Identifying Strep Throat Symptoms

Strep throat symptoms are usually easy to spot. Strep throat is a local bacterial infection with group A streptococcus bacteria. Strep throat needs specific medical treatment that consists of antibiotics and analgesics. Unlike the symptoms of sore throat, strep throat symptoms are more intense and often include fever, headaches, inflammation of the tonsils and swelling of the lymph nodes. Sore throat is caused by viral infections and in most cases doesn't need special medical care. On the other hand, strep throat is considered to be a serious illness that can lead to complications. (sinusitis, tonsillitis) and therefore needs appropriate treatment and special medical care.

The bacteria responsible for causing strep throat are very contagious and they can be contracted by sneezing, coughing or physical contact. A person infected with group A streptococcus bacteria can easily contaminate other persons simply by breathing close to them. The bacteria responsible for strep throat are airborne and even an impeccable personal hygiene can't prevent the infection from occurring.

Anyone can get strep throat, especially accompanied by a cold or flu. Although strep throat mostly occurs in children and teenagers, adults can get strep throat just as well. The first strep throat symptoms resemble those of sore throat: throat pain and discomfort, inflammation of the tonsils, nausea, fatigue and poor appetite. However, strep throat symptoms are more intense and in many cases include: high fever, throat swelling and inflammation, difficulties in swallowing, swelling and inflammation of the tonsils (sometimes the tonsils may be covered in pus), swelling and tenderness of lymph nodes (the glands in the upper region of the neck), the presence of white patches in the throat, rash, abdominal pain and discomfort, vomiting and diarrhea. Most strep throat symptoms aren't very serious and if an appropriate treatment is prescribed in time, they ameliorate within the first days of treatment.

Strep throat symptoms that are considered to be medical emergencies are: high fever, severe dehydration, pronounced difficulty in swallowing, difficulty in breathing, pronounced swelling of the neck, throat bleeding. It is very important to quickly seek medical help when you reveal the presence of these strep throat symptoms. Even if the strep throat symptoms aren't very serious, it is advised to maintain permanent connection with your physician and inform him about the progression of the illness. With appropriate antibiotic treatment, strep throat symptoms should be considerably diminished after the first 3-4 days. If the illness persists and strep throat symptoms don't seem to ameliorate, the doctor might consider changing the treatment.

Pay careful attention to strep throat symptoms and make sure you follow the doctor's exact indications. Also, don't interrupt the treatment unless your physician tells you to do so. Strep throat needs at least ten days of continuous treatment with antibiotics in order to heal properly.

What To Do for Tendonitis Treatment - Doctor or Self Care?

The Different Kinds of Tendonitis

Depending upon which joint you move that is effected by tendinitis will generate many different signs and symptoms. Some of these will include mild swelling, pain and also tenderness. It depends on where the pain is located that really creates a concern. Another concern is depending upon the type of tendonitis you have will determine the tendonitis treatment that is necessary.

Golfers elbow, tennis elbow, swimmers shoulder and jumpers knee are some of the common names that are associated with tendonitis. Depending upon what you have will determine the treatment.

Pain that emerges on the outer side of the forearm (located close to the elbow) when the forearm is rotated or one tries to grab hold of an item is associated with tennis elbow. Achilles tendonitis causes pain to develop right above the heel.

if you are suffering from Adductor tendonitis, you are going to feel a pain in your groin area. Patellar tendonitis is an excruciating pain directly below the knee cap. Shoulder pain can be associated with rotator cuff tendonitis.

Some Tendonitis Treatments

A patient wants to find a treatment that is going to stop the pain from happening over and over again, and also find a way to keep the inflammation down. There are really two trains of thought when it comes to this. One is doctor prescribed and the other is taking care of it at your home yourself.

If the pain and inflammation is severe a doctor may use a corticosteroid injection. Having these injections repeatedly can cause damage and weaken the tendon.

Another tendinitis treatment that is commonly prescribed by doctors is physical therapy sessions as well as exercise. This will help to strengthen the affected muscles and joints. Sometimes when they tendon has been severely torn surgery may become necessary.

The removal of damaged tendons aids in the formation of healthy tissue. Certain patients are lucky enough to gain full function and reduced pain through the repair of a "full-thickness" tendon tear.

