FRIENDS KNOW HOW LONG YOU WILL LIVE

Young lovers walking down the aisle may dream of long and healthy lives together, but close friends in the wedding party may have a better sense of whether those wishes will come true, suggests new research on personality and longevity from Washington University in St. Louis.

You expect your friends to be inclined to see you in a positive manner, but they also are keen observers of the personality traits that could send you to an early grave," said Joshua Jackson, PhD, assistant professor of psychology in Arts & Sciences.

Published Jan. 12 in an advance online issue of the journal Psychological Science, the study demonstrates that your personality at an early age (20s) can predict how long you will live across 75 years and that close friends are usually better than you at recognizing these traits.

Male participants seen by their friends as more open and conscientious ended up living longer. Female participants whose friends rated them as high on emotional stability and agreeableness also enjoyed longer lifespans, the study found.

"Our study shows that people are able to observe and rate a friend's personality accurately enough to predict early mortality decades down the road," Jackson said. "It suggests that people are able to see important characteristics related to health even when their friends were, for the most part, healthy and many years from death."

It's no secret that a person's personality traits can have an impact on health. Traits such as depression and anger have been linked to an increased risk of various diseases and health concerns, including an early death.

Men who are conscientious are more likely to eat right, stick with an exercise routine and avoid risks, such as driving without a seat belt. Women who are emotionally stable may be better at fighting off anger, anxiety and depression, Jackson suggests.

While other studies have shown that a person's view of his or her own personality can be helpful in gauging mortality risk, there has been little research on whether a close friend's personality assessment might also predict the odds of a long life.

To explore this question, Jackson and colleagues analyzed data from a longitudinal study that in the 1930s began following a group of young people in their mid-20s, most of whom were engaged to be married.

The longitudinal study included extensive data on participant personality traits, both self-reported and as reported by close friends, including bridesmaids and groomsmen in the study participants' wedding parties.

Using information from previous follow-up studies and searches of death certificates, Jackson and colleagues were able to document dates of death for all but a few study participants. Peer ratings of personality were stronger predictors of mortality risk than were self-ratings of personality.

"There are two potential reasons for the superiority of peer ratings over self ratings," Jackson said.

"First, friends may see something that you miss; they may have some insight that you do not. Second, because people have multiple friends, we are able to average the idiosyncrasies of any one friend to obtain a more reliable assessment of personality. With self reports, people may be biased or miss certain aspects of themselves and we are not able to counteract that because there is only one you, only one self-report."

The study also revealed some gender differences in self-assessment: Men's self-ratings of personality traits were somewhat useful in predicting their lifespans, whereas the self-reports of women had little predictive value.

Jackson suggests this gender difference in self-reporting may be a function of the era in which the study began, since societal expectations were different then and fewer women worked outside the home.

Young women seen as highly agreeable and emotionally stable may have increased odds for a long and happy life since their personalities were well suited for the role of a supportive and easy-going wife, which would have been the norm in the 1930s. It is likely that fewer gender differences would arise in more modern samples if we were able to wait 75 years to replicate the study, he said.

"This is one of the longest studies in psychology," Jackson said. "It shows how important personality is in influencing significant life outcomes like health and demonstrates that information from friends and other observers can play a critical role in understanding a person's health issues. For example, it suggests that family members and even physician ratings could be used to personalize medical treatments or identify who is at risk for certain health ailments."

The study is co-authored by James J. Connolly, PhD, and Madeleine M. Leveille, PhD, of Connolly Consulting, Waterford, Connecticut; S. Mason Garrison of the Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University; and Seamus L. Connolly of College of Medicine, Touro University, California.

Lasers May Be Able To Repair Damaged Nerve Sheaths

Today's post from diabetesqld.org (see link below) is an article from an Australian website that reports on what could be the next big thing regarding neuropathy treatment. I know...I can hear you sighing...after so many 'next big things' that turn out to be false dawns, we tend to view new findings with some skepticism don't we? However, the science behind this one seems to be solid and although many more studies are needed (as always), the idea that non-invasive laser treatment may be able to repair damaged myelin sheaths (insulation around the nerves) is a very attractive one. Also encouraging; the Brazilian lab admits it doesn't know why this seems to work but they have some theories that time will either prove or disprove. It may be a question from a dumb onlooker but precisely where do you apply the laser treatment? The very nature of peripheral neuropathy means that the damaged nerves can be very hard to pin down and identify. Just because the pain is in the feet or hands, doesn't mean that the damage is there also. I guess we'll just have to wait and see but this is one of those research discoveries you hope will turn out to be true and workable for us long-term sufferers.

Neuropathic pain? Science says lasers can help.
31 March 2017 /

 Recent studies at the University of São Paulo's Biomedical Science Institute (ICB-USP) in Brazil shows low-level laser therapy to be a non-invasive and effective alternative for treating neuropathic pain, a chronic condition caused by nerve damage, spinal cord injury or diseases such as diabetes.

