How Effective The "FLU" Vaccine Is!!

Sudden onset of fever, cough, headache, muscle and joint pain, sore throat and a runny nose are the common problems during winter season. All these are the common symptom of Seasonal influenza or “flu”. Flu is most often caused by type A or B influenza viruses.

Many suggested that the best way to avoid getting the flu is to get the flu vaccine every year, before influenza season begins. This despite the fact that mounting research suggests this approach to flu prevention may be ill advised for long-term health, and doesn't actually work in the first place. In January 2015, U.S. government officials admitted that, in most years, flu shots are, at best, 50 to 60 percent effective. Then, in December 2015, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analysis of flu vaccine effectiveness revealed that, between 2005 and 2015, the influenza vaccine was less than 50 percent effective more than half of the time. These recent rates are way better than the previous years. In the 2004/2005 season, the flu vaccine was 10 percent effective. The 2014/2015 flu vaccine flopped with a mere 18 percent effectiveness rate; 15 percent among children aged 2 to 8.

Know The Deadly Disease Malaria

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Malaria has been responsible for much of the human suffering and misery accompanying the process of social and economic development. Only in 2015, 91 countries and areas had ongoing malaria transmission.

According to the latest WHO estimates, released in December 2016, there were 212 million cases of malaria in 2015 and 429 000 deaths. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to carry a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2015, the region was home to 90% of malaria cases and 92% of malaria deaths. Some 13 countries – mainly in sub-Saharan Africa – account for 76% of malaria cases and 75% deaths globally.

However between 2010 and 2015, malaria incidence among populations at risk (the rate of new cases) fell by 21% globally. In that same period, malaria mortality rates among populations at risk fell by 29% globally among all age groups, and by 35% among children under 5.

Some Heart Attack Triggers- That May Surprise You!!

A diet high in greasy, deep fried delights and a life full of financial, work, and personal stresses will certainly take its toll on your ticker. We all know that!

However, doctors are now pointing to other, lesser considered, heart attack culprits. Here are some surprising cardiovascular cautions that you might not even be aware of…

Lack of sleep: Lack of sleep regularly can raise your risk of a heart attack. Researchers found that people who usually slept fewer than 6 hours a night were twice as likely to have a heart attack as those who slept 6 to 8.

Migraine headaches: People who get these are more likely to have a heart attack later in life than those who don’t. And ones that include auras that start before the headache hits seem to have a stronger link to heart problems.

Stomach problems in Cold Weather!!

Cold weather can be a pain in more ways than one! The digestive system can be a source of considerable illness in winter if people eat the wrong food and don't rug up. The digestive system enters an active stage in winter and that is why dietary reinforcements are usually more effective than in other seasons. But stomach problems also often occur due to cold air, eating unsafe and spicy foods.

Though the intestinal infection can affect people at any time of the year, it is most prevalent during fall and winter in the U.S. Despite the name, the infection actually has nothing to do with influenza. The stomach flu viruses attack the digestive tract leading to inflammation of the stomach and intestines.

The infection is not serious but is troublesome for the person affected by it. Symptoms often last for one to three days — in some cases even longer. Dehydration is the main risk factor involved in stomach flu, especially for babies and elderly people.

Know All About Stye

A stye is a small, painful red lump that develops on the inside or outside of an eyelid. It is also known as a hordeolum. If you have a stye, your eye may also be watery and you may have a red eye or eyelid. It usually affects only one eye at a time. However it's possible to have styes in both eyes or to have more than one stye in the same eye. A stye can also cause an eye to be sensitive to light and make your eye watery or feel scratchy.

Types of stye:
There are two general types of stye:
- External stye: It's known as external hordeolum. – a swelling that develops along the edge of your eyelid.
- Internal stye /internal hordeolum – a swelling that develops on the inside of your eyelid.

Symptoms of a stye:
The main symptoms of a stye are:
- a painful yellow lump on or in the eyelid
- foreign body sensation (particularly with blinking)
- redness of the eye or eyelid
- a watery eye, in some cases
- feeling pressure inside the bump.
- Itching of the eye
- Droopiness of the eyelid
- Burning sensation

Your Habits That Can Damage Your Brain!!

Our brain is the single most important organ in our body.  It’s the central processor for all our bodily functions, the part that interprets what we see and hear, smell and taste, and even a place where the chemical reaction associated with love occurs.

Sleep loss, junk food, inactivity — these things and more can take a toll on our brain health. Here are some issues to pay attention if we would like to keep our brain healthy.

