The immune system consists of many different types of white blood cells that are all produced in the bone marrow.  Each white blood cell has a particular job that is important to the proper and effective functioning of the immune system.  I found many other valuable blogs written concerning allied health in an allied health blog.  If you are interested in a health care degree, there are many other important roles you might consider.

T lymphocytes become immunocompetant in the thymus and are able to defend against specific pathogens in the immune system.  Regulatory T cells are also developed in they thymus, particularly in the Hassall’s corpuscles, and are important for preventing autoimmune responses.

B cells are considered antibody-producing lymphocytes.  They are able to create antibodies that search out specific types of molecules that may be either good or bad for the body.  When the particular antibody is found, B cells will stick to it.  Other white blood cells circulating in the area will be able to identify if molecule is good or bad for the body.

Phagocytes also patrol the body and often attack microbes that are near a damaged part of the body.  Phagocytes will surround any foreign invader and will eat it.  If phagocytes are un able to ingest their targets they can release their toxic chemicals into the extracellular fluid.  This often causes the rapid destruction of the phagocyte and hopefully the pathogen.

Dendritic cells are found in every tissue of the body.  Their job is to take molecules to T cells and report if the molecule was found in an area of damage.  These cells monitor whatever enters the digestive tract and train the T cells to become either helper or regulatory lymphocytes.

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Every year it seems as though there is a new and more powerful strain of virus that can potentially wreak havoc on our health.  Have you ever wondered why and how these new strains occur?  To really appreciate why you should use antibiotics sparingly you must understand the enemy you are trying to kill- the bacteria.  While studying how to become a pharmacy technician, this was a subject of interest.

Bacteria and viruses are living things.  Like all living things they are capable of adapting and overcoming challenges that are placed upon them.  The more often an antibiotic is used the more able the bacteria are to build up resistance to it.

The agricultural industry is one of the leading users of antibiotics.  Low doses of antibiotics are used to improve the general health of live stock, increase reproduction, and reduce the death rate.   The greatest benefit of using antibiotics is that they help to increase the weight of an animal by 15 percent increasing the income potential for farmers.  However the regular use of antibiotics on the animals has created antibiotic resistant strains that have been found in supermarket samples of ground chicken, beef, turkey and pork.

To prevent antibiotic resistance, it is important to only use them when necessary and to complete the antibiotic treatment, even if the symptoms are gone.  Common colds do not require the use of antibiotics because they are viral in origin and are not caused from bacteria.  An antibiotic will have no effect on a virus.  Once an antibiotic treatment is started is taken it is important to take the prescribed dose over the entire length required.  This is because resistance can occur when antibiotics are not kept at high enough levels in the body for a sufficient amount of time.

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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is caused from the destruction of the myelin sheaths within the central nervous system.  These sheaths protect the nerves in the brain, optic nerves and spinal cord.  Myelin sheaths are composed mostly of fats.  This protective covering helps to insulate the nerves as well as preserve the speed of electrical transmissions.

People who suffer from MS have patchy areas in their sheaths that destroyed.  These destroyed areas are replaced by scar tissue, also called plaques.  This replacement is termed sclerosis.  Because it occurs in more than one area of the central nervous system, this disorder is termed multiple sclerosis.When the sheaths are destroyed and the plaque forms, electrical conduction becomes impaired.  This impairment reduces the transmission of nerve impulses within the affected area.  This disease can become severe if the inner cables of the nerves are destroyed.  Often when this happens the damage becomes irreversible. The symptoms of MS can be unpredictable and varies greatly from person to person.  A person with sclerosis of the optic nerves may have vision impairment.  Whereas, a person with sclerosis of the nerves that control the muscles may experience weakness, muscle spasms and even paralysis.  There can be a combination of symptoms that can change over time.

There are two major forms of MS- relapsing/remitting and chronic/progressive.  Relapsing MS afflicts about 70 percent of MS patients.  People with relapsing MS can experience periods of normal health and periods of attacks.  The remission time of normal health can be short or long.  Very rarely is the remission ever permanent.  In chronic/progressive MS a person’s symptoms will gradually worsen without remission.  With this type of MS on average the survival rate is 35 years.  The gradual destruction of the myelin sheaths will eventually result in a combination of nerve, muscle, and possibly brain damage.  Supportive therapies have made it possible for many people who suffer with this condition to live fairly normal lives for many years.

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The third leading cause of death in North America is from cerebrovascular accidents also known as strokes.  A stroke is the most common nervous system disorder and occurs when blood circulation to the brain is blocked causing the brain tissue to die.  Ischemia is the term used to describe any tissue that is deprived of blood.  It usually will result in deficient oxygen and nutrient delivery to cells.  Blood clots are the most common cause of strokes.  Compression of brain tissue, hemorrhaging, and edema are also possible causes.  When learning how to become a paramedic, strokes are something that you may respond to often.