The treatment in a model of diabetic neuropathy, one of the most common chronic and incapacitating complications of diabetes, was tested. Neuropathic pain in diabetes occurs when the disease is not properly controlled and excessive amounts of blood sugar cause oxidation of the myelin sheath, damaging the structure of peripheral nerves. As well as causing pain, this degenerative process impairs communication among neurons and can even lead to amputation of the lower limbs.

"We tested laser therapy in different rat neuropathy models, and behavioral responses improved in all of them," Professor Marucia Chacur, the principal investigator, said. "One of the beneficial effects observed was myelin sheath recovery. The myelin sheath is a lipid layer that covers the axon and acts as electrical insulation to assist nerve impulse propagation."

With the aid of a transmission electron microscope, the researchers found that as diabetes progressed, the structure of the sciatic nerve's myelin sheath changed. After four sessions of the treatment, however, the myelin had almost completely recovered.

"The condition of the nerve practically returned to baseline levels after treatment. We're now continuing the study by analyzing protein expression and the release of inflammatory cytokines to understand exactly what's happening," Chacur said.

In a second study, treatment focused on the sciatic nerve, and found that astrocytes - star-shaped cells that play an active role in brain function and inflammatory responses - were the first type of cell to migrate to the site of a nerve injury or inflammatory process. These cells release several inflammatory mediators, which in turn trigger the release of other inflammatory substances.

"We believe the laser curtails this chain reaction as if it were anti-inflammatory medication, by reducing the migration of astrocytes to the site of the injury," Chacur said.

The third model used to test low-level laser therapy focused on orofacial pain, involving the inferior alveolar nerve, one of the branches of the trigeminal nerve responsible for innervating the face. Phototherapy started two days after injury and improvement was observed after two sessions.

"We set out to understand the mechanisms and mediators involved because we believed phototherapy could be used in association with pharmacological treatment because it acts via a different pathway. In this way, it may be possible to reduce the drug dose and mitigate the systemic effects of the treatment," Chacur said.

The results suggest that all three models of neuropathic pain studied share a common mechanism involving myelin sheath regeneration and reduced astrocyte migration to the site of the lesion, she added.

"Evidence in the literature also suggests an effect on mitochondria. The laser apparently facilitates the flow of calcium in these organelles, boosting production of ATP [adenosine triphosphate, the body's cellular fuel] and leading to enhanced healing as well as the release of mediators that assist remodeling. In future studies, we plan to investigate this effect on mitochondria more thoroughly," Chacur concluded.

http://www.diabetesqld.org.au/media-centre/2017/march/neuropathic-pain-science-says-lasers-can-help.aspx

All about urine

All about urine

URINARY SYSTEMS – All about urine

Water is essential for survival of life. The water we take washes and

cleans our body and comes out as urine. Water usually is lost from our body through skin, lungs faeces and urine. Our body’s outer surface is kept clean by bathing with water and cleaning of inner organs and tissues are done by blood plasma by the process of osmosis or electrolyte transportation between tissues with our water intake. This blood plasma is filtered by kidneys and liver and kept clean and perfect. The waste product thus filtered out by the kidneys is urine.

Drinking water and pissing (process of urination) is inevitable for every animal or human being. There is a saying that “we can well control our bouts of anger, but not the urine”. Everyone might have experienced the pleasure of passing urine after controlling it for a long time. Children do pissing as an art. A newborn has to urinate within 12 hours of the birth time or otherwise it should be seriously investigated. Urination is so much important for our body to maintain it clean and make it non-toxic. The digestive tract or stool habit can go on strike (without passing stool) for days, sometimes even for a week, but our kidneys cannot take rest even for a single day.

Urine can indicate 
1. Urinary tract infection with lab analysis

2. Systemic illness with increased frequency and volume of the urine, such as renal excretory disorders, hypertension (in initial stage, by natural process, urination frequency and volume of urine is increased, so automatically blood volume as well as blood pressure gets lowered), anaemia,etc.

3. Metabolic disorders with increased frequency and volume of the urine with glucose (diabetes), increased elimination of fructose (fructosuria), uricosuria (gout), etc.

4. Pregnancy in women. It can also show adulteration in foods (food colours, presence of toxic substances, etc.), chemicals in water, etc. when analysed in a lab

5. It can also show the culprit or cheat who takes steroids in sports. Likewise, it can also help to identify persons who have ingested alcohol or drugs

Urine often cautions one about a disease in the early stages itself. If we do not take care, the disease will get rooted and expand leading to damage of the inner organs. Nowadays, everyone hears about old people or devotees or leaders or their followers or diseased people drinking their own urine to stay healthy or cure their problems. Is it needed for cleaning the bowels, as said by urine therapists? Does urine contain active ingredients or has medicinal values? What is urine? How it is formed? Why does it get eliminated? Does disease get reflected in urine? What are all the diseases or conditions that get reflected in urine? What is to be noted during urination? Someone complains about yellowish urine and someone else about hot urine. Does this denote body heat or is there any inference from it? How to test it? Why is urine analysed in a lab? We shall analyse these questions one by one.

