CONJUNCTIVITIS

CONJUNCTIVITIS

Conjunctivitis also called pink eye or madras eye refers to inflammation of the conjunctiva (the outermost layer of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids). It is commonly due to an infection usually viral, but sometimes bacterial or an allergic condition.  Red eye (hyperaemia, irritation (chemosis) and watering (epiphora) of the eyes are symptoms common to all forms of conjunctivitis.

Viral conjunctivitis is often associated with an infection of the upper respiratory tract, a common cold and a sore throat. Its symptoms include watery discharge and variable itch. The infection usually begins with one eye, but may easily spread to the other.

Bacterial conjunctivitis due to common pyogenic (pus-producing) bacteria causes marked grittiness/irritation and a stringy, opaque, grayish or yellowish mucopurulent discharge that de may cause the lids to stick together, especially after sleep. Another symptom that could be caused by bacteria conjunctivitis is severe crusting of the infected eye and the surrounding skin. However, contrary to popular belief, discharge is not essential to the diagnosis. Bacteria such as chlamydia trachomatis or moraxella can cause a non-exudative but persistent conjunctivitis without much redness. The gritty and/or scratchy feeling is sometimes localized enough for patients to insist they have a foreign body in the eye. The more acute pyogenic infections can be painful. Like viral conjunctivitis it usually affects only one eye but may spead easily to the other eye. However, it is dormant in the eye for three days before the patient starts showing symptoms.

Chemical conjunctivitis is due to an eye injury caused by either an acidic or alkali substance getting in the eye. Mild burns will produce conjunctivitis while more severe burns may cause the cornea to turn white. Chemical conjunctivitis show primarily marked redness.

Conjunctivitis is most commonly caused by viral infection, but bacterial infections, allergies, other irritants and dryness are also common etiologies for its occurrence.  Both viral and bacterial infections are contagious. Commonly, conjunctiva infections are passed from person-to-person, but can also spread through contaminated objects or water.

A purulent discharge (a whitish-yellow or yellow-brown substance, more commonly suggests a cause from fecal matter unless there is known exposure to toxins. It can also be caused by bacteria from feces, pet   hair, or by smoke or other fumes. Infection with Neisseria gonorrhea should be suspected if the discharge is particularly thick and copious. Itching (rubbing eyes) is the hallmark symptom of allergic conjunctivitis. Other symptoms include past history of eczema, or asthma. A diffuse,” less” conjunctivitis (looking pink rather red) suggests a viral cause, especially if numerous follicles are present on the lower tarsal conjunctiva on biomicroscopy. Many people who have conjunctivitis have trouble opening their eyes in the morning because of the dried mucus on their eyelids. There is often mucus on the eye after sleeping for an extended period.

Conjunctivitis resolves in 65% cases without treatment, within two to five days. For the allergic type, cool water poured over the face with the head inclined downward constricts capillaries, and artificial tears   sometimes relieve discomfort in mild cases. In more severe cases, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications and antihistamines may be prescribed. Conjunctivitis may also require topical steroid drops.

Bacterial conjunctivitis usually resolves without treatment. Antibiotics, eye drops, or ointment are thus only needed if no improvement is observed after three days. In patients receiving no antibiotics, recovery was in 4.8 days, with immediate antibiotics it was 3.3 days and with delayed antibiotics 3.9 days.

There is no specific treatment for viral conjunctivitis. People are often advised to avoid touching their eyes or sharing towels and washcloths.

Conjunctivitis due to chemicals is treated via irrigation with Ringers lactate or saline solution(a sterile solution of sodium chloride in water). Chemical injuries (particularly alkali burns) are medical emergencies, as they can lead to severe scarring, and intraocular damage. People with chemically- induced conjunctivitis should not touch their eyes regardless of whether or not their hands are clean, as they run the risk of spreading the condition to another eye.                                

                                                                                                                                SOURCE : Wikipedia

BY: ABIGAIL GBEMU

\

PHYSIOTHERAPY

PHYSIOTHERAPY

Physical therapy (or physiotherapy), often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession which aims at the physical treatment and management of diseases or conditions and enables people to reach their maximum potential.

'Physical therapists' (or physiotherapists) are primary healthcare professionals who diagnose and treat individuals of all ages, from newborns to the very oldest, who have medical problems or other health-related conditions, illnesses, or injuries that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities as well as they would like in their daily lives. Physical therapists examine each individual and develop a plan using treatment techniques to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability.

