ALL ABOUT YOUR HEALTH!

So, what do we understand by this?

Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective layer membrane that covers the brain and the spinal cord. Anyone can get meningitis, from small babies to older people, and it can be very severe, causing brain and spinal cord damage and long lasting disabilities.

Meningitis is caused by various agents, like bacteria (Neisseria meningitidis, pneumococcal bacteria, and bacteria causing tuberculosis), viruses such as HSV, chickenpox, and other harmless viruses. An infection caused by the HSV, chicken pox viruses, or bacterial meningitis is considered an absolute emergency that needs immediate treatment with antiviral or antibacterial drugs. Meningitis caused by bacteria can be treated by giving antibiotics, depending on the  bacteria that caused the meningitis in the first place, and it should be an antibiotic that can pass through the brain-brain barrier.

Before we delve into the topic, it is important to state that, meningitis can be prevented through vaccination. The meningitis vaccine can be given to children from the age of 12 months and all other age groups, especially those living within the meningitis belt. So, what exactly is the meningitis belt? These are the regions in Africa that are highly affected by meningitis, hence, a recommendation for the meningitis vaccine for kids of the age of 12 months as well as a pneumococcal vaccine.

Meningitis is spread by respiratory secretions through sneezing, coughing or kissing. In some cases, we do have meningitis carriers who can spread the infection yet they don’t suffer from it.

Children are mostly affected by bacterial variants, for example, the pneumococcal variant, which is also the leading cause of pneumonia.

What are some of the signs and symptoms of meningitis?

• Headaches
• high fever
• nausea and vomiting
• irritability to light
• confusion
• seizures
• paralysis
• Drowsiness or unresponsiveness
• stiff neck
• a rash that does not fade

The symptoms do not appear in any order and to some extent, some patients do not show any of the of the signs or symptoms stated above.

The incubation period for bacterial meningitis is around 2  to approximately 4 days but can also extend to 10 days. It is very important to recognise bacterial meningitis at an early stage and begin with antibiotic medication, as it is crucial because it can quickly end in death within hours or days.

The incubation period for viral meningitis is around 2 to 14 days. It mostly begins acutely, lasting a few hours to a few days. HSV or chickenpox virus caused meningitis, also needs early therapy with antiviral drugs. Other less harmless viruses that cause meningitis can heal by themselves after a couple of days to weeks. But since we cannot differentiate which viral infection or bacterial infection is causing meningitis, it’s always advisable to seek medical advice.

Let’s delve into the diagnosis of meningitis

• clinical examination through your physician
• inspection of your skin
• examination of the meningitis sign
• blood tests and microscopic examination of a blood stain
• Lumbar puncture to collect cerebrospinal fluid for microscopic examination
• in some cases, a CT-Scan can be necessary before the lumbar puncture. This is important in situations where symptoms such as unresponsiveness, loss of consciousness neurological symptoms that show suspicion of intracranial pressure signs are present.

So how do you treat a meningitis?

• Early antibacterial treatments
• supplementing the treatment with the antiviral treatments by suspicion of viral meningitis
• cortisone in cases of intracranial pressure suspicion
• supportive therapy such as
• giving paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain or fever’s
• Therapies for seizures in cases where epileptic seizures have been reported.
• giving blood thinners in cases of septic thrombosis

Exposed people to those affected with bacterial meningitis are also given a prophylactic antibacterial medication to help reduce the Spread.

It is crucial to always begin an early antibacterial or antiviral therapy because if meningitis is not treated properly or early enough it could lead to severe long-term problems such as:

• Hearing or vision losses
• problems with memory and concentration
• recurrent seizures afterwards
• problems with coordination, movement, and balance
• loss of limbs due to necessity of an amputation of affected limbs

Always seek medical advice and remember prevention is better than cure, so do get vaccinated as well as your children.

Cancer of the cervix happens when normal cells in the cervix change into abnormal cells and grow out of control. Most people whose cervical cancer is found and treated early do very well. The cervix is the bottom part of the uterus, where it meets the vagina. The cervix is composed of two main types of cells. The outer layer of the cervix is covered with cells called squamous cells. Squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix is the name for a cancer that affects these cells. The cervix also includes glandular cells, which line the canal of the cervix that leads into the uterus. These cells can also become cancerous; when they do, they are called adenocarcinoma of the cervix. Although they arise from different types of cells, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the cervix are treated similarly in the early stages.