People who survive strokes are commonly paralyzed on one side of the body.  This type of paralysis is called hemiplegia.  Often stroke victims have sensory problems or in understanding or vocalizing speech.  Some stroke victims can recover part of their lost faculties because undamaged neurons sprout new branches that can spread into injured areas helping to replace lost functions.  Rehabilitation and physical therapy is important in the recovery process.

Transient ischemic attacks are temporary episodes of reversible cerebral ischemia.  These attacks are common and can last from 5 to 50 minutes.  They are characterized by temporary numbness, paralysis, or impaired speech.  These problems are not permanent but are good warning signs of a potentially more serious and permanent cerebrovascular accident.

Experimental evidence indicates that the excitatory neurotransmitter, glutamate is involved in a lot of the damage that occurs during stroke.  This is because, when a cell is deprived of oxygen it begins to disintegrate and releases mass amounts of glutamate.  The glutamate acts as an excitotoxin that excites the cells surrounding it to death.

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Your thalamus is a bilateral egg-shaped nuclei that forms the superalateral walls of the third ventricle of your brain.  It is the relay station for information that enters into the cerebral cortex.  There are many large nuclei in the thalamus.  Each nucleus has a specific function and sends and receives fibers from a specific region of the cerebral cortex.  Afferent impulses carry nerve impulses to the central nervous system where they all converge on the thalamus and synapse with at least one of its nuclei.

The information received in the thalamus is sorted out and “edited.”  Impulses are relayed.  Those with similar functions are relayed as a group via the internal capsule.  These impulses are sent to the appropriate are of the sensory cortex and to specific cortical association areas.

When the afferent impulses reach the thalamus, there is a crude or simple recognition of whether the sensation is pleasant or unpleasant.  The cerebral cortex is the area of the brain that determines the extent of each impulse.

Virtually all sensory inputs and all other inputs that ascend to the cerebral cortex must first go through the thalamic nuclei.  All impulses that regulate emotion, visceral function from the hypothalamus, impulses that direct the activity of the motor cortices from the cerebellum and basal nuclei and impulses involved in sensory information, learning and memory must first go through the thalamus.  The proper functioning of the thalamus is important to overall health.  When the thalamus is not working properly, many emotional and physical problems can occur.

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Cerebrospinal meningitis is an epidemic disease that inhabits the nose of healthy human carriers.  It sometimes infects the blood and cerebrospinal fluid.  This disease is caused by the meningococcus bacterium.  The most common cause of bacterial meningitis is Haemophilus influenzae type b.

Head injuries and infections involving the eyes, ears, and nose can cause meningitis.  Also systemic disorder complications from pneumonia and syphilis are also possible.  Most often meningitis is diagnosed with the use of lumbar puncture, known commonly as a spinal tap.

The symptoms of viral meningitis include: headache that becomes worse when bending, fever, nausea and vomiting, stiff neck, muscle weakness, paralysis, impaired speech, double vision and epileptic fits.

The symptoms of bacterial meningitis include: any or all of the above listed symptoms as well as a rash of red spots on the trunk of the body, drowsiness and eventually coma, convulsions and a common high pitched cry in babies and infants.  Infants may have a bulge on the top of the head that feels more tense than usual.

Seeking medical help is necessary if you suspect any form of meningitis.  If not treated quickly, meningitis can lead to serious brain damage, blindness, deafness or even death.

Alternative remedies can be used with conventional medicine to treat meningitis but should never take the place of conventional medical treatment.  There are several herbs that can help to boost the immune system.  Ginseng is very helpful as well as peony root and mulberry.  A registered Chinese herbalist might treat this condition with herbal laxatives and anti-inflammatory herbs.  Homeopaths might consider using arnica, aconite, or bryonia depending on the symptoms.  Another good blog to consider looking at if you are considering becoming an EMT or Paramedic is how to become a radiologist.  While learning how to become a paramedic it is important to understand the role that other allied health professionals will play in the care of your patients.

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A stroke is a serious medical emergency that can be caused by any number of health problems.  People, who are over weight, have a family history of circulatory problems, high blood pressure or diabetes are at greatest risk for experiencing stroke.   Most cerebrovascular diseases are associated with heart disease and hypertension. Hemorrhagic, thrombotic and embolic strokes are the three main types of strokes that occur.  While taking your emt or paramedic training, strokes will be one common occurrence that you will be called to treat on the job.

A hemorrhagic stroke is usually the result of high blood pressure.  This is because high blood pressure puts extra strain on the blood vessels causing them to become weak.  A weakened vessel has a greater likelihood of rupturing.

A thrombotic stroke can occur when a clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain.  One of the likely causes for this type of stroke is arteriosclerosis.  The build up of plaque along the walls of blood vessels can become so great in a particular area that a clot forms from the growing plaque.  Thrombotic strokes tend to occur when blood flow is slowest during rest or sleep.  Extensive damage can occur if the clot grows large enough to deprive a significant portion of the brain without normal blood supply.  People who suffer from a thrombotic stroke tend to get progressively worse as time passes and the clot deprives more of the brain of blood.