In addition, PTs work with individuals to prevent the loss of mobility before it occurs by developing fitness and wellness-oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles, providing services to individuals and populations to develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability throughout the lifespan. This includes providing services in circumstances where movement and function are threatened by aging, injury, disease or environmental factors. Functional movement is central to what it means to be healthy.

Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, treatment/intervention, habilitation and rehabilitation. This encompasses physical, psychological, emotional, and social well being. Physical therapy involves the interaction between physical therapists, patients/clients, other health professionals, families, care givers, and communities in a process where movement potential is assessed and goals are agreed upon, using knowledge and skills unique to physical therapists. Physical therapy has many specialties including cardiopulmonary, geriatrics, neurologic, orthopaedic and pediatrics, to name some of the more common areas. PTs practice in many settings, such as outpatient clinics or offices, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing facilities, extended care facilities, private homes, education and research centers, schools, hospices, industrial workplaces or other occupational environments, fitness centers and sports training facilities.

 POKUA ASAMOAH

(SCHOOL OF ALLIED SCIENCES, UG.)

INSOMNIA

     Sleep

The cycle of sleep and waking is one of the most basic in humans. Sleep is a naturally-recurring state characterized by reduced or absent consciousness, relatively suspended sensory activity, and inactivity of nearly all voluntary muscles. It is very essential for the normal functioning of the body. During sleep, body systems slow down and this helps the body to relax, refresh itself and restore depleted resources. Growth hormones work during the initial stages of sleep. They build up and repair worn-out cells and tissues. The body also dissipates accumulated waste during sleep. Because of these and many other health benefits of sleep, it is very important that everybody gets adequate quality sleep everyday. Some experts claim that eight hours of sleep per night is ideal, but the issue of how much of sleep is adequate is relative. The amount of sleep needed varies widely from individual to individual and is influenced by such factors as age, state of health and individual body functions. Good sleep has more to do with quality than length. The purpose of this article is to expose readers to some of the things that interfere with good sleep and help them to deal with them. These things that distort sleep are called sleep disorders and this Article will deal with one type of them.

Insomnia

The popular definition for insomnia is inability to fall asleep. But insomnia is not necessarily lack of sleep, but not having the quality of sleep you need. If you consistently feel tired and sleepy throughout the day after a night of sleep, then we can say you are suffering from insomnia. It could be short-lived or chronic. Everybody suffers from insomnia once in a while, but it becomes worrisome when in continues for several nights on end. In this case, then the patient will have to seek medical attention. There are three types of insomnia: onset insomnia, maintenance insomnia and termination insomnia.

Onset insomnia

This is a situation when a person is not able to bring him/herself to sleep. The onset of sleep is delayed and though the person may feel sleepy, he/she is just not able to fall asleep.

Maintenance insomnia

With this type, the person is able to fall asleep, but is not able to stay asleep. It is characterized by frequent awakenings during the night.

Termination insomnia

When a person is suffering from this type of insomnia, he/she wakes up too early (way before normal waking time), and is not able to get back to sleep.

Symptoms of insomnia

If one or more of these symptoms persist, there is a possibility that one is suffering from insomnia:

Ø  Complications in falling asleep successfully.

Ø   A feeling of restlessness during sleep

Ø  Waking up and feeling as if you haven’t slept at all

Ø  Constant headache(mild to severe)

Ø  Mood swings

Ø  Mild illnesses

What causes insomnia?

Several causes of insomnia have been identified. In this article, we are going to see a number of them.

Environmental causes

Excessive noise

Even though some people have no problem sleeping in relatively noisy environments, too much of noise can disrupt a good night’s sleep. During sleep, the brain slows down its rate of work and paralyses the body so there can be a state of rest and passivity. But in the presence of excessive noise, the sound is loud enough for the brain to process, thereby keeping the brain active and hence the body.

Uncomfortable temperatures

Extremes in temperature can be very much of a nuisance. Too warm or too cold temperatures make sleep uncomfortable and affect the quality of sleep.  

Sleeping in an unfamiliar place

People form some kind of psychological attachment to their usual environments. A change of environment could cause disorientation in most people so that they are not able to sleep in places they are not used to.

Behavioral causes

Eating large meals close to bed-time

A certain kind of conflict of function is created when you try to sleep immediately after a heavy meal: while your body wants to digest the food you have eaten, you want to slow it down by sleeping. This creates a feeling of discomfort which could deprive you of a good night’s sleep.