Risk Factors

Most cervical cancers are caused by infection with a virus called human papillomavirus. HPV is spread by direct skin-to-skin contact, includi ng sexual intercourse, oral sex, anal sex, or any other contact involving the genital area (eg, hand-to-genital or mouth-to-genital contact). HPV infection can also cause a noncancerous condition called condyloma, which is caused by genital warts.

HPV infection is very common. Approximately 75 to 80 percent of sexually active adults will acquire a genital HPV infection before the age of 50. There are many types of HPV, and these affect different areas of the body. Most HPV infections are temporary because the body’s immune system effectively clears the infection.

Risk factors for cervical cancer include:

• Smoking tobacco
• Increasing number /constant change of sexual partners. The greater your number of sexual partners and the greater your partner’s number of sexual partners, the greater your chance of getting HPV.
• Early sexual activity. Having sex at an early age increases your risk of HPV.
• Bad sexual hygiene
• Other sexually transmitted infections.
• A weakened immune system, e.g HIV/AIDS
• Genetic prädisposition
• Exposure to miscarriage prevention medicine. If your parent took a medicine called diethylstilbestrol, also known as DES, while pregnant, your risk of cervical cancer might be increased. This medicine was used in the 1950s to prevent miscarriage. It’s linked to a type of cervical cancer called clear-cell adenocarcinoma.

Symptoms

Typically, cervical cancer develops slowly over several years. In some cases, the cancer does not cause any symptoms, while in others, it causes abnormal vaginal bleeding or discharge. This can include vaginal bleeding between menstrual periods, bleeding after sex, or bleeding after menopause. This bleeding may be spotting or heavy bleeding.

Other symptoms may include:

• Menstrual bleeding that is heavier and lasts longer than usual.
• Watery, bloody vaginal discharge that may be heavy and have a foul odor.
• Pelvic pain or pain during intercourse.

Diagnosis

Pap testing and human papillomavirus (HPV) testing are commonly used together to screen for cervical cancer. If a Pap test shows abnormal cells, further testing is essential, as treatment of abnormal cells of the cervix can prevent cervical cancer. A biopsy of the cervix involves removing a small piece of tissue from the cervix. The biopsy is performed during an office visit using a procedure called colposcopy. The colposcope, which is similar to a large magnifying lens, magnifies the view of the cervix. This allows the clinician to better see the location, extent, and degree of cervical abnormalities that may not be visible with the naked eye alone.

The tissue obtained during the biopsy is examined with a microscope to see if cervical cancer cells are present. In some cases, more of the cervix will need to be removed for biopsy; this is done through a procedure called cervical conization or a cone biopsy. This can be done either in the operating room by a surgeon using a scalpel or in the office using a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). LEEP is performed with a device that uses an electric current to remove a piece of the cervix. You will usually get the results of the biopsy one to two weeks after the biopsy is done.

CT-scan or MRI of the Pelvis Region: to determine spreading of the tumor to other organs or regions of the body.

Treatment

Cervical cancer can be treated in different ways:

• Surgery: Some cases of cervical cancer are treated with surgery to remove the cancer. Different types of surgery can involve:
• Removing the cervix, uterus, and upper part of the vagina is called a “radical hysterectomy.”
• Removing all or part of the cervix but leaving the uterus in place—this surgery is done only in special situations.
• Radiation therapy: Radiation kills cancer cells.
• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is the medical term for medicines that kill cancer cells or stop them from growing. People with cervical cancer usually receive chemotherapy at the same time as radiation therapy.

Prevention

Cervical cancer can be prevented through:

• HPV Vaccination.
• Routine Pap tests.
• Practicing safe sex.
• Proper Hygiene
• Avoid cigarette smoking.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs that is mostly caused by bacterial infections but can also be caused by viral infections. It is the most common reason for deaths in developing and in industrial nations.

In Kenya, pneumonia is responsible for approximately one in five children’s deaths. It claims approximately 8,000 to 10,000 children’s lives annually.

Pneumonia takes about two to four weeks before healing. For small children and older people people with lung and heart conditions, the infection will take longer and even probably require hospitalization due to the severity of their conditions.

