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Showing posts from June, 2022

What is Age Related Macular Degeneration and how can it be treated?

Macular degeneration occurs at a higher rate among people over 50 years and has become a significant concern associated with vision loss. However, AMD does not cause complete visual loss, it occurs in a progressive stage only. Hence, it is advised to have regular eye checkups to detect any abnormality in the visual field and obtain prompt treatment. Macular degeneration is classified into two types: dry and wet age-related macular degeneration. Among them, dry age-related macular degeneration is the most frequently occurring type that causes diminishing of the macular regions due to age. The dry type of macular degeneration is progressive at three early, intermediate, and late stages, and the later advanced stage is usually tough to treat.  In contrast to dry macular degeneration, the wet type is only recognizable at the advanced stages and leads to rapid vision loss. Wet age-related macular degeneration is developed due to the abnormal formation of blood vessels under the retina, ...

Nausea and vomiting – The most common side effects of chemotherapy

Do you know? Nausea and vomiting occur in up to eighty percent of patients receiving chemotherapy. Fortunately, they don’t lead to serious health problems but sometimes may cause malnutrition and dehydration. If vomiting and nausea associated with chemotherapy are not managed, they can affect the quality of life, physical health, mental health, and even delay treatment.  Chemotherapy involves killing fast-growing cells, but during treatment, some healthy cells can also get affected and cause side effects. When certain parts of the gastrointestinal tract or brain are triggered, it can cause nausea. Who is more at risk? People who have cancers in the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and brain and who are undergoing treatment for them are more likely to experience nausea. If you are a woman or younger than fifty, have a history of motion sickness, high anxiety levels, or have had morning sickness during pregnancy, you are more likely to experience these side effects. If you have experie...

Why all breast cancer treatments are not the same?

Breast Cancer treatment is highly personalized because it is planned based on the patient’s demographic details and cancer stage. Besides this, according to the American cancer society, there are about 20 subcategories of breast cancer and not all breast cancers are similar. Did you know? Determining the hormonal status and the genetic makeup of breast cancer plays a significant role in designing the treatment plan and improving the survival rate of the patients. However, a biopsy report is needed to confirm the type of breast cancer. The latest study reports show that 70% of   metastatic breast cancer   cases are typically presented with hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor negative. If a breast cancer biopsy report tests positive for the hormone receptor (HR), it implies that the female hormones i.e, estrogen and progesterone, are involved in the rapid growth of breast cancer cells. In hormone receptor-positive( HR+ve) breast cancer the estrogen sends ...

Overview on Hepatitis B and tenofovir alafenamide

Did you know? Hepatitis (liver inflammation) is most commonly caused by hepatitis viruses . Hepatitis C & B viruses are the most common cause of chronic hepatitis and severe liver damage. Let’s discuss more on hepatitis B. Hepatitis B virus is present in the infected person's blood and body fluids like semen and vaginal secretions. Exposure to the infected fluids can cause infection, which usually results from unprotected sex, sharing injection drug equipment and personal belongings such as toothbrushes or razors, or getting tattoos or piercings with unsterilized equipment.  This virus can also get passed on from the infected mother to the baby during birth. It is also possible that the infected children can pass to the other children who they frequently contact. Hepatitis B virus infection can be acute or chronic. The acute infection lasts less than six months, and the chronic infection lasts 6 months or longer. Babies and children are at high risk of developing chronic infect...