not is still unknown. Our lymph nodes filtering out disease-causing organisms any interference in that process could have devastating effects on our health.

It is recommended not to have a tattoo placed too close to a mole. Changes occurring in a mole such as asymmetry, border, color, size, shape, texture are all warning signs of a possible melanoma or another skin cancer. Ensure all moles are left completely visible to prevent possible delays in detecting any changes. When a melanoma is discovered early it is usually curable where as more advanced melanomas are far harder to cure. A tattoo covering a mole could delay detection and be extremely dangerous even life threatening. If you get a tattoo, make sure it is placed a good distance from any mole. This is especially important for people who have multiple moles or dysplastic nevus (atypical mole) syndrome, due to the increased risk of developing melanoma, potentially within one of their moles.

It's imperative to be extremely diligent in caring for our skin correctly after a tattoo and monitor any changes that may occur to the skin. Our skin is the largest organ of the body and has many important functions. It protective us against injury and disease, regulates our temperature and maintains our bodies hydration. There are three layers to our skin the first layers is the epidermis the outer layer of the skin. The second layer is the dermis or the inner layer and the third layer is the subcutaneous fat layer.

Cancer is a disease of the body's cells. Normally the body's cells grow and divide in an orderly fashion. Some cells may grow and divide abnormally growing into a lump, a tumour. Tumours can be non-cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). Benign tumours do not spread to other parts of the body. Cancer cells in a malignant tumour have the ability to spread to over areas in the body, if left untreated. These cells can destroy surrounding tissue and break away from the original cancer, affecting other organs in the body. These cells can then form another tumour referred to as a secondary cancer.

Skin cancer begins in the basal layer of the epidermis. There are three main types of skin cancer basal cell carcinoma; squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Melanomas start in the pigment cells while basal and squamous cell carcinomas develop from the epidermal cells. Basal cell carcinomas are the most common but least dangerous type of skin cancer. They grow slowly but if left untreated, a deep ulcer can occur. Fortunately they very rarely spread to other parts of the body. Basal cell carcinomas are most commonly found on the face, neck and upper trunk. They appear as a lump or scaly area and are pale, pearly or red in colour. Squamous cell carcinomas are less common but more dangerous. They typically grow over a period of weeks to months. These cancers may spread to other parts of the body if not treated immediately. Squamous cell carcinomas appear on areas of skin most often exposed to the sun. They have scaling, red areas which may bleed easily and ulcerate, looking like an unhealing sore. The major cause of these skin cancers is sun exposure for years. Melanoma is the rarest but most dangerous skin cancer. It is often a fast growing cancer which if left untreated can spread quickly to other parts of the body to form secondary cancers. Melanomas can appear anywhere on the body. The first sign of a melanoma is usually a change in a freckle or mole, or the appearance of a new spot. Changes in size, shape or colour are normally seen over a period of several weeks to months. Melanoma typically appears from adolescence onwards, most commonly seen between 30 and 50 years of age.

Any sign of a crusty, non-healing sore, a small lump which is red, pale or pearly in colour, or a new spot, freckle or mole changing in colour, thickness or shape over a period of several weeks to months. Any spots that range from dark brown to black, red or blue-black should be checked by a doctor immediately. A very high per cent of basal and squamous cell carcinomas that are found and treated early are cured.

If you have any concerns regarding the health of your skin or tattoo seek professional medical advice immediately, it's better to be safe than sorry.

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