KNOWING HEPATITIS C

What is Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is a disease that affects the liver and is caused by the hepatitis C virus. The virus can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis infection, ranging in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness.
Most people infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) have no symptoms and may live without being able to detect it.

How is it gotten?
Hepatitis C is gotten through contact with contaminated blood. The most common modes of infection are through unsafe injection practices; inadequate sterilization of medical equipment in some health-care settings; and unscreened blood and blood products.

How does one know he/she is infected?
Hepatitis C virus infection usually does not present any signs and symptoms until later stages. You will have to see the doctor if you notice the following symptoms: fever, fatigue, decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, grey-coloured faeces, joint pain and jaundice (yellowing of skin and the whites of the eyes).

Are there any other means of getting infected?
Hepatitis C is not spread through breast milk, food or water or by casual contact such as hugging, kissing and sharing food or drinks with an infected person.

Who are those at risk?
Your risk of hepatitis C infection is increased in the following instances:

• health  care worker who has been exposed to infected blood, such as may happen if an infected needle pierces your skin
• recipients of infected blood products or invasive procedures in health-care facilities with inadequate infection control practices
• children born to mothers infected with HCV
• people with sexual partners who are HCV-infected
• people with HIV infection
• people who have used intranasal drugs
• people who have had tattoos or piercings.

How to prevent HCV?
There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, therefore prevention of HCV infection depends upon reducing the risk of exposure to the virus in health-care settings and in higher risk populations.

Stop using illicit drugs. If you use illicit drugs, seek help.

Be cautious about body piercing and tattooing. If you choose to undergo piercing or tattooing, look for a reputable shop. Ask questions beforehand about how the equipment is cleaned. Make sure the employees use sterile needles. If employees won't answer your questions, look for another shop.

Practice safer sex if you choose to have sex. Don't engage in unprotected sex with multiple partners or with any partner whose health status is uncertain. Sexual transmission between monogamous couples may occur, but the risk is low.

hand hygiene: including surgical hand preparation, hand washing and use of gloves;

safe handling and disposal of sharps and waste;

safe cleaning of equipment;

testing of donated blood;

improved access to safe blood;

training of health personnel.

For people infected with the hepatitis C virus, WHO recommends:

• education and counselling on options for care and treatment;
• immunization with the hepatitis A and B vaccines to prevent coinfection from these hepatitis viruses to protect their liver;
• early and appropriate medical management including antiviral therapy if appropriate; and
• regular monitoring for early diagnosis of chronic liver disease.

VIRAL HEPATITIS DAY 2014- #ThinkAgain

Awareness

Informed? Unaware? Viral hepatitis kills 1.5 million people worldwide each year. That's as many people as HIV/AIDS. Hepatitis: Think Again.
Informed? Unaware? Viral hepatitis is the leading cause of liver cancer. Liver cancer is the second biggest cancer killer. Hepatitis: Think Again.

Feeling fine? Are you sure? Symptoms of viral hepatitis often go unnoticed. Get tested. Hepatitis: Think Again.

Prevention

Safe? At Risk? Viral hepatitis can be avoided. Know the risks. Hepatitis: Think Again.

Treatment

Treated? Treatable? Viral hepatitis can be treated. Everybody deserves the chance. Hepatitis: Think Again.

Vaccination

Protected? Vulnerable? Viral hepatitis can be prevented. Vaccinate your children. Hepatitis: Think Again.
Protected? Vulnerable? Protect against viral hepatitis. Vaccination works. Hepatitis: Think Again.

Stigma

 
Accepted? Refused? Stigma kills. Don't discriminate. Hepatitis: Think again.
Accepted? Refused? Viral hepatitis doesn't discriminate. Neither should you. Hepatitis: Think again.

Taking part

Team player? Spectator? Viral hepatitis can be beaten. Play your part. Hepatitis: Think again.

"EBOLA" A THREE-FOLD PROBLEM!