Treat Tendonitis at Home

People have used the word RICE to help them treat their tendonitis symptoms at home. The word RICE stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. When mild symptoms are occurring this procedure seems to work very well. Sometimes this procedure can actually avoid additional medical costs.

Lets talk about how to use RICE effectively. First thing you must do is protect the problem area. This can be done using crutches, elastic wraps, splints, slings, and canes. These are just a few of the items that can be used to protect the injured and affect their. What these do is actually promote the healing process and will prevent any additional injury. You must rest the affected area by cutting back on your activities that will make the pain worse and cause more inflammation. Ice is used to help reduce the amount of muscle spasms and also the swelling.

An elastic wrap, such as an Ace bandage, can be used to provide compression. Compression is a means of reducing swelling and keeping the joint in its proper position. In some cases, a splint may be used to keep the joint from moving. Then keep the joint elevated to reduce the blood flow, which will help with swelling and pain.

In many cases, rest and medication helps to lessen the inflammation and pain of tendonitis. A collection of exercises and preventive treatment for tendonitis will help to maintain a normal range of motion regarding the joints.

When your tendonitis symptoms go from mild to severe and the current treatments are not providing relief a more severe approach may become necessary. Surgical restoration of the affected joint may be the best tendonitis treatment. But this would be only a last resort if all else fails.

What Causes Upper Stomach Pain and Bloating?

Bloating or pain in the upper stomach can cause severe discomfort and is indicative of problems in digestion. This occurs when gas gets trapped under the abdominal cavity resulting in tightness and cramps. It may occur occasionally due to food habits or irregular meal times. However, if it occurs often, then it requires medical attention.

Common causes of bloating are mentioned below:

Obstruction in the intestine: There are high chances of a total or partial obstruction in the intestine due to tumor growth, scar tissues or gall stones formation. This results in cramping, vomiting, bloating and digestion problems.

Gastritis: If there is swelling in the stomach lining, then the individual experiences pain in the upper part of the stomach which comes along with bloating, nausea or a sensation of burning in the chest. Alcohol intake, mental stress and medicinal side effects can lead to this condition.

Lactose Intolerance: If the digestive system of a person is unable to break down lactose, then it remains undigested and then becomes fermented over time leading to pain.

IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome): This is a disorder in the gastrointestinal tract. The large intestine becomes sensitive to gas formation and leads to disruption in the bowel movements. As a result, the patient suffers from constant constipation and diarrhea due to which he suffers cramps or bloating of the intestine.

Celiac Disease: This disease causes problems with the inner lining of the small intestine due to which food containing gluten, like rye, barley or wheat, cannot be digested. This leads to constant vomiting, nausea and bloating.

Herniated Discs in Dogs and Treatment Options

What a Herniated Disc Is

The disc that sets between the spinal vertebrae ruptures when the dog has a herniated disc. When the disc ruptures the gel-like material on the inside of it seeps out. This material then can become hardened and calcified, which lessens its shock-absorption ability. Pressure can cause this hardened substance to explode or bulge into the spinal canal nearby, where the spinal cord is located. This is the process that is known as herniation. This can result in pain and elevate to feeling loss or paralysis.

Treatment Options for Herniated Discs in Dogs

There is more than one treatment option for the dogs when a herniated disc happens. If the dog is still moving then prednisone can be given to the dog. Treatment with this will lessen the swelling around the spinal cord which is causing the pain and making it unpleasant for the dog to move. This treatment can take the place of surgery sometimes. The dog should not however stay on this treatment too long because steroids like the prednisone can have negative side effects that can cause the dog problems.

The veterinarian could instead recommend limited activity and rest for the dog. This will decrease the amount of stress that dog's back is being put through. Of course this treatment and the prednisone are only for mild cases where the dog can still walk.

In the event your dog cannot walk or other treatments have not worked, the doctor will most likely want to operate. He will order various diagnostic procedures to be preformed first though. This surgery will help take the pressure off the dog's spinal cord which is brought on by the hardened gel and other debris.