What is urine? Urine is a body’s eliminating fluid which is supposed to be a waste product. It usually contains waste or excess materials from our body, toxic substances, etc. Its main constituent is water.

Normal composition of urine is water – 95 per cent, other major and common constituents are sodium – 0.4 per cent, ammonia – 0.05 per cent, phosphates – 0.6 per cent, urea – 2 percent, sulfate – 0.2 per cent and creatine, urobilinogen, casts, etc. in minute quantities. Normally, soluble substances are excreted in the urine.

How it is formed?
Urine is produced by the kidneys as a process of cleaning the blood and excreting the unwanted soluble waste products from the body. Millions of nephrons in the kidney filter out the waste products, toxins, excess water and mineral salts from the bloodstream. Kidney, the leader of water balance mechanism, eliminates nitrogenous wastes in a non-toxic concentrated form. To maintain fluid balance, it filters, cleans and purifies about 150-180 litres of blood and recycles it daily. The urine formed in the kidney is drained by ureter into the bladder for storage. The urethra brings out the urine from the bladder, when time and place permit. Urination is normally controlled by a reflex phenomenon with urinary sphincters.

Since kidneys work as an eliminator and absorber with their permeability, they can also control the blood volume by adjusting urine volume to control blood pressure naturally. When there is dehydration, it reabsorbs the water from distal tubules and balances the blood volume. In case of hypertension or excess fluid intake, it eliminates the water and reduces blood volume and blood pressure. So, till the urine gets into the bladder from the kidney, it has control over urine in every aspect. The kidneys maintain blood acidity by excreting excessive alkaline salts for controlling infection in the blood. The action of the kidney is mainly controlled by endocrinal glands.

Why does it get eliminated?
Urine is eliminated because it is considered a waste product or an excess product. So, nature cares for its elimination, to avoid overdose or toxicity and compels the kidney to do the elimination process i.e. elimination of urine. In order to maintain blood acidity, excess alkaline salts are filtered in the kidney. The filtered product should be excreted anyway, so with the vehicle of water medium these salts are excreted in the urine.

Is it needed for cleaning the bowels, as said by urine therapists?
No, it is not necessary. The water we take is enough for the business in the bowels.

Does urine contain active ingredients or has any medicinal value?
No. Nothing has been proved like that till now. Since urine is decided as an unnecessary waste product by nature or the body, it gets eliminated from the body by or as natural process, so we do not need to recycle it for any purpose.

People who follow urine therapy mainly claim by quoting that the amniotic fluid that surrounds babies in the womb is supposed to be primarily the urine of the embryo which has quick healing effects on abrasions or bruises or cuts or any lesion, like sea water.
Till now, with active research, no medicinal value is evaluated as such.

Do diseases get reflected in urine?
Yes, most of the diseases in the initial or final period reflect their nature in colour, volume, sp gravity and contents of the urine. Most of the diseases of the bladder or urinary tract are often faced by women than men since the male urethra is 6-8 inches long whereas the female urethra is only 1½ inches long. So any infection can easily enter into the bladder and ascend to the kidney to disturb the urine and its constituents. Also the urethra of women is very close to the vagina, so any infection of one can spread to the other.

Diseases often reflect their occurrence or presence with the following symptoms or problems:

• Dark, scanty and strong smelling urine – in case of infection (cystitis- infection of the bladder, nephritis – infection of the kidney, urethritis – infection of the urethra, ureteritis – infection of ureter, etc.)
• Burning urination, difficulty in urination and painful urination – infection and obstruction
• Reduced volume (oliguria) – infection, obstruction, renal stones, kidney failure, etc.
• Increased volume of urine (polyuria) – hypertension, diabetes, nephrotic syndrome, intake of beer or alcohol or drugs, endocrinal disorders
• Absence of urine (anuria) – obstruction or kidney failure or stenosis
• Sweetish smell of urine or sugar in the urine (glycosuria) – diabetes, kidney damage due to drugs, toxins, etc.
• Offensive urine or proteins in the urine (proteinuria) – diabetes, kidney damage due to drugs, toxins, etc.
• Bloody urine (haematuria) – infection or renal stones
• Yellowish urine with bilirubin in the urine – liver disorder – jaundice, cirrhosis, etc.
• Semen in urine with great exhaustion (semonorrhoea) – prostate problems
• Backache early in the morning – infection, renal stones (due to fullness of kidney, pelvis)
• Urinary tract infection with Leucorrhoea in females – due to spread of infection into the urinary tract (honeymoon cystitis occurs in newly-married females due to overindulgence in sex)
• Fatigue and exhaustion – Renal problems when excreting needed constituent in urine
• Lower abdominal pain or supra pubic pain – due to infection or stones