As mentioned earlier, pneumonia is caused by vectors such as bacteria and viruses, and in patients with a reduced immune system, pneumonia can also be caused by fungi.

Some of the factors that increase susceptibility to pneumonia infections include:

• age factors such as young babies and older people
• seasonal factors like rainy and cold seasons
• Prior medical history such as asthma in COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease),

Pneumonia can be categorized into:

• community-acquired pneumonia: the most common bacteria are pneumococcal, and Haemophilus influenza, others include: Chlamydophila pneumococcal, Mycoplasma pneumococcal, Legionella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

-Viruses such as: Influenza, RSV, and Corona Virus

• Hospital-acquired pneumonia: the most common bacteria for these are Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcal.
• Pneumonia on patients with a reduced immune system.

mostly caused by minor bacteria and fungi

• Neonatal Pneumonia

Let’s look at signs and symptoms of pneumonia:

• Fever
• Coughing up yellow or green mucus
• Chest pains and pains while breathing
• Aching of the body, joints and headaches
• Exhaustion
• Loss of appetite
• Wheezing while breathing
• Confusion and hallucinations in older patients or due to certain viral infections like influenza

Now that we know the signs and symptoms to look out for, let’s dive into how we diagnose pneumonia:

• Clerking: this is when the doctor asks general questions about your cough, including when the symptoms started and any prior medical history
• the doctor checking for signs like strenuous breathing and blueness of the lips and tongue, this is due to less oxygen intake in the lungs.
• The doctor will do a physical examination using his stethoscope to determine the different sounds of the lungs while breathing
• Blood tests: this helps to determine between a viral and a bacterial infection. In the case of a bacterial infection, the white blood cells and inflammation parameters are mostly high. In the case of a viral infection, the white blood cells and inflammation parameters will be normal or just very slightly elevated. In other cases, one could have both a viral and a bacterial infection, this is what you would call a superinfection in medical terms.
• X-ray: this helps to determine where exactly the pneumonia is located; for example, it could be on both sides of the lungs or just on one side.

Now that we know the different diagnostic steps, let’s have a look at how he treats pneumonia.

• Bacterial infections are always treated with antibiotics.
• Viral infections do not require antibiotics. Mostly, this kind of pneumonia just requires anti-inflammatory treatment with medications such as Ibuprofen, and paracetamol, and enough fluid intake.
• In case of a superinfection with a bacterium and a virus, antibacterial therapy will be required.
• In case of a fungal infection, antifungal therapy is required.

Please note that not all kinds of pneumonia require antibiotics, hence the need to draw blood to differentiate between a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection. This is crucial to avoid the high rise of resistance in antibiotic therapies.

We do say prevention is better than cure, so how can we reduce the frequency in which pneumonia occurs in our general population? The main method of pneumonia prevention, especially in small children and older patients is vaccination.

-small babies and children can be vaccinated against Haemophilus and pneumococcal disease at the age of two months. Older patients as well as patients with a reduced immune system can also prevent the severity of pneumonia by getting vaccines against the named bacteria above.

For more medical gems, keep at Doki’s Advice.

This is a malignant tumour found in the lining of the large intestines up to the rectum.

The large intestine is known for its role in the digestive system to absorb water and remove waste from the food we eat.

Colon and rectal cancer mostly occur at older age, but by a particular number of people who have certain gene mutations, this cancer can occur at an early age, for example, at 30 without them realising it.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the world and the second leading cause of death globally.

According to the data required from Globocan, there were an estimate of 1,354 new cases and 937 deaths from colorectal cancer in Kenya in 2018. Other data sources have noticed that there is a rise in colorectal cancer cases in Kenyan rural areas and that it is the fifth most common cancer in sub-Saharan Africa.