A great percentage of the dogs do quite well with the surgery, if the nerve damage is not too severe and it is caught soon enough. Rehabilitation is also part of this treatment. Rehabilitation for dogs could involve exercises and underwater treadmills to improve muscular strength. This could also improve how the dog in functioning neurologically.

The major problem with herniated discs is that they can keep happening. As long as there is a healthy disc left it can become herniated. There are some breeds of dogs that have more of a tendency towards this problem than others. The body weight should be kept down in the dogs that are predisposed to this problem. Any dog is good physical health can recover from this problem better than one in poor physical condition.

Also instead of regular neck collars use the chest harness kind. The neck collars can cause stress on the neck. The dogs also should not have jarring motions happen to the back such as jumping off of the furniture.

When you are suspecting problems contact the veterinarian immediately.

Cellulite Treatment - Can Endermology Be a Cure?

Cellulite won't kill you; it's not as hazardous as obesity or heart disease. But the ill-effects of cellulite are felt and suffered by women everywhere. Fat and dimpled skin on thighs is nothing to be cheery about. If left untreated, cellulite often ages the skin and causes wrinkles. Cellulite often causes swelling and gives the skin a rounded look. The rounded look is the not the sign of a healthy skin, it indicates problems with skin connective tissues underneath. One cellulite treatment available today, out of the many other treatments, is endermology.

Endermology is the first cellulite treatment to be approved by the FDA, to claim to reduce cellulite. In a normal endermology session, which is usually done in spas and gyms, a massage machine with two rollers is used to gently rub the fat. When the fat is rubbed this way, it causes the fat to fold, which leads to reduction in body size and measurements. To achieve best results using this treatment 14 to 28 initial treatments are needed. Each session lasts about 30 minutes and needs to be done once or even twice a week to be effective. Results won't be seen immediately. You might need six to eight treatments before you start to see results.

Unlike liposuction, endermology is a non surgical cellulite treatment. But best results are seen in women when it is used in conjunction with diet and exercise. Sometimes regular sessions can cause soreness and bruising in the area. And endermology sessions don't come cheap, so not everyone might prefer this treatment. This treatment can be done only by a qualified endermologist. It is up to you, the patient to decide if the discomfort and expense is worth the cure.

Puffy Face During Pregnancy - Is It Normal? Causes and Symptoms

Many women suffer from a puffy face during pregnancy. Normally we assume they've gained weight or are retaining excess water, since weight gain with pregnancy is normal and will often show itself in the face among other places. In fact, during the third trimester, most women wake up each morning with a swollen face. This is due to increased circulation, and is often not harmful. There are however, some causes of that need to be taken very seriously. Preeclampsia can cause a puffy face during pregnancy. This condition can be very dangerous, and if you suspect you may have it, a call to the doctor is recommended.

Characterized by edema (excess water retention), hypertension, protein in the urine (proteinuria), and sudden rapid weight gain, preeclampsia must be monitored closely. A swollen face, along with swollen hands, ankles and feet, is typical of edema. An easy test is to press in the tips your fingers and make an indention. If the flesh stays depressed longer than normal, it can be a sign of edema.

Treatment may include bed rest, elevation of legs, water increase, and avoiding salt. If these symptoms accompany mental confusion, headaches, or other neurological signs, get to your doctor or hospital right away. Dehydration can also cause a puffy face during pregnancy. When you don't take in enough water, the body tries to retain the small amount it has. Therefore the blood vessels enlarge and boom! you end up with a swollen face.

Stay away from alcohol, caffeine, and excess sodium, and watch your urine color. If it's too yellow, drink more water.

Lack of vitamin C and/or beta carotene are other causes of puffy face while pregnant.

Puffy face during pregnancy should be diagnosed with every possibility. Make sure you take pregnancy vitamin supplements (as recommended by your doctor), and eat foods rich in Vitamin C, and all other required vitamins and minerals.

Due to belly size, leg pain, and other conditions, women find it hard to sleep during the last stages of pregnancy. Alas, if you don't get enough sleep, you may wake up with a swollen face. Lack of sleep is probably the most common cause of a puffy face during pregnancy. If you can't get comfortable in bed, try a big comfy chair. If you can't sleep at night, sleep during the day. If other children keep you up, ask a friend to babysit a few hours so you can get your needed rest.