What are the diseases or conditions that get reflected in urine?
Diabetes, hypertension, metabolic disorders, renal disorders, liver disorders, jaundice, urinary tract infection, high fever, etc., can reflect their presence in urine. Nervous disorders like paralysis, paraplegia, cerebral lesion & cerebellar lesion can hinder bladder emptying capacity and reflect in stagnation and infection. Conditions like increased sweat, summer, air-conditioned room, heavy exercises can also reflect in urine in its concentration and volume.

What is to be noted during urination?
Force, flow, frequency, control, volume, pain, colour, odour and gravels or deposits.

Force, flow, frequency and control of urine – Always talk to a doctor and get the urine analysed, if there is any intermittent flow, uncontrolled urine, difficulty in starting the urine stream, spraying of urine during urination, lack of a force in stream of urination, dribbling urination, slow thin stream of urination, etc. The common problems affecting force and flow of the urine are urinary tract infection, urinary obstruction, urethral stricture, phimosis, renal stone, congenital abnormalities like narrow urethral opening (meatal stenosis), etc.

Frequency of the urine is often found when there is increased intake of water or in diseased condition like diabetes, hypertension, etc. Small bladder and urinary tract infection can also cause frequency of the urine due to early fullness or irritability due to infection and a disability to hold the urine for a long time. Here also, there won’t be any satisfaction after passing the urine since the weak bladder cannot constrict fully to empty the urine. The stagnated urine further irritates the bladder and produces the impulse for urination and makes the person go to the toilet often. Urinary incontinence or uncontrollability can be seen in nervous affections like paralysis or paraplegia or autism or cerebral lesion or cerebellar lesion or spinal injury causing damage to spinal nerves. To treat these types of ailments, the complaints should be evaluated in a detailed manner to attain diagnosis and treatment. Anxiety and tension in mind also causes frequent urination due to increased blood circulation.

Normal volume of urine excreted is 800 ml – 2200 ml/24 hrs. It varies with the intake of the water or fluids. Urine volume normally reflects the organism hydration state. It is according to body activity or exercise, but usually ¾ th of the ingested liquid should be excreted as urine. It is mostly regulated by ADH (anti diuretic hormone). The increased amount of water intake will induce increased excretion of urine (polyuria). In case of increased water intake and increased urine elimination, the excreted urine will be very much diluted or has low concentration of solutes. In a dehydrated state or during diarrhoea or vomiting, the anti-diuretic hormone gets increased in circulation and increases the permeability of the renal collecting tibule epithelium, so that maximum amount of water is re-absorbed. Hence, urine formed in this occasion will be scanty and very much concentrated with solutes.

The volume of urine usually increases in case of increased fluid intake, diabetes, hypertension (BP) and decreased in case of reduced fluid intake, low blood pressure, nephritis, fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, shock, burns, etc. The volume of the urine mainly depends on the presence of sodium, which in turn depends on aldosterone – a mineralocorticoid hormone secreted by the adrenal glands. Sodium holds water in plasma itself, so only in case of odema or hypertension doctors often advise reduced salt intake.

Colour – It is normally pale yellow or amber or clear depending upon a person’s health, water intake and diet. Even an uneducated man would get suspicious if there is any change in colour of the urine. Change in colour is mainly due to bilirubin. It may also change due to drugs, colours, dyes and chemicals used in sweets, foods, etc.

• Yellowish urine indicates presence of bilirubin (jaundice) or excess of vitamin-B
• Cloudy turbid urine always denotes infection and loads of bacteria
• Smoky urine indicates the presence of blood cells or any other chemicals
• Red or brown urine indicates the presence of blood (renal stones, infection, etc.)
• Whitish urine indicates the presence of phosphate of lime

Frothy urine is often passed in case of jaundice or renal damage. It indicates the presence of bile salts or albumin.

Odour – Urine mostly has the odour of ammonia, due to the nitrogenous wastes present in the urine. Aromatic foods can also affect the odour (large amount of asparagus intake can cause a putrid odour during urination). Urine may smell like sweet or fruit in case of diabetes and large amount of ketone bodies excretion. Usually, adult urine is smellier than children’s since adults take a higher protein diet. The bacteria present in the urine usually reduce nitrate to nitrite with the presence of ammonia in the urine. This gives it the smell. Normally, this bacterial action needs 4-5 hours to occur. So, morning urine or concentrated and stagnated urine is smellier than normal, frequently passed, diluted urine.