Excessive use of substances that contain caffeine

Coffee, colas and most energy drinks contain caffeine which is a stimulant. A Stimulant is any drug that increases alertness, creates excitement and elevates mood. The presence of stimulants in the body will cause you not to feel sleepy even if you want to sleep.

 The use of alcohol also leads to sleep deprivation. In the initial stages of alcohol intake, it acts as a depressant, that is, it brings about drowsiness. But after a while, when it has been fully metabolized, its full stimulating effect sets in.

The overuse of tranquilizers as sleeping pills

Tranquilizers are drugs that help calm a person’s nerves and induce sleep. One could get addicted to them and may not be able to sleep without taking some. Again, some tranquilizers have long-lasting effects and keep the user drowsy throughout the day. On the other hand some tranquilizers work for a short time and their effects could wear off before normal waking time, bringing about termination insomnia.

Too much napping

Taking long naps within about five hours of normal bed-time is not advisable as one could have difficulty with sleep later in the night.

Sleeping in uncomfortable postures

Posture is very important when it comes to sleep. Putting undue pressure on your spine can make sleep disturbing. Also, curling up in a certain way could cause body ache and restrict adequate blood flow to certain parts of the body. All these can interfere with sleep.

Psychological/psychiatric causes

Ø  Depression

Ø  High stress levels

Ø  Mental illnesses like schizophrenia

Organic/biological causes

Physical ill-health

Illnesses such as ulcers, diabetes, kidney disease, and Parkinson’s disease are accompanied by severe forms of insomnia. Other minor illnesses like diarrhoea, headaches, and tooth-ache also deprive a person of good sleep.

How to deal with insomnia

 People suffering from insomnia should adopt these measures to get rid of it. However, medical attention must be sought if experiencing chronic and more severe forms of insomnia since there may be a hidden organic cause.

The best way to deal with insomnia is to prevent it in the first place. The measures below should be followed if one wants to prevent insomnia. First and foremost understand that your body serves you very well; it does everything you want it to do without complaining and because of this the best gift you could give to it in return is to give it adequate refreshing sleep every night so that it will be healthy and continue to remain a loyal friend to you.

Ø  The most important thing to do to prevent or cure insomnia is simply finding out what things prevent you from sleeping well and doing away with them. If you do a careful investigation you will be able to identify these ‘sleep-stealers’ and that is a big step to take towards giving yourself better sleep.

Ø  Maintain a regular uninterrupted sleep schedule for some time till your body gets used you it. Try to go to bed at the same time everyday and wake up at the same time. This helps reset your circadian rhythm or simply body clock. When your body adjusts to a regular sleep schedule, you are less likely to suffer sleep problems. But remember that the best thing to do is to go to bed early and rise early: 10 pm to 5am is highly recommended.

Ø  Sleep in a posture that is comfortable for you and does not distort the natural curve of your spine. Some experts say that the best position to sleep in is on the side, but recent findings indicate that any position that does not put undue pressure on the spine is appropriate. The spinal cord is not perfectly straight but has a slight curve outwards below the neck and also curves inwards towards the lower back. The best is to maintain this curve when sleeping. Though you may roll over and change positions it is good to try. This article cannot give extensive education on sleep posture but here are a few tips:

·         Always have a pillow below your head.

·         Do not curl up like a ball.

·         If you sleep with your face down have another pillow just below your waist.

Ø  Avoid heavy meals and cut down on late-night snacks before bedtime. Some experts recommend that you should not eat at least three hours before you go to sleep.

Ø  Stop the intake of caffeine and alcohol.

Ø  Know what environmental conditions are conducive for sleep and put them in place. E.g; low music, dim lights, etc.

Ø  Avoid napping within five to eight hours before bedtime.

Ø  Allow your body to sleep naturally instead of relying on sleeping-pills. And if sleeping-pills are prescribed by a doctor, take exactly the prescribed dosage and discontinue use as soon as you are able to sleep well. This will help prevent dependence on them.

I hope this article will make a huge difference in your sleep conditions for the better. And remember that getting adequate sleep at night keeps you more alert during the day and increases performance.

Sources

www.sleeping-with-a-sleeping-disorder.com/insomnia

www.health24.com/medical/condition_centres

BY: ABIGAIL ADUKPO