To my dear colleagues

This is my last blog and I want to apologize for and “fix” what I have done to some of you, especially Hassan, in my previous blogs. So, I thought that discussing the “loss of appetite” and its treatment might be of little help.

Loss of appetite is a common disorder and in medical field we call it “Anorexia”. The most common causes of this disorder are unhealthy lifestyle, wrong eating habits, some medications,  and “reading my previous blogs”. So, concentrating on lifestyle and eating habits may alleviate anorexia. Also, there are some effective remedies that usually help in anorexia.

There are some physical and psychological factors that may cause anorexia. Physical causes may include faulty eating habits, usage of certain medications and unhealthy lifestyle.

·         Inappropriate eating habits:

•   skipping meals

• following a restricted diet

•  intake of high fat foods

•  excessive use of spices or oil

·         There is a huge number of medications that may cause loss of appetite, for example:

•  Non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs, such as Ibuprofen

•  some antibiotics

·         Unhealthy lifestyle

•  going to bed right after having meal

• repression of hunger

•  sedentary lifestyle

In addition, there are some psychological causes such as depression, stress, and anxiety. It is also possible that any personal tragedy may contribute in losing appetite. Other causes may include strict work schedules, relationship crisis, and feeling of loneliness.

Prolonged anorexia may cause malnutrition which causes some physical conditions. For example, fatigue, dizziness, giddiness, and physical weakness. In addition, malnutrition may lead to some serious health conditions. For example, body may become more vulnerable towards diseases and infections. It may also lead to many disorders of digestive system. Also it may harm the organs of body, for example liver, kidney or heart. 

Anorexia remedies:

•  one teaspoon of lime juice, one teaspoon juice of ginger, a pinch of salt. It should be blended together and should be used two times per day. This remedy is believed to be effective in appetite restoration

• a pinch of fine powder of ginger and a pinch of salt to be sprinkled on a slice of orange. Eat 2 to 3 slices daily.

In conclusion, the aforementioned loss of appetite’s remedies are the most effective treatment, but improvement in eating habits and lifestyle is also very important for restoration of appetite. For instance, avoid intake of fluids during eating a meal, do not skip meals, avoid to eat large meals and, reduce the use of spices. Also avoid sedentary lifestyle and eat when you are hungry. In addition, stress reduction is also advised. In case of psychological disturbance, seek medical supervision to get rid of the problem.

At the end, I would like to thank you all for giving me the chance to share with you a brief information about some diseases and its management. Again, I apologize and hope that this blog fixed your problem with appetite and the next pictures are my last effort to restore your appetite :)

References:

Costin, C. (2007). The eating disorder sourcebook: A comprehensive guide to the causes, treatments, and prevention of eating disorders. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Brownell, K. D., & Foreyt, J. P. (1986). Handbook of eating disorders: Physiology, psychology, and treatment of obesity, anorexia, and bulimia. New York: Basic Books.

Trigazis, L., Tennankore, D., Vohra, S., & Katzman, D. K. (January 01, 2004). The use of herbal remedies by adolescents with eating disorders. The International Journal of Eating Disorders, 35, 2, 223-8.

Management of Diarrhea

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Management of Diarrhea

 

            According to Ahmed’s suggestion, my blog today is going to be about diarrhea. Diarrhea is a very common gastrointestinal disease. It is usually not a serious condition and most people have it at least once or twice per year. It ranges from a simple bowel movement to more dangerous condition such as bleeding and severe dehydration. Usually, it lasts two to three days and it can be treated by over the counter medications OTC medications and some appropriate measures such as fluid intake. Diarrhea can be classified as osmotic, secretory, and exudative.

1. Osmotic diarrhea occurs when there is something in the intestine that is drawing water into the bowels. Sorbitol, for example, is not absorbed by the body which means that it will stay in the intestine and draws water with it which will cause diarrhea. This type of diarrhea is very common after chewing gum that contains sugar substitutes such as sorbitol.

2. Secretory diarrhea means that there is abnormal increase in water secretion in the bowel due to many causes such as infections and the use of some medications.

3. Exudative diarrhea occur when there is a blood and pus in the stool due to some inflammatory bowel diseases and infections.