Gravels or deposits – are minute sediment particles present in the urine. They are noticed when the urine is much concentrated and are seen at the bottom of the sample or found like sand in the urine. They can be viewed easily after getting centrifuged in the lab. They are supposed to be coagulated protein casts, cell debris, RBCs, WBCs, bacteria, pus cells, tiny stone gravels, etc.

Somebody may often complain about yellowish urine and some others about very hot urine. What is the inference?

Actually, yellowish urine denotes its concentration. It is always seen in cases of scanty urine, especially after heavy exercises or long distance travel or sunbath. Urine is scanty and concentrated due to an alternative pathway of water elimination, i.e., through sweat, to maintain the thermostat of the body. If sweat is more, then urine will be concentrated more due to less availability of water to carry solutes. If water intake is increased, the concentration automatically gets diluted and the colour will resume to normal. But if you find yellowish urine even after plenty of water intake, it is better to rule out jaundice.

Usually, morning urine is more concentrated than at other times since we do not drinking water at night. So, to maintain the water balance of our body, less water is excreted and thus the urine becomes more concentrated.

Hot urine is a reflection of the body’s internal temperature, i.e., it is felt more during the cold weather (where the body maintains internal temperature as warm as it can) or after violent exercises (where the body temperature is high due to increased body metabolism).

How to test urine?
By urinalysis

What for it should be analysed in the lab?
Urine tests are simplest, painless, cheapest, non-invasive and highly informative, which can guide treatment. In all urinalysis, normal value varies with age, sex, time, device used, solvents or kit used, analyser, sample collecting techniques (after fasting, before fasting, etc.), etc.

Even though urinalysis is mostly done in case of a urinary tract infection and renal complaints, it is necessary to do in all cases of prolonged complaints or diseases, to rule out any systemic complication. Also, it should be made part and parcel of routine periodic health examination to analyse our body condition.

How should urine be analysed?
For analysis, urine samples must be collected in a proper way, i.e. care must be taken in collecting the sample in a clean, fresh, sterilised bottle or container without any contamination. The best urine sample is midstream of first (morning) urine.

Most of the laboratories are now doing urine test and blood test with automated analyser which gives report in printed colour strip form. They measure everything electronically.

Investigations
Microscopic examination – urine should always be evaluated microscopically for the presence of casts, crystals, cells and bacteria.

Lab or chemical analysis of urine – is done for evaluating pH, specific gravity, sugar, albumin, ketone bodies, bile salts, pigments, blood, etc.

pH – (hydrogen ion concentration which helps in denoting acidity or alkalinity of the solution variation from 1-14 i.e. from most acid to most alkali). Urine is usually slightly acidic i.e. below 7 (indicated by blue litmus paper turning red on getting dipped) but normal range is between 5.5- 8.0. Occasionally, it becomes alkali (red litmus paper turns blue) during infection where pH is raised.
pH of urine in case of child – 6.2 – 6.8
pH of urine in case of adult – 5.2- 8.0

Specific gravity of the urine changes according to the volume of the urine and solute present in the urine. In case of reduced volume of the urine in normal excreting solutes, the sp gravity is raised; whereas in increased volume of urine with normal excreting solutes, it is lowered. Increased level of protein in the urine also elevates the sp gravity.

Humans are soft-skinned persons who sweat more to produce more hypertonic (highly concentrated) urine. Insects, spiders, reptiles, birds and other animals excrete less hypertonic urine since they have hard body protective surface or hair or feathers which usually protect loss of fluids from sweat. Fish and other water animals always pass hypotonic (less density) urine. Also, humans take a good amount of sodium salt in diet which will hold or retain water content in the body. The distal renal tibules in humans are also designed in such a way to reabsorb most of the water and salts to maintain our body water balance which causes urine to be more hypertonic.
Specific gravity normally ranges from – 1.001 – 1.035
Normal sp gravity of urine in children – 1.002
Normal sp gravity of urine in adult – 1.030

Sugar or glucose in urine – Glucose is always absorbed more

rapidly than water. If there is excess glucose in the blood due to lack of insulin (which is essential for glucose metabolism in the body) or when there is kidney damage due to drugs or toxins, glucose can occur in urine (glycosuria). In this case, urine test for glucose should be done in 12 hours fasting time and also, after two hours of food intake (post prandial) to analyse it thoroughly. The presence of sugar is now analysed by two methods, i.e., one by old Benedict’s reagents and another by latest dipsticks. In case of Benedict’s test, if results shows
Blue colour – Nil
Green colour – + (0.1- 0.5 g/dl)
Yellow colour – ++ (0.5- 1.0 g/dl)
Orange colour – +++ (1.0- 1.5 g/dl)
Brick red colour – ++++ (1.5- 2.0 g/dl)

Protein in urine (proteinuria) – Acceptable normal excretion range of protein in urine is below 0.15 gms/24 hours of urine. This occurs usually due to day-to-day activities or exercises where protein metabolism is used for energy. Proteins occur in urine in diseases like kidney disorders (nephrotic syndrome, renal failure, pyelonephritis, etc.) heart failure, gout, malignant hypertension, toxicity of high fever, drugs, eclampsia (convulsive disease due to high BP and proteinuria in pregnant women), etc. They usually appear as casts in urine, which can be confirmed by their coagulation or white precipitation while heating.