Let’s delve into factors that increase the risk of colorectal cancer:

• Genetic Factors:
  • Such as familial disposition
  • Familial polyposis syndrome: Families with this syndrome tend to have the growth of many polyps along the large intestines at a very young age. These polyps can with time, go through genetic mutations, causing them to be cancerous and hence leading to early-stage colorectal cancer. To note, with this syndrome, the growth of polyps can also occur in any part of the intestines.
  • Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer syndrome: This is also another genetic disease that increases the risk of colorectal cancer.
• Eating habits and lifestyle:
  • Smoking and excessive drinking of alcohol.
  • Obesity
  • Low fibre or high fat diet
  • Red meat or processed meat and foods

-Some protective factors would be:

• Exercise
• Eating foods rich in fibre, vegetables, and less meat
• Maintaining healthy weight

Now that we know the risks and protective factors, let’s have a look at the signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer:

• Most of the time, there are no characteristic early symptoms
• A constant change of bowel movements from Obstipation and diarrhoea
• Rectal bleeding: this can either be visible blood or non-visible, meaning it can only be detected by doing a faecal occult blood test.
• Persistent abdominal discomforts such as cramps passing gas or pain
• Unexplained weight loss within a short period of time
• Feeling like the bowl isn’t completely empty even after passing stool.
• Fatigue and weakness
• Unexplained Anaemia

So how do we diagnose colorectal cancer?

• A basic diagnostic is performing a digital rectal examination from your doctor. This is used to detect palpable Tumours just near or around the rectal and anal regions.
• Complete colonoscopy with biopsy: This is an examination of the whole large intestine with the possibility of taking biopsy samples to pathologically test the sample for tumours type.
• Rectoscopy for rectal cancer diagnosis.
• CT-Scan for staging purposes: is the tumour metastasized? if yes to what organs.
• Lab tests for tumour markers such as CEA as a control value especially while doing chemotherapy and years after remission.
• MRI-Scan: mostly in regard of rectal cancer.

After a proper diagnosis of colorectal cancer the next step would be to discuss with your oncologist and surgeon what the individual therapy plan will look like. This is determined by factors like

• how physically fit is the patient prior to therapy,
• is the patient eligible for surgery or not,
• size of the tumour
• is the tumour only at one spot or several spots in the bowel?
• does the tumour have certain genetic changes?
• Is prior Radio-chemotherapy necessary or not.

-Let have a look at the different therapy options

• Surgery: This is the option for tumours that are just locally on one spot or multiple tumours localised on the same segment of the large intestine. Some tumours could have spread to the liver but could still be operable when the metastasis is either singular or multiple but localised in the same area. Such factors would have to be considered by your surgeon.
• Chemotherapy: Some Tumours could be so large that prior chemotherapy is required to shrink them to an operable size.
• Radiotherapy: This is mostly done on rectal cancers since colon cancers are insensitive to radiation.

Which therapy regime each patient needs depends on some of the factors noted above. Some may need a Stoma bag after an operation. This will also be discussed with you during the planning stage for the therapy needed.

As always, seek medical advice and keep it Doki’s Advice for more info gems.

It does not in totality equate to dizziness but is a form of dizziness accompanied by a whirling, spinning sensation with a lack of postural stability or balance. Can be accompanied with Nausea and Vomiting

Vertigo can be a disease on its own, but it can also be a symptom of a chronic or acute condition.

For a better understanding, let’s remotely understand how balancing works. Balancing involves a complicated connection between the brain, inner ears, eyes, spine, and muscles. Disturbances, injuries, and infections of the above-mentioned can result in dizziness or vertigo.

Causes range from benevolent to life-threatening conditions.

Let’s start with the common ones:

Side effects of Medications such as antibiotics, chemotherapy, etc.

* Specific forms of migraines, like vestibular migraines.

*Motion Sickness.

peripheral Vertigo involving the inner ear (vestibular organ)

Today we focus on peripheral vertigo as a result of malfunctioning of the inner ear.

It’s important to note that the inner ear, being one of the smallest organs, has a complex ib structure with very many microscopic structures coordinating earing and balancing. We will spare you the details of how it works.

Peripheral vertigos include:

1. Benign paroxysmal positional Vertigo.

The most common vestibular disorders.

Vertigo or dizziness with acute onsets may last a few seconds to a few minutes.

The vertigo manifests itself with a change in body posture: turning in bed, movement of the head.

Trigger in layman’s tongue: irritation of the inner ear due to loose microscopic fragments detaching themselves from their fixation and circulating within the microscopic inner channels of the ear.

The diagnosis is clinical.

Therapy is the repositioning of detached fragments with physio—therapeutic special vertigo training.

2.Neuropathia Vestibularis.

Patients present with severe vertigo, mostly associated with nausea and vomiting and conspicuous loss of balance.

It is believed to be associated with an inflammation of the inner ear.