Smoking
We know cigarettes cause cancer, but did you know that the addictive nicotine in the cigarettes can cause your brain to shrink? Not only that, but prolonged brain-shrinkage can lead to Alzheimer’s disease!
   

Know About de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis

De Quervain’s tenosynovitis occurs when the 2 tendons around the base of your thumb become swollen. The swelling causes the sheaths (casings) covering the tendons to become inflamed. This puts pressure on nearby nerves, causing pain and numbness.

Symptoms Of de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis
- Pain or tenderness at the base of your thumb
- May feel pain going up to forearm
- Swelling near the base of your thumb
- A fluid-filled cyst in the affected area, which may or may not bulge through your skin
- Numbness along the back of your thumb and index finger
- A “catching” or “snapping” feeling when you move your thumb
- A squeaking sound as the tendons move within the swollen sheaths

Why It Happend?
Chronic overuse of your wrist is commonly associated with de Quervain's tenosynovitis.
Tendons are rope-like structures that attach muscle to bone. When you grip, grasp, clench, pinch or wring anything in your hand, two tendons in your wrist and lower thumb normally glide smoothly through the small tunnel that connects them to the base of the thumb. Repeating a particular motion day after day may irritate the sheath around the two tendons, causing thickening and swelling that restricts their movement.

How to Calculate 30-Day Readmission Rate

This  rate  is  calculated  by  identifying individual  residents admitted to the facility after an inpatient hospital stay during a given a given period of time, usually calculated on a monthly basis, and following them for 30 days.
a. The denominator for  this  calculation is the  number  of residents admitted to  your facility who have had an inpatient hospital stay during the month.
The numerator is the number of inpatient hospitalizations among   these   residents that   occur within   30-days   of admission to your facility after an inpatient hospital stay.
b. Residents sometimes have two (or even more) 30-day readmissions in a 30 day period.
Each  admission  to  your  facility  after  an  inpatient  stay  should  be  counted  in  the denominator, and inpatient hospitalizations within 30-days of the most recent admission to your facility after an inpatient hospital stay should be counted in the numerator. Thus, one resident could contribute two or more times to the 30-day readmission rate.

How to Calculate PQI 07: Hypertension Admission Rate

The heart pumps blood into the arteries with enough force to push blood to the far reaches of each organ from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet. Blood pressure can be defined as the pressure of blood on the walls of the arteries as it circulates through the body. Blood pressure is highest as its leaves the heart through the aorta and gradually decreases as it enters smaller and smaller blood vessels (arteries, arterioles, and capillaries). Blood returns in the veins leading to the heart, aided by gravity and muscle contraction.

It is known as the "silent killer" since it has no initial symptoms but can lead to long-term disease and complications.. High Blood Pressure a.k.a. Hypertension can be controlled by outpatient means by either medication or lifestyle change. When someone is admitted to a hospital due to complications from hypertension, then preventative measures could have failed. However, the cause of failure is not represented here, and that can include both patient and provider based causes.

Prevention is an important role for all healthcare providers. Hypertension is a controllable condition using outpatient care and drug therapy. Prevention Quality Indicators (PQIs) are a set of measures that help identify quality of care for outpatient and other non-hospital care.

How to Calculate PQI 07 Hypertension Admission Rate?

Drinks That Help You In Gout

Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of a red, tender, hot, and swollen joint. Gout is due to elevated levels of uric acid in the blood. This occurs due to a combination of diet and genetic factors. At high levels, uric acid crystallizes and the crystals deposit in joints, tendons and surrounding tissues, resulting in an attack of gout.

How It Occurs?
Uric acid comes from the breakdown of substances called purines. Purines are in your body's tissues and in foods, such as liver, dried beans and peas, and anchovies. Normally, uric acid dissolves in the blood. It passes through the kidneys and out of the body in urine. But sometimes uric acid can build up and form needle-like crystals. When they form in your joints, it is very painful. The crystals can also cause kidney stones.

You are more likely to get gout if you

Know ABout Chronic Dry Eye

Chronic dry eye is a painful condition marked by the sensation that your eyes are literally dried out and not producing enough moisture. Dry eye can make it more difficult to focus on certain tasks, especially tasks that involve a certain level of concentration such as reading, driving, and working on the computer.

Dry eyes are a common condition in the United States. Most often, people who have dry eyes are middle-aged or older. An estimated 4.88 million Americans age 50 and older have dry eyes. Of these, over 3 million are women and 1.68 million are men.

