Robert Zakar gives back to community
Treatment Of Hand, Foot And Mouth Disease
Hand foot and mouth disease is a viral infection commonly affecting children below 10 years. It rarely affects teenagers and adults who usually show milder symptoms.
Causes and symptoms of hand, foot and mouth diseaseThe infection is commonly caused by Coxsackie A16 strain of virus from the enterovirus family.
The infection leads to symptoms of fever, sore throat, skin rashes over hands, feet, buttocks, genitalia and also leads to ulcers in the mouth, throat, tonsils and tongue. (1-8)
Relief of symptoms of hand, foot and mouth diseaseTreatment for the condition is usually aimed at relief of symptoms. Patients and parents of the child are reassured that HFMD is different from foot and mouth disease seen in cattle, sheep and pigs.
The symptoms of HFMD usually take around 3 to 7 days to appear. Once the patient manifests the symptoms the disease runs its course for 7 to 10 days and resolves by itself.
Antibiotics are ineffective for hand, foot and mouth diseaseAs antibiotics are ineffective, their use is not recommended. Antibiotics mainly act upon bacterial infections. Since HFMD is a viral illness they are not effective.
Antibiotics are only required if secondary infection of skin lesions occurs.
Treatment of children with hand, foot and mouth diseaseChildren with the infection are given fever mediation for pain and fever. This includes Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen. These are available over-the-counter.
Aspirin should not be given to children under 12 years. Aspirin given to any viral infection if children under 12 may lead to life threatening complications affecting the liver and the brain called Reye's syndrome.
Salt water rinses for hand, foot and mouth diseaseSymptomatic relief includes salt water rinses and gargles. The gargles are prepared with 1/2 teaspoon of salt to 1 glass of warm water. This soothes the ulcers within the mouth.
It is helpful in children who are able to rinse without swallowing.
Fluids for patients with hand, foot and mouth diseasePlenty of fluids are recommended. Fever usually may lead to dehydration and fluids are recommended particularly if there are high peaks of fever.
The most soothing fluids are cool, milk products. Soft cool foods also help.
Most children complain of pain on taking juice or soda due to their acidic content leading to burning sensation over the mouth ulcers.
For mouth ulcers a pain reliever ointment or gel may be given. This contains benzydamine or lidocaine oral gel that numbs the pain over the ulcers.
How long does recovery take?Complete recovery is seen in 5 to 7 days. Treatment may be continued at home unless there are complications.
When to seek medical attentionChildren with dehydration, high fever and those with fever induced convulsions or seizures may need medical attention in the hospital.
Dehydration is characterized by:
If a pregnant woman is infected with the virus there is a risk of abortion (in cases of infection during early pregnancy) or infection of the fetus (in cases of late pregnancy infections). These patients may need hospital care.
Prevention of hand, foot and mouth diseasePrevention of HFMD revolves around avoidance of infected individuals. Children with the infection are isolated and prevented from attending school or day care centers especially the first week to prevent spread.
Those handling children with infection especially at child care centers need to practice frequent hand washing and through cleaning of surfaces after disposal or change of nappies and diapers, before and after eating and after sneezing or coughing and handling tissues etc. With throat or nasal discharges.
Toys and surfaces should first be washed with soap and water, and then cleaned with a dilute solution of bleach.
Treatment For Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Lung Disease
If you're diagnosed with nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease, your doctor will discuss the right treatment for you.
Some people with NTM lung disease don't need treatment. Others require ongoing treatments to keep their disease under control.
Your doctor may decide to watch and wait rather than treat your infection. They can check your symptoms and look at X-rays to make sure your lungs don't start to show damage.
Why wouldn't you want to treat your infection even if it's mild? You'll need to take antibiotics. They have side effects. And you'll probably need more than one type because the bacteria often become resistant to drugs. Your doctor will weigh the pros and cons of treating your disease right away.
If your doctor does choose to treat it, you'll take the medicine for a while. The doctor will run a sputum culture test every month or two to look for bacteria. You'll cough up some mucus and they'll send it to a lab for tests. You can stop taking the meds when the results have come back negative for a year.
Your doctor will decide which antibiotic to try first based on:
Most people with an NTM lung infection start with a combination of antibiotics that they take three times a week. You may have to change medications if the bacteria become resistant to your doctor's first choice, but they have several options to choose from.
Doctors treat mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease, the most common NTM lung infection, with a combination of three antibiotics:
If you have more severe MAC disease that results from cavities in your lungs, your doctor may try rifabutin (Mycobutin) instead of rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane). They might add amikacin or streptomycin three times a week early in your treatment.
If you have HIV, too, you're at higher risk for disseminated MAC disease. It causes symptoms all over your body like night sweats, weight loss, fever, and anemia. Treatment involves taking two medications. Studies show that using just one medicine is not effective and causes bacterial resistance. You'll be given azithromycin or clarithromycin along with ethambutol. This is called double therapy. If needed, you might also take rifabutin, which is considered triple therapy.