The most common cause of diarrhea is virus infection, usually mild and last two to three days, which is sometimes called intestinal flu. There are some other causes which include:

• Infection by bacteria (it is the common cause of food poisoning)
• Infections by other organisms such as parasitic infections
• Laxative abuse; some people use laxatives excessively which cause diarrhea
• Eating foods that upset the digestive system
• Allergies to certain foods
• Medications
• Digestive tract surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Diseases of the intestines which accompanied by inflammation, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
• Malabsorption (defect in the body’s absorption of some nutrients)
• Alcohol abuse
• Hyperthyroidism (abnormal increase of thyroid hormone secretion in the body)
• Some cancers (especially cancers that affect the bowel)

Prolonged diarrhea can deplete water and electrolytes from the body causing dehydration, which can cause severe complications if not treated. There are some symptoms of dehydration and when it occur, it is very important for the patient to seek a medical intervention. These symptoms include:

1. in adults:

• Dark urine
• Small amount of urine
• Rapid heart rate
• Headaches
• Dry skin
• Irritability
• Confusion

2. in young children:

• Dry mouth and tongue
• Sunken eyes or cheeks
• No or decreased tear production
• Decreased number of wet diapers
• Irritability
• Skin that stays pinched and does not  flatten out after being pinched

Diarrhea in mild cases usually goes away without any need for medications. However, there are a number of over the counter medications that can be used such as Pepto-Bismol, Imodium A-D, and Kaopectate, which are available as liquids or tablets. It is very important to prevent dehydration by drinking a lot of fluids, at least eight glasses per day, such as fruit juice without pulp, broth, soda (without caffeine), Chicken broth (without the fat), tea with honey, and sports drinks. In some cases diarrhea is dangerous and need medical intervention. For example, when it affect very young or very old people, continues for many weeks, or contains blood. 

References:

Johnson, K. (2012, July 20). Diarrhea Causes and Treatments - WebMD. WebMD - Better information. Better health. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-diseases-diarrhea?page=2

Motarjemi, Y., Steffen, R., & Binder, H. J. (2012). Preventive strategy against infectious diarrhea--a holistic approach. Gastroenterology, 143(5), 516-9.

Sandhu, D. K., & Surawicz, C. (2012). Update on chronic diarrhea: a run-through for the clinician. Curr Gastroenterol Rep, 14(5), 421-7.

Home remedies for constipation

This video explains how you can manage constipation at home

Constipation Management

Constipation is hard to define but there is an agreement that if someone is defecating less than three times per week is considered having constipation. Constipation  is considered one of the most common gastrointestinal problems that affects nearly everybody during his life. It affects all age groups, even infants. It ranges from simple straining to most dangerous diseases such as cancer. It is considered a warning sign of many serious complications such as bleeding, hemorrhoids, and colon cancer. There are many causes that may trigger constipation. Better understanding of the cause will give better judgment in choosing the suitable remedies.

Most of these causes include:

1. Intestinal obstruction due to cancer or structural defect. This causes a narrowing of the colon which block the passage of stool.

2. Slow intestinal movement due to colon dilatation or paralysis.

3. Insufficient fluids or fibers intake. If someone does not drink sufficient amount of fluids, his intestine will reabsorb fluids which will make stool very hard.

4. Physical inactivity will slow the movement of the intestine.

5. Using some medications. There are a huge amount of medications which may cause constipation. For example, over the counter drugs that may cause constipation are Antidiarrheals, NSAIDS, some antacids, Ca supplements, and Iron supplements. While example of prescription medications that cause constipation include: Furosemide, Verapamil, Dicyclomine, Levodopa, Chlorpromazine, Codeine, and Morphine.

6. Psychological problems.

7. Abnormalities in the nervous system.

There are many complications of constipation. For example, long term residence of stool in the colon will give bacteria an opportunity to decompose fiber and produce more gases which cause a condition called bloating. Another complication of constipation is death due to too much straining in heart failure patient which puts a lot of pressure on the heart.

The objectives of constipation management are to treat the cause if it known, to increase intestinal movements to help pushing the stool out, and alteration of nutrition methods. Patients are encouraged to increase fluid consumption, eat foods that have high fibers contents, and exercise regularly to enhance intestinal movements. After following these measures, most patient should recover without significant problems. However, if constipation still exists, there are many medications that might help such as laxatives.

References:
1. Di Palma JA. Expert commentary--new developments in the treatment of constipation. MedGenMed. Jan 1 2005;7(1):17.
2. Longstreth GF, Thompson WG, Chey WD, Houghton LA, Mearin F, Spiller RC. Functional bowel disorders. Gastroenterology. Apr 2006;130(5):1480-91.
3. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/184704-overview#aw2aab6b2b5