ABCDE Rule of skin cancer

Using the ABCDE rule of skin cancer can help identify potential problems, including the most deadly form of skin cancer, melanoma.

A for Asymmetry:- Melanoma lesions are often not symmetrical in shape, while benign moles are usually symmetrical.

B for Border:- Benign moles usually have smooth, even borders, while melanoma lesions usually have irregular borders that are difficult to define.

C for Color:- A mole with more than one color (blue, black, brown, tan, etc.) or the uneven distribution of color can sometimes be a warning sign of melanoma. Benign moles are usually a single shade of brown or tan.

D for Diameter:- Melanoma lesions are often more than 6 millimeters in diameter, about the size of a pencil eraser.

E for Evolution:- The evolution of your moles is important. Knowing what is normal for you could save your life.

"If a mole or marking has gone through recent changes in color and/or size, bring it to the attention of your doctor immediately so he or she can determine the cause," Farma said. "Remember that skin cancer affects people of all skin tones, no matter what their complexion."

How to Get the Best Price for Your Medicines

Ask for a generic: Tell your pharmacist you want a generic medicine instead of the brand-name. You will pay less for a generic. Not all brand-name medicines have a generic, but many do.

Compare prices: Call or visit three different pharmacies. Give them the name of the medicine and ask how much it costs. Ask if they have a drug discount program that can help you pay less for your medicine. Buy your medicine from the pharmacy that gives you the cheapest price.

Sign up for patient assistance programs: Most companies that make medicines have programs that help people that don’t have a lot of money and do not have insurance to get brand-name medicines for free or at a low cost.

Amblyopia is also called “lazy eye.”

Amblyopia is also called “lazy eye.” It is an eye problem that starts in early childhood. Amblyopia is the most common cause of vision problems in children. It happens when one eye doesn’t work properly with the brain. The brain favors the eye that does work correctly. This causes a loss of vision in the other eye.

Amblyopia usually affects only one of the eyes. Sometimes it can affect both. It is important to detect amblyopia in your child early and treat it promptly. If you do, he or she most likely will not have long-term vision problems. Left untreated, it can cause severe vision problems, including legal blindness.

Symptoms of Ambylopia

1)   Eyes that don’t work together.

2)   One eye that wanders inward or outward.

3)   Squinting, shutting one eye, or tilting the head to look at something.

4)   Problems with depth perception.

5)   An upper eyelid that droops.

Causes of Ambylopia

Some children develop conditions that cause problems with their vision. These problems can cause the child to get a different picture from each eye. The child’s brain naturally tries to fix this problem by blocking out the weaker picture. If the problem is not fixed when the child is young, the child’s brain will always ignore pictures from the weak eye. This causes amblyopia.

Treatment of Ambylopia

Treatment for amblyopia involves the child using the weaker eye more. This helps the eye get stronger. To make the child use the weaker eye, he or she will wear an adhesive patch over the stronger eye. Most children wear their patches 2 to 6 hours a day.

Treatment usually lasts until vision is normal, or until vision stops getting better. For most children, this takes several weeks to several months. A few children need to use eye patches until they are 8 to 10 years old.

Food Allergy

Food allergy is an abnormal response to a food triggered by your body's immune system. The foods that most often trigger allergic reactions include fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts, such as walnuts. Problem foods for children can include eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and wheat.

The allergic reaction may be mild. In rare cases it can cause a severe reaction called anaphylaxis.

Many adults may experience symptoms similar to milk allergy, as adults often have trouble digesting the sugar in milk. This is called “lactose intolerance,” and it isn’t an allergy because it doesn’t involve the immune system. The symptoms of lactose intolerance are bloating, cramping, nausea, gas and diarrhea.

Symptoms of food allergy include

1)  Itching or swelling in your mouth

2)  Vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal cramps and pain

3)  Hives or eczema

4)  Tightening of the throat and trouble breathing

5)  Drop in blood pressure

Treatment of Food Allergy

There is no cure for food allergy. Once a true food allergy is diagnosed, avoid the food that caused it. If you have an allergy, you must read the labels on all the prepared foods you eat. Your doctor can help you learn how to avoid eating the wrong foods. If your child has food allergies, give the school and other caretakers instructions that list what foods to avoid and what to do if the food is accidentally eaten.

When you have food allergies, you must be prepared to treat an accidental exposure. Wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace, and carry an auto-injector device containing epinephrine (adrenaline).

Precautions for Anemia during chemotherapy

Anemia is when your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells. Some types of chemotherapy cause anemia. Having anemia can make you feel very tired or weak.

Try these tips when you feel tired or weak:

Save your energy in Anemia:- Choose the most important things to do each day.

Ask for help in Anemia:- When family or friends offer to help, let them. They can take you to the doctor, buy groceries, or make meals.

Balance rest with activity in Anemia:-Take short naps during the day. Short naps of less than 1 hour are best. Too much bed rest can make you feel weak. Sleep at least 8 hours every night. You may feel better if you take short walks or exercise a little every day.

Eat and drink well in Anemia:-

Talk with your doctor or nurse to learn what foods and drinks are best for you. You may need to eat high-protein foods. Meat, peanut butter, and eggs are good choices.

You may need to eat foods with iron. Red meat, leafy greens (such as collard greens and spinach), and cooked dried beans are good choices.

Most people need to drink at least 8 cups of liquid every day. Water and juice with extra water added are good choices.

Ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a form of arthritis that affects the joints in the spine. Its name comes from the Greek words ankylos, meaning stiffening of a joint, and spondylo, meaning vertebra. Spondylitis causes inflammation (redness, heat, swelling, and pain) in the spine or vertebrae. AS often involves an inflamed sacroiliac (SI) joint, where the spine joins the pelvis.

In some people, the condition can affect other joints. The shoulders, ribs, hips, knees, and feet can be affected. It can also affect places where the tendons and ligaments attach to the bones. Sometimes it can affect other organs such as the eyes, bowel, and very rarely, the heart and lungs.

Causes of Ankylosing spondylitis:-

The cause of Ankylosing Spondylitis is unknown. It’s likely that genes (passed from parents to children) and the environment both play a role. The main gene associated with the risk for Ankylosing Spondylitis is called HLA-B27. Having the gene doesn’t mean you will get Ankylosing Spondylitis. Fewer than 1 of 20 people with HLA-B27 gets Ankylosing Spondylitis. Scientists recently discovered two more genes (IL23R and ERAP1) that, along with HLA-B27, carry a genetic risk for Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis:-

1.  A medical history

2.  A physical exam

3.  X rays or MRIs

4.  Blood tests.

Medicines for Ankylosing Spondylitis include:-

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs):- These drugs relieve pain and swelling. Aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen are examples of NSAIDs.

Corticosteroids:- These strong drugs are similar to the cortisone made by your body. They fight inflammation.

Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs):- These drugs work in different ways to reduce inflammation in AS.

Biologic agents:- These are relatively new types of medicine. They block proteins involved with inflammation in the body.