If you have AIDS and CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts less than 50 cells/microliter, you can try to prevent disseminated MAC disease with azithromycin or clarithromycin. Rifabutin is another option, but it may be harder on your system.
If you're infection is from M. Kansasii bacteria, you'll probably take a mix of azithromycin, ethambutol, and rifampin once a day for 1 year or until your sputum test is negative.
If you have an M. Abscessus lung infection, antibiotics alone may not work. Clarithromycin along with other drugs may help control your symptoms and keep the disease from getting worse. You might need surgery to remove damaged parts of your lung, too.
All antibiotics for NTM lung disease have side effects. They can be hard on your liver or kidneys, cause hearing loss or tinnitus (ringing in your ears), or severe upset stomach.
Your doctor may need to switch your medicines or lower your dose if one medicine causes a serious reaction. If you notice sudden problems with your hearing or eyesight, or pain or numbness in your hands or feet, call them right away.
Antibiotics alone may not clear up your infection or ease your symptoms. Some people also need surgery to take out damaged lung tissue.
Surgery along with antibiotics can clear up an NTM lung infection in many people.
But if you cough up blood after you've taken antibiotics, surgery may be a next step.
There are other things you can try to ease your symptoms and help clear up your infection. You don't do them instead of your medicines, but as an add-on. Talk to your doctor first if you'd like to try any of these therapies:
You can also:
Once you treat your NTM lung disease, you can take steps to prevent another infection. These bacteria are often found in water or moist places, so take these easy steps:
Lung disease symptoms and the treatments for them may make you feel awful at times. At any point in your life with lung disease, ask your doctor about palliative care to help you feel more comfortable.
Palliative care is any treatment that helps to ease symptoms or just make you feel better. You may need oxygen therapy to help you breathe more easily, take meds for your upset stomach, or see a counselor to deal with stress.
Counseling or support groups of other people with lung disease can help you manage depression or anxiety. Check out groups in your area or online. Let your doctor know if your lung disease makes you feel depressed or hopeless, so you can get treatment right away.
Peyronie's Disease: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms, And Treatment
Many men have likely never heard of Peyronie's disease, but they might want to brush up on this condition because it causes the penis to curve abnormally during an erection.
Peyronie's disease typically affects men over 30, and it appears to be caused by the build-up of plaque in the tunica albuginea. The tunica albuginea is the inner lining of the penis, and it helps the penis remain stiff during an erection. Here, experts will explore what Peyronie's disease is, its causes, symptoms and how it can be treated.
What is Peyronie's disease?According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Peyronie's disease can develop when there is a physical injury to the penis, scar tissue forms, and the hard plaque that can build on scar tissue pulls on the surrounding tissue of the penis and causes a curve, usually when the penis is erect.
In a patient page provided by the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Christopher Gaffney and Dr. James Kashanian, both urologists at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, state that "Peyronie's disease can cause pain (with or without erections), inability to engage in penetrative sexual intercourse, erectile dysfunction, emotional distress, depression and relationship difficulties. It develops in up to 5% to 10% of men."
Peyronie's disease versus normal curvatureThe Cleveland Clinic uses the analogy of a clock to measure the curve in a penis and help distinguish Peyronie's disease versus normal curvature. An average penis may have a curve of 5 to 30 degrees. A 5-degree curve looks like when the hands of a clock read 9:13; a 30-degree curve looks like 9:10. Peyronie's disease may cause your penis to look as though it has an indent or hourglass shape. You may also notice a loss of girth or length in your erection.
What causes Peyronie's diseaseThe NIH reports that the exact cause of Peyronie's disease is unknown, although it is suspected that a chronic or acute injury to the penis or an autoimmune disease may be factors.
Your risk of Peyronie's disease increases if you have the following:
The NIH lists the following symptoms of Peyronie's disease:
The symptoms may develop quickly or over time, and they can be mild or severe.
Peyronie's disease treatmentPeyronie's disease treatment depends on how long you have been having symptoms. The Mayo Clinic describes the acute phase as when you have pain or changes in curvature, length or deformity of the penis. The chronic phase is when the symptoms are stable, and no further changes occur. Peyronie's disease treatments are based on the level of deformity and severity of symptoms.
Your health care provider may recommend penis traction and medical or injection therapies during the acute phase. In the chronic phase, several treatments are available, including waiting, injections, traction or surgery.
Peyronie's disease medications that may be prescribed are:
Peyronie's disease medical procedures include penile traction, which stretches the penis with a mechanical device over a period of time to decrease the deformity and increase the length of the organ. It may be used in the acute phase, or combined with other treatments in the chronic phase, for example, after surgery.
Surgery is usually recommended if the deformity is severe or prevents you from having intercourse. It typically isn't offered until the curve is stable for three to six months and may consist of the following options:
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of Peyronie's disease, consult your health care provider.
Copyright © 2023 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Citation: Peyronie's disease: What it is, causes, symptoms, and treatment (2023, June 2) retrieved 22 June 2023 from https://medicalxpress.Com/news/2023-06-peyronie-disease-symptoms-treatment.Html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
Comments
Post a Comment