Symptoms:
- night driving problems
- discomfort when wearing contacts
- burning, itching, or stinging sensations
- light sensitivity

'Broken Heart Syndrome' !!! Is It Real??

Do you know what is 'Broken heart syndrome'. Many may think this is joke, but its not, 'Broken heart syndrome' is a real condition. This is a temporary heart condition that is often brought on by stressful situations, such as the death of a loved one. Broken heart syndrome, also called stress-induced cardiomyopathy or takotsubo cardiomyopathy, can strike even if you’re healthy.

The condition can also be triggered by a serious physical illness or surgery. People with broken heart syndrome may have sudden chest pain or think they are having a heart attack. Women are more likely than men to experience the sudden, intense chest pain — the reaction to a surge of stress hormones — that can be caused by an emotionally stressful event. It could even happen after a good shock (like winning the lottery.)

Symptoms:
Broken heart syndrome may be misdiagnosed as a heart attack because the symptoms and test results are similar. In fact, tests show dramatic changes in rhythm and blood substances that are typical of a heart attack. But unlike a heart attack, there’s no evidence of blocked heart arteries in broken heart syndrome.

Know About ADHD

Almost all children have times when their attention or behavior veers out of control. However, for some children, these types of behaviors are more than an occasional problem. Children with

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have behavior problems that are so frequent and severe that they interfere with their ability to function adequately on a daily basis. ADHD  is

a common behavioral disorder that affects about 10% of school-age children. Boys are about three times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with it.

Kids with ADHD act without thinking, are hyperactive, and have trouble focusing. They may understand what's expected of them but have trouble following through because they can't sit still,

pay attention, or focus on details.

Of course, all kids (especially younger ones) act this way at times, particularly when they're anxious or excited. But the difference with ADHD is that symptoms are present over a longer

period of time and happen in different settings. They hurt a child's ability to function socially, academically, and at home.

Diagnose Food Allergies in Children

A child who sneezes or coughs a lot, who frequently develops a rash or hives, or who gets a stomachache, cramps or nausea after eating certain foods may have allergies. Many types of food can

cause allergic reactions in middle childhood. The most common of these are cow's milk and other dairy products, egg whites, poultry, seafood, wheat, nuts, soy, and chocolate. Allergies are

caused by antibodies that the body's immune system produces, which react to a component of a particular food and then release chem­icals that cause allergic symptoms like a runny nose,

sneezing, coughing, and itching. 

 

People often confuse food allergies with food intolerance because of similar symptoms. The symptoms of food intolerance can include burping, indigestion, gas, loose stools, headaches,

nervousness, or a feeling of being "flushed." But food intolerance:
•doesn't involve the immune system
•can be caused by a person's inability to digest certain substances, such as lactose
•can be unpleasant but is rarely dangerous

According to the Food Allergy Research and Education network (FARE), 1 in every 13 children in the United States under age 18 have food allergies. They are less common in adults but, overall,

food allergies affect nearly 15 million people in the United States.

Know About Fatty Liver

Fatty liver is the accumulation of triglycerides and other fats in the liver cells. The amount of fatty acid in the liver depends on the balance between the processes of delivery and removal. While it is normal to have some fat in your liver, more than 5 to 10 percent of your liver weight is fat in the case of fatty liver.

In some patients, the excess fat can cause inflammation called steatohepatitis (steato=fat+hepar=liver +itis=inflammation), although there is no relationship between the amount of fat present and the potential for inflammation. Steatohepatitis can lead to cirrhosis (fibrosis, scarring and hardening of the liver). There is also an association with liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma).
Type of Fatty liver:
1. Alcoholic: Alcohol is a direct toxin to the liver and can cause inflammation.
2. Non-Alcoholic: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic related steatohepatitis (NASH) are markedly different illnesses and there are many potential causes that are linked to fat accumulation in the liver.

Some of the causes of Fatty liver include:
Diet: Consumption of excess calories in the diet
Diseases: Fatty liver is also associated with type II diabetes, obesity, and high triglyceride levels in the blood, celiac disease, and Wilson's disease.
Medical conditions: Rapid weight loss and malnutrition.
Medications: Medications such as tamoxifen (Soltamox), amiodarone injection (Nestorone), amiodarone oral (Cordarone, Pacerone), and methotrexate (Rheumatrex Dose Pack, Trexall)

Asthma: Deal With It In Winter

Asthma is one of the most common chronic disease that involve the airways in the lungs. Asthma is a condition in which your airways narrow and swell and produce extra mucus. This can make breathing difficult and trigger coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.