An embolism occurs when part of a clot is swept up in the blood stream and moves to the brain where it lodges in a blood vessel.  A clot can be swept up from any part of the body and get stuck in the brain.  This can happen suddenly and at any time.

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The leading cause of accidental deaths in North America is from head injuries.  Brain damage occurs from a localized injury as well as by the ricocheting effect as the brain hits the opposite end of the skull.  This is very commonly seen in infants who die from shaken baby syndrome.

A concussion is a brain injury that alters brain functions.  It is usually temporary and occurs after a blow to the head.  The victim may feel dizzy or lose consciousness.  Most concussions are mild and do not last long.  However, even a mild concussion can be damaging to the brain.  Multiple concussions can produce cumulative damage.  Seroius concussions can cause brain bruising and permanent neurological damage called a contusion.  A person who suffers from a cortical contusion may remain conscious, but can suffer from comas that last from hours to a lifetime because of injury to the reticular activating system.  Athletes like boxers often suffer get concussions from many blows to the head.

A subdural or subarachnoid hemorrhage occurs when blood vessels rupture.  Death may result from this type of hemorrhaging because the blood accumulates in the skull and increases the intracranial pressure compressing brain tissue.  If the pressure is not released the body can no longer control blood pressure, heart rate or respiration.  The only way to treat an intracranial hemorrhage is by surgical removal of the hematoma and repair of the ruptured vessels.

Cerebral edema is another type of traumatic brain injury that is caused by the swelling of the brain and can also be fatal.

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Mothers who breast feed their babies have the challenging responsibility of ensuring drugs that with potential risks to an infant are not transferred into the breast milk.  There are several ways of minimizing infant drug exposure.  This may or may not be something that is covered in pharmacy technician training, but is a frequently asked question by new and inexperienced mothers.

First, it is important to determine if a certain medication is necessary or if the mother can go without taking the medication.  For example, minimally effective drugs like antihistamines may not be necessary.  If a medication is not efficacious, then its use should be avoided.

There are many non-drug therapies that can be enlisted instead.  Relaxation techniques, massage, and warm baths can take the place of analgesic medications.  Saline nose drops, cool mist, and steam are helpful instead of cough, cold or allergy products.  Avoiding known allergies can reduce the need for anti-asthmatic medications.  Eating small meals, sleeping with your head propped and avoiding foods that make you bloated or gassy can help reduce your need for antacids.  A high fiber diet full of fiber rich cereals, prunes and ample water can prevent your need for laxatives.

If you have to take a drug, choose one that does not pass easily into breast milk or take the lowest recommended dose.  It is best to avoid extra-strength, long-acting and drugs with a combination of ingredient products.

When possible, breastfeed before a dose is given to avoid the peak drug concentration.  This concentration usually occurs from one to three hours after an oral dose.  This is most effective when taking drugs with short half-lives.

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The ABCD rule is a simple and effective way for a person to identify potential skin cancer areas on the body.  This assessment has proven to be useful in the diagnosis of malignant melanoma and can help you determine if a spot or mole should be looked at immediately or if you should wait and see how it develops.  The most effective way to discover cancer is through a radiology exam and if you are studying how to become a radiologist, this ABCD acronym can be a powerful first step before the screening.

A-Asymmetry: Normal mole or freckles are symmetrical. A potentially malignant mole is likely to be asymmetrical.

B-Border:  Check the border surrounding the mole or spot.  Is it blurry and/or does it have jagged edges?

C-Color:  Normal spots or moles are usually one color. A mole that is more than on hue is suspicious and needs to be evaluated by a doctor.  This can include lightening or darkening of the mole.

D-Diameter: If the diameter of a mole or spot is larger then a pencil eraser it should be examined by a doctor.   This should also include any areas that do not have other abnormalities such as color, border or asymmetry.

E-Elevation: If the mole is raised above the surface and has an uneven surface, it should be checked.

If you answered “yes” to any part of the acronym you may want to consider having that spot looked at by a dermatologist.  This is especially true if you have a family medical history of cancer.  Dependence on these criteria alone may fail to identify all melanomas. The history of physical changes (namely in color, size, recent crusting, and increase in size) were the principal features which lead to most biopsies and histopathologic studies demonstrating malignant melanoma.

Besides to the ABCD rule, there are other warning signs include: The appearance of a new bump or nodule, color spreads into surrounding skin, redness or swelling beyond the mole, pain, tenderness, itching, bleeding, oozing, and scaly appearance. For these reasons, adding an E (for elevation) to the ABCD rule for the diagnosis of malignant melanoma is favored.

If you find any unusual spots on your body you should avoid the sun during peak intensity (10:00am to 3:00 pm), wear sunglasses, a hat and tightly woven cloths when in the sun.   Avoid sun lamps or tanning booths and always use sunscreen with SPF of 15-30 when out in the sun.

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