As terrifying as Ebola is, the virus has been controlled in the past, and can be again. The current crisis, which threatens an 11-nation region of Africa that includes the continent's giant, Nigeria, is not a biological or medical one so much as it is political. The three nations in Ebola's thrall need technical support from outsiders but will not succeed in stopping the virus until each nation's leaders embrace effective governance.

A CNN editor's opinion

The virus, which can kill within days, spreads by exposure to infected bodily fluids and other secretions. The symptoms include severe fever, muscle pain, weakness, vomiting and diarrhoea. In some cases, bleeding can be unstoppable and the organs could be shut down. The virus can even spread to those who handle the dead body of the infected person, without proper protection. Urgent action is required to halt the spread of this deadly virus because it has the potential to spread across borders.

With early medical intervention, chances of survival can be increased but no such medicine or vaccine exists that could be used to treat this deadly disease.

Difficulty in accessing remote areas will lead to the sufferers going untreated. There is also fear that the sufferers have a mistrust towards Western medicine or are superstitious.

Reducing the risk of Ebola infection in people

In the absence of effective treatment and a human vaccine, raising awareness of the risk factors for Ebola infection and the protective measures individuals can take is the only way to reduce human infection and death.

In Africa, during EVD outbreaks, educational public health messages for risk reduction should focus on several factors:

• Reducing the risk of wildlife-to-human transmission from contact with infected fruit bats or monkeys/apes and the consumption of their raw meat. Animals should be handled with gloves and other appropriate protective clothing. Animal products (blood and meat) should be thoroughly cooked before consumption.
• Reducing the risk of human-to-human transmission in the community arising from direct or close contact with infected patients, particularly with their bodily fluids. Close physical contact with Ebola patients should be avoided. Gloves and appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn when taking care of ill patients at home. Regular hand washing is required after visiting patients in hospital, as well as after taking care of patients at home.
• Communities affected by Ebola should inform the population about the nature of the disease and about outbreak containment measures, including burial of the dead. People who have died from Ebola should be promptly and safely buried.

Pig farms in Africa can play a role in the amplification of infection because of the presence of fruit bats on these farms. Appropriate biosecurity measures should be in place to limit transmission. For RESTV (Reston ebolavirus), educational public health messages should focus on reducing the risk of pig-to-human transmission as a result of unsafe animal husbandry and slaughtering practices, and unsafe consumption of fresh blood, raw milk or animal tissue. Gloves and other appropriate protective clothing should be worn when handling sick animals or their tissues and when slaughtering animals. In regions where RESTV has been reported in pigs, all animal products (blood, meat and milk) should be thoroughly cooked before eating.

Controlling infection in health-care settings

Human-to-human transmission of the Ebola virus is primarily associated with direct or indirect contact with blood and body fluids. Transmission to health-care workers has been reported when appropriate infection control measures have not been observed.

It is not always possible to identify patients with EBV early because initial symptoms may be non-specific. For this reason, it is important that health-care workers apply standard precautions consistently with all patients – regardless of their diagnosis – in all work practices at all times. These include basic hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment (according to the risk of splashes or other contact with infected materials), safe injection practices and safe burial practices.

Health-care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola virus should apply, in addition to standard precautions, other infection control measures to avoid any exposure to the patient’s blood and body fluids and direct unprotected contact with the possibly contaminated environment. When in close contact (within 1 metre) of patients with EBV, health-care workers should wear face protection (a face shield or a medical mask and goggles), a clean, non-sterile long-sleeved gown, and gloves (sterile gloves for some procedures).

Laboratory workers are also at risk. Samples taken from suspected human and animal Ebola cases for diagnosis should be handled by trained staff and processed in suitably equipped laboratories.

SUPPLEMENTS FOR VISION AND HEALTHY EYES

You may have heard about recent research suggesting that certain nutrients can help delay or prevent eye problems and disease. You may also have heard a lot of claims for over-the-counter (OTC) vision supplements containing these nutrients -- and claims for others that have not been tested in clinical studies.