Albumin – Normal range of albumin in urine is <3.5mg/mmol. Test for Microalbuminuria (increased elimination of albumin) is most important test to be done in diabetic patients to rule out kidney involvement or damage. Since albumin level varies with day-to-day activities and exercises, it is better to test after overnight rest. It is often traced in cases of heart failure, renal failure, hypertension, urinary tract infection, etc.

Urea – is the end product of protein metabolism. A high protein diet will increase urea level (normal 20-40 mg /100ml) in blood and urine. It will be abnormally high in cases of kidney disorders (where there is defect in filtration and elimination) and diabetes (due to use of protein metabolism for energy since glucose metabolism is impaired). Normal acceptable range of urea in urine is 180-600mmol/24 hours.

Ketone bodies (Acetone) – normal level in urine is <500mg/24 hours – starvation and uncontrolled diabetes can elevate the levels.

Bile salts and bile pigments – give yellow colour to urine when they occur during jaundice

Urobilinogen – is excreted in increased amount in case of liver disorders.

Other normal levels
Sodium – 100 -200mmol / 24 hours
Potassium – 25 – 100mmol / 24 hours
Calcium level – 0 – 300 mg / 24 hours
Phosphates – 15 -50mmol / 24 hours
Urate 1.2 -3.0mmol / 24 hours
Copper – <.6micromol / 24 hours

Pus cell and bacteria should be absent in urine. Their presence always indicates infection (pyelonephritis, urethratitis, uretitis, cystitis, etc.). If there are pus cells and bacteria, culture must be done to rule out infection. Pus cells can be easily identified after centrifuge and sedimentation.

Urine culture – Normally, kidney-filtered or bladder-stored urine is sterile. The small number of bacteria present in the urine while passed is due to contamination of bacterial flora in the urethra. If the result denotes more than 10,000 colonies of bacteria, then it is said to be confirmed bacterial infection or otherwise it may be due to urethral flora contamination. The common bacteria which infect are Coliforms, Enterococci, Gram negative rods, etc.

Bacteria will not sediment by centrifuge, so to identify it, culture or growth of bacteria in a medium is usually followed which can easily show the type of bacterial infection. Nowadays culture tests are done with sensitivity tests, so that the correct drug can be administered in the initial period itself.

Casts are coagulated proteins seen as sediments in urine, so proteinuria is the precursor of cast formation. The blood cells (RBCs & WBCs) and epithelial cells can get lodged to this and form erythrocyte casts, leucocyte casts and epithelial casts. In normal conditions, casts will not be seen in urine.
Hyaline casts – are protein casts which occurs usually after violent exercises and also in case of chronic kidney failure
Leucocytes casts occur after urinary tract infection
Erythrocyte casts occur in hypertension, anaemia, renal stones, urinary tract infection etc.
Epithelial casts show inflammation and degeneration of kidney

Crystal formation occurs in the urine when it gets supersaturated with the solutes. It can produce uroliathiasis: for example – stone formation from increased excretion of uric acid which may sediment and form crystals or stones. Likewise are the cystines and oxalates.

Round, brick red/orange sediment in the urine of children indicates Xanthine.
Pink or yellow colour crystals – cystines
Smooth and chalky – phosphates
Dark brown – oxalates

Red urine – The high intake of beetroot usually resemble blood in the urine; another factor which can mimic bloody urine is dyes and chemicals used in sweets. In diseased conditions, bloody urine (Haematuria) may occur due to infection or stones in kidney or bladder or ureter or urethra or due to infection of the prostate. Everyone should be ever careful if blood cells are present during urination since it indicates that the condition is serious. Most of the time, it is passed as microscopic haematuria (i.e. blood in the urine may not be visualised normally). But sometimes, in case of massive bleeding, urine appears as bloody or pinkish or smoky or deep brown, alarming the person. Even though we might pass 1-3 RBCs (red blood cells), elevated levels will usually indicate internal diseases or complications. The RBCs occur in the urine in abnormal conditions like kidney stones, cancer of the kidney or bladder or prostate, heavy urinary tract infection, sickle cell anaemia, etc.