Asthma symptoms affect an estimated 26 million Americans — 19 million adults and 7 million children — and are one of the leading causes of absences from work and school. Every year, about 14 million Americans see a doctor for asthma. About 1.4 million patients visit a hospital outpatient department for asthma; almost 1.75 million go to a hospital emergency room. The number of people in the U.S. diagnosed with asthma is increasing. The greatest rise in asthma rates is among black children, with an almost 50 percent increase from 2001 through 2009.

According to the World Health Organization, about half the cases are due to genetic susceptibility and half result from environmental factors. Researchers estimate asthma-related costs, including the direct cost of health care and indirect costs such as decreased worker productivity, at around $60 billion annually. Although there is no cure for asthma, effective treatments are available.

Hepatitis C: Choice of Expensive Treatments

Hepatitis C is a disease caused by a virus that infects the liver.  The virus, called the Hepatitis C virus or HCV for short, is just one of the hepatitis viruses. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), an estimated 2.7 million people in the United States have chronic Hepatitis C infection.

Some people who get HCV have it for a short time (up to six months) and then get better on their own.  This is called acute Hepatitis C.  But most people (about 75% – 85%) will go on to develop chronic (or long-term) Hepatitis C, meaning it doesn’t go away without proper and expensive treatment.

Unless successfully treated with medication, chronic Hepatitis C infection can cause other serious health problems, such as cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure. However, with recent advances in Hepatitis C treatment the cure rates are higher now a days.

Stool Color Tell your Disease!!

Changes in the color of stool are common and are generally not significant if the changes are noted from one stool to the next and are not persistent. However, changes in the color of stool can also be caused by a number of minor to serious medical conditions and can occur with certain medications. Changes in stool color that are persistent and do not occur in only one stool may signal the presence of a medical condition.
- Red or black, foul-smelling stool: intestinal bleeding (typically from the stomach and upper small intestine) due to ulcers, tumors; ingestion of iron or bismuth

- Maroon stool: intestinal bleeding (from the middle intestine or proximal colon) due to ulcers, tumors, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis

- clay-colored stool: lack of bile due to blockage of the main bile duct

- pale yellow, greasy, foul-smelling stool: malabsorption of fat due to pancreatic insufficiency, as seen with pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease

- Green stool or poop is a common stool color change. It may be due to bile pigment in the stool because diarrhea moves food too quickly thorough the intestine so the chemical can't break down, or the green color may be due to certain foods like green, leafy vegetables or green food coloring.

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PQI #5: How to Calculate COPD or Asthma in Older Adults Admission Rate

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an umbrella term used to describe progressive lung diseases including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, refractory (non-reversible) asthma, and some forms of bronchiectasis. This disease is characterized by increasing breathlessness.

COPD affects an estimated 30 million individuals in the U.S., and over half of them have symptoms of COPD and do not know it. Early screening can identify COPD before major loss of lung function occurs.

Most cases of COPD are caused by inhaling pollutants; that includes smoking (cigarettes, pipes, cigars, etc.), and second-hand smoke.

Fumes, chemicals and dust found in many work environments are contributing factors for many individuals who develop COPD.

Genetics can also play a role in an individual’s development of COPD—even if the person has never smoked or has ever been exposed to strong lung irritants in the workplace.

How To Calculate Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or Asthma in Older Adults Admission Rate

Know About Acne: Home Remedies, Treatment And Cause

Acne is a skin problem that occurs when the hair follicles of your skin are blocked by a mix of dead skin cells and sebum (oil). When this happens, bacteria can grow in the plugged hair follicles and cause more skin irritation.
Acne can occur anywhere on skin, but is most common on the face, neck, chest, and back. It usually starts in the early teen years, when the oil glands in the body start making more sebum, but can last into or begin in adulthood, too.

Causes Of Acne:
- When the hair follicle becomes plugged with oil and skin cells, a “whitehead” forms in the hair follicle.
- If the follicle is plugged near the surface of the skin and air touches the plug, it turns black and is called a “blackhead.” A blackhead isn’t caused by dirt.
- If the wall of a plugged hair follicle breaks, the area swells and turns into a red bump. If the hair follicle wall breaks near the skin surface, the bump usually becomes a pimple.
- If the follicle wall breaks deep in the skin, acne nodules or cysts can form. This is called “cystic acne.”