So what should you believe? What can you do to protect your eye health and eyesight using vision supplements? Here is information to help you decide.

Important: Your doctor is your first resource for information about your health. Regardless of dosage, supplements are not a cure for health problems or a substitute for medication your doctor has recommended. Always check with your doctor before beginning to take any dietary supplement, including vision supplements.

Vision Supplements in Multivitamins

Before you ask your doctor about taking mega-doses of vision supplements, take a look at the multivitamin you're taking now. You'll probably find you're already taking several of the following nutrients for healthy eyes. If not, look for these nutrients, in at least these amounts, when you buy a multivitamin or supplement:

• Vitamin C, 250 mg
• Vitamin E, 200 mg
• Beta-carotene, 5,000 IU
• Zinc, 25 mg
• Zeaxanthin, 500 mcg
• Selenium, 100 mcg
• Lutein, 10 mg
• Calcium, 500 mg
• Thiamin, 2 mg
• Folic acid, 800 mcg
• Omega-3 essential fatty acids (including flaxseed oil), 2,000-3,000 mg
• N-acetyl cysteine, 100 mg
• Alpha lipoic acid, 100 mg

If you can't find a single product that contains all or most of these nutrients, they are available individually.

Continue reading below...

Read the Labels!

As with any prepared food you buy, read the labels on supplements to be sure you're getting what you want. Here are some tips:

• Be sure the product you buy is fresh: Check expiration dates.
• The bottle should be sealed for your protection. If it isn't, or the seal is broken, don't buy it.
• If you're prone to stomach upset, capsules may be a better choice than tablets, which are harder for your system to absorb.
• Consider organic vision supplements. You may pay more, but the quality is often better.
• Avoid supplements containing fillers, ingredients used to bulk up products so they "look like more." These include wheat, corn, and dairy products, which could cause digestive or allergic problems.
• If fish oil is listed as a source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, the label should state that it has been produced in a manner that eliminates contaminants, particularly mercury.
• Keep in mind that drug regulatory authorities do not regulate dietary supplements. If you're concerned whether you're getting what the label of a product says, ask. A nutritionist may be able to help you. You can also contact the manufacturer directly and ask for proof of quality. For vision supplements, ask for proof that their product has undergone Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC) testing -- a widely accepted test of antioxidant effectiveness.

PROBIOTICS AND INFANT GIT PROBLEMS

Probiotics May Reduce Gastrointestinal Problems in Infants

Prophylactically using probiotics in infants may reduce the development of gastrointestinal conditions, according to a recent study.

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria (sometimes referred to as "friendly germs") that help to maintain the health of the intestinal tract and aid in digestion. They also help keep potentially harmful organisms in the gut (harmful bacteria and yeasts) under control. Most probiotics come from food sources, especially cultured milk products. Probiotics can be consumed as capsules, tablets, beverages, powders, yogurts, and other foods.
In a recent study, researchers conducted a clinical trial to evaluate the effects of Lactobacillus reuteri supplementation during the first 3 months of infant life on the onset of colic, acid reflux and constipation. A total of 589 infants less than one week old were randomly assigned to receive L reuteri or placebo for 90 days. Data on the development of gastrointestinal problems was recorded by the parents. The main outcome measures evaluated included constipation, reduction in crying time and regurgitation.

The researchers found that by the age of 3 months-old, the infants receiving Lactobacillus reuteri vomited and cried significantly less and had significantly fewer bowel movements daily. The authors also noted that probiotic supplementation resulted in both the parents and community spending less money on the infant.
The authors concluded that prophylactic use of probiotics during the first 3 months of life may reduce the development of gastrointestinal problems and reduce costs associated with these conditions. Additional well-designed clinical trials are needed.

FRESH APPLES

Apples in a refrigerator will stay fresh up to 10 times longer than on a counter at room temperature.