Gravindex test for pregnancy – following a missed period, even within a week or so, pregnancy can be confirmed by detecting the presence of HCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin) in the urine. This lab test is now simplified by colour card test where everyone can use to test urine for pregnancy at home itself.

Even though urinalysis indicates a problem, finally to evaluate and analyse the effects and complication of the disease imaging studies like ultrasound scan, IVP, CT scan and MRI may be necessary to confirm and proceed to the treatment.

for new hope

Dr. S. Chidambaranathan, BHMS, MD (Homeo)

Laxmi Homeo Clinic

24 E. New Mahalipatti Road

Madurai, TN 625 001

India

Tel:  +91-452-233-8833 | +91-984-319-1011 (Mob)

Fax: +91-452-233-0196

E-mail:  drcheena@yahoo.com

www.drcheena.com  / www.drcheena.in

(Disclaimer - The contents of this column are for informational purpose only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional healthcare advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of healthcare professional for any health problem or medical condition.)

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR FROZEN SHOULDER

Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a condition characterized by stiffness and pain in your shoulder joint. Signs and symptoms typically begin gradually, worsen over time and then resolve, usually within one to three years.

Your risk of developing frozen shoulder increases if you're recovering from a medical condition or procedure that prevents you from moving your arm — such as a stroke or a mastectomy

Causes -- The bones, ligaments and tendons that make up your shoulder joint are encased in a capsule of connective tissue. Frozen shoulder occurs when this capsule thickens and tightens around the shoulder joint, restricting its movement.

Doctors aren't sure why this happens to some people, although it's more likely to occur in people who have diabetes or those who recently had to immobilize their shoulder for a long period, such as after surgery or an arm fracture.

Symptoms-- Frozen shoulder typically develops slowly, and in three stages. Each stage can last a number of months.

Freezing stage. Any movement of your shoulder causes pain, and your shoulder's range of motion starts to become limited.

Frozen stage. Pain may begin to diminish during this stage. However, your shoulder becomes stiffer, and using it becomes more difficult.

Thawing stage. The range of motion in your shoulder begins to improve.

For some people, the pain worsens at night, sometimes disrupting sleep.

Risk factors-- Certain factors may increase your risk of developing frozen shoulder.

Age and sex

People 40 and older, particularly women, are more likely to have frozen shoulder.

Immobility or reduced mobility

People who've had prolonged immobility or reduced mobility of the shoulder are at higher risk of developing frozen shoulder. Immobility may be the result of many factors, including:

·         Rotator cuff injury

·         Broken arm

·         Stroke

·         Recovery from surgery

Systemic diseases

People who have certain diseases appear more likely to develop frozen shoulder. Diseases that might increase risk include:

·         Diabetes

·         Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)

·         Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)

·         Cardiovascular disease

·         Tuberculosis

·         Parkinson's disease

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES

Hmoeopathic remedies are very effective for frozen shoulder and it gives a permanent cure. Some of the important remedies are given below.

FERRUM METALLICUM 30-- Ferrum metallicum is one of the top Homoeopathic medicines for frozen shoulder. There is  pain and stiffness in the shoulders along with swelling are predominant.  The patient complains that he is unable to raise his arms as he feels he has no power left for any movement. He could also have  violent pain in the shoulder and muscles on both sides of the shoulder could exhibit violent pain that travels along the arm. The patient feels boring or pinching pain.

RHUS TOXICODENDRON 30-Rhus tox is an excellent remedy for frozen shoulder with pain and stiffness in between shoulders. The patient  feel that the pain is relieved by moving or even when he lies on a hard platform but it gets worse when he sits. There is stiffness in the base of the neck with pain that feels as if the skin is being torn. The forearm and arm of the patient also have pain and they feel weak and paralysed. There is great stiffness that comes after rest and in the morning.  

RUTA GRAVEOLENS 30-Ruta graveolens is effective in frozen shoulder due to tendon strain and sprains . The patient complains of pain in the neck that is relieved by lying on the back as it applies pressure. The patient feels that the pain is so violent as if his shoulder is getting torn. Or that the shoulder feels bruised as if he has had an injury. When you come across such symptoms, Ruta can be relied on to cure them.Ruta also cures frozen shoulder after injury or after bruises . In some cases, people complain of frozen shoulder after an injury or after bruises .

 CAUSTICUM –Causticum is prescribed when  pain especially in the left shoulder occurs  with numbness. Contracted tendons with tearing in the shoulder joints and weakness. Better by warmth , especially of  bed

CALCAREA PHOS 30-Calcarea phos is prescribed for frozen shoulder when there is pains in shoulder and arm, with swelling of the affected part. There is ulcerative pain especially  in roots of finger nails of right hand and in middle finger.

MAGNESIUM CARBONICUM 30-Magnesium carb is another effective remedy for frozen shoulder with tearing pain in shoulders  as if dislocated . Right shoulder is more affected , cannot raise it.