The diagnosis is also clinical after a thorough examination to rule out possible central causes.

Patients profit from steroids such as prednisolone and other symptomatic medications like vomex.

3.Meniere Disease.

Presents with a triad of tinnitus, loss of hearing, and severe vertigo.

Red flags of acute dizziness or vertigo:

In acute onsets, it is important for a clinician to note that most Vertigo’s are harmless. Underlying disorders may be overseen.

These include strokes of the brainstem, tumors, or even cardiac conditions.

It is important to rule out these conditions.

Using MRI scans. Long-term ECGs.

The most important thing is to always do a thorough clinical examination and a well-sourced patient’s history. When in doubt as a clinician, better do more tests than ignore your instincts.

Lastly, as a patient, before presenting yourself with dizziness, ask yourself simple questions like:

Did I hydrate well? Is my blood sugar okay?

And, as always, seek medical advice for better treatment.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Prostate cancer occurs in the prostate, which is a wall-nut-shaped gland in males. The function of the prostate is to produce seminal fluid that transports and nourishes sperm. Many prostate cancers grow slowly and are confined to the prostate gland, where they may not cause serious harm. However, while some types of prostate cancer grow slowly and may need minimal or even no treatment, other types are aggressive and can spread quickly. Prostate cancer, when detected early, has a better chance of being successful.

What are the risk factors for prostate cancer?

It’s not clear what causes prostate cancer. However, the following risk factors may play a role:

• Race: For reasons not yet determined, black people have a greater risk of prostate cancer than do people of other races. In black people, prostate cancer is also more likely to be aggressive or advanced.
• Obesity: People who are obese may have a higher risk of prostate cancer compared with people considered to have a healthy weight, though studies have had mixed results. In obese people, the cancer is more likely to be aggressive and more likely to return after initial treatment.
• Older age: Your risk of prostate cancer increases as you age. It’s most common after age 50.
• Family history: If a blood relative, such as a parent, sibling, or child, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, your risk may be increased. Also, if you have a family history of genes that increase the risk of breast cancer (BRCA1 or BRCA2) or a very strong family history of breast cancer, your risk of prostate cancer may be higher.

What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer may show no signs in its early stages.  When advanced, it may cause the following symptoms:

• Trouble urinating
• Decreased force in the stream of urine
• Blood in the urine
• Blood in the semen
• Bone pain
• Losing weight without trying
• Erectile dysfunction

What are the complications of prostate cancer?

• Metastasis: Spread to nearby organs, including the bones and bladder.
• Urinary Incontinence: Inability to control passage of urine
• Erectile dysfunction

How is prostate cancer diagnosed?

• PSA Testing: This is the most commonly used and most valuable test for early detection of prostate cancer. The likelihood of prostate cancer increases with more elevated PSA values.
• Age-specific ranges include
• 40 – 49 years (0 to 2.5ng/mL)
• 50–59 years (0 – 3.5 ng/mL)
• 60 – 69 years (0-4.5 ng/mL)
• 70–79 years (0 – 6.5bng/mL)
• Digital Rectal Examination (DRE): This involves the insertion of the digit finger into the rectum to assess for prostate enlargement. DRE may detect psotate nodules, induration, or asymemetry that can occur with prostate cancer.
• Transurethral ultrasound is often used to evaluate abnormalities detected on DRE.
• Prostate Biopsy: Depending on the findings of DRE, PSA, and prostate ultrasound, a biopsy of the prostate may be recommended. Biopsy is done to obtain tissues for histologic diagnosis. This is the definitive diagnosis for prostate cancer.

How is prostate cancer treated?

• Active Surveillance: This involves routine tests to check whether the cancer is starting to grow more quickly. If so, active treatment should be initiated.
• Surgery: This involves the removal of the prostate gland through surgery.
• Radiation Therapy: Radiation kills cancer cells. Radiation can be given from a machine that moves around the body or from a direct source to the prostate gland.
• Hormone Therapy: The male hormones are responsible for the growth of the prostate gland. Hormone therapy reduces the levels of the hormones and thus shrinks the cancer. Hormone therapy can be done through the removal of testicles or through medications.
• Chemotherapy: Advanced prostate cancer requires chemotherapy for complete treatment.

Remember to always seek medical advice from your practitioner.