SYPHILLINNUM 10M-Syphillinum is used as an intercurrent remedy.

Alcohol Pregnancy

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There is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy or while trying to get pregnant. There is also no safe time during pregnancy to drink..Video embedded Drinking alcohol during pregnancy makes your baby more likely to have premature birth, birth defects and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders..Alcohol and Pregnancy: Is 'A Little Bit' Safe? Find out what experts say about whether light drinking is risky when you're pregnant..Facts About Pregnancy and Alcohol Alcohol is a teratogen. Teratogen is a substance known to be harmful to human development. Alcohol crosses the placenta to your baby.Video embedded Learn the effects that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can have on a baby, how much alcohol is too much, and where to get help if you can't give up alcohol..When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, the alcohol travels through her blood and into the baby's blood, tissues, and organs. Alcohol breaks down much more slowly in . As most people know, drinking during pregnancy is a risk factor for bad birth outcomes, most notably, fetal alcohol syndrome FAS . Alcohol can be passed . Small amounts of alcohol in early pregnancy may not risk the mother's health and the health of their babies as much as previously believed..No. Drinking any kind of alcohol when you are pregnant can hurt your baby. Alcoholic drinks are beer, wine, wine coolers, liquor, or mixed drinks..What about light drinking in pregnancy? There is not enough evidence to suggest that drinking small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy is safe DH 2016 ..

Ten Tips For Living With Chronic Illness

 Today's article from www.rheumatoidarthritisguy.com (see link below) continues with the loose theme of the last few posts of finding ways to cope with neuropathy pain. It comes from a rheumatoid arthritis site and there is no connection with HIV but the ideas and tips given, apply to all those who are suffering from chronic symptoms, pain or otherwise. Definitely worth a read - this person knows what it's like to exist in a world that often doesn't understand.

 

 
10 Things I’ve Learned From Living With Chronic Illness
Adventures of RA Guy | November 5, 2011

1. Getting all of the rest that I need does not make me lazy. Even when I’m not moving, my body is expending a huge amount of energy on powering its overactive immune system, and on defending itself from the subsequent pain and inflammation. So while many times it might look like I’m not doing much, I’m still probably doing more than most others.

2. No matter how much it hurts, I still have to find a way to move. (Of course, I’m not advocating for movement that results in injury/harm.) During one of my first major bouts, I thought that the best thing to do was to move as little as possible. This really didn’t lower the pain, but it did eventually result in atrophied muscles, months of daily physical therapy, and having to learn how to walk again.

3. If I’m going to be in pain, I might as well be doing something that I enjoy. I may not be able to do certain things like I once used to be able to, but chances are I can still do more than what I thought possible. Learning this lesson, firsthand, is priceless for my mind, body, and soul.

4. And for those moments when it’s just not possible to do something, cancelling at the last minute is perfectly acceptable. I’ll be honest, and I’ll tell you the exact reasons why I’m not able to participate. Please don’t take it personally…I’m just as disappointed, if not more, than you are.

5. If you are a doctor or healthcare professional, you must earn my respect. I, the patient, will work just as hard to earn your respect. I will ask lots of questions, and I will listen to what you have to say. When it comes to treatment options, though, I will be the final decision maker. (After all, no one knows my body better than I do.)

6. Achieving acceptance is hard. (I used to think that doing so meant “giving up.”) Just when it feels like I’ve accepted everything there is about my illness, something pops up, and I want to deny everything, all over again. With chronic illness, I don’t think there is such a thing as “complete” acceptance…there’s just a continuous journey, back and forth, between denial, acceptance, and so many other emotions.

7. No matter how bad I’m feeling, no matter how much pain I’m in, it’s *not* okay to take out my anger and frustrations on other people, especially those who are close to me. Yes, it’s fine–sometimes even healthy–to feel angry and frustrated…but I have to know how to release this energy in a way that doesn’t harm myself, or those around me.

8. Never, ever, compare my pain and illness to those of others. My illness is mine, and mine alone. I’m completely entitled to feel everything–emotions, symptoms, and otherwise–that results from living with my illness. (I’m entitled to feel everything, that is, except shame.)

9. While a positive attitude isn’t going to “cure” me of my illness, it’s certainly going to make it easier to overcome the challenges that I encounter on a daily basis. Yes, I do have occasional periods of doom and gloom…but I make a point to pass through them as quickly as possible. The mind is a powerful tool, and I must use it to my advantage.

10. Just when it feels like my world is going to fall apart, the best thing for me to do is to sit down, and take a deep breath. And another one. And another one…until I realize that everything is indeed okay.

http://www.rheumatoidarthritisguy.com/2011/11/10-things-ive-learned-from-living-with-chronic-illness/

Chapter Treatment sciatic nerve pain while pregnant

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