Links between colonoscopy and appendicitis

Colonoscopy is the examination of the colon- the large intestine by a gastroenterologist. It is is associated with increased risk of appendicitis, there is an evidence to suggest that colonoscopy can cause appendicitis up to one week after colonoscopy in some patients. The rate of appendicitis and appendectomy in the first week after a colonoscopy is high.

The colon must be completely cleaned before colonoscopy, if bacteria within the colon are altered as the bowel is prepared prior to colonoscopy in ways that increase the likelihood of inflammation, or if the increased air pressure caused by colonoscopy, it may have effects on the colonic mucosa that can predispose people to appendicitis.

Appendicitis is a condition when the appendix becomes inflamed and filled with pus, colonoscopy is valuable and the appendicitis rate is still very low, right-lower abdominal pain after colonoscopy may be a sign of appendicitis.
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Vitamin D supplements could ease irritable bowel syndrome

Vitamin D supplements could ease painful Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS symptoms. Scientists from the University's Department of Oncology and Metabolism reviewed and integrated all available research on vitamin D and IBS. The study showed a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in IBS patients. They also assessed the possible benefits of vitamin D supplements on IBS symptoms. Their findings suggested supplements may help to ease symptoms which can include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and constipation. Vitamin D was shown to have the most benefit on quality of life in IBS.

People with IBS should have their vitamin D levels tested and a large majority of them would benefit from supplements. IBS is a poor condition which impacts severely on the quality of life of sufferers. There is no single known cause and no cure. IBS is a debilitating functional disorder of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Little is known about why and how the condition develops, although it is known that diet and stress can make symptoms worse.

Vitamin D is essential for general wellbeing, including bone health, immune function, mental health as well as gut health. Vitamin D inadequacy can be remedied relatively easily with supplements if diagnosed. Low vitamin D status has already been associated with the risk of colorectal cancer and has been implicated in inflammatory bowel disease.
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Verzenio for treating breast cancer

Verzenio (abemaciclib) is approved to treat adult patients who have hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer that has progressed after taking therapy that alters a hormones (endocrine therapy).

Verzenio is approved to be given in combination with an endocrine therapy, called fulvestrant, after the cancer had grown on endocrine therapy. It is also approved to be given on its own, if patients were previously treated with endocrine therapy and chemotherapy after the cancer had spread (metastasized).

Verzenio provides a new targeted treatment option for some patients with breast cancer who are not responding to treatment, it can be given as a stand-alone treatment to patients who were previously treated with endocrine therapy and chemotherapy.

Verzenio works by blocking certain molecules (known as cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6), involved in promoting the growth of cancer cells. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer. The safety and efficacy of Verzenio in combination with fulvestrant were studied in a randomized trial in some patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer that had progressed after treatment with endocrine therapy and who had not received chemotherapy once the cancer had metastasized.

The study measured the length of time tumors did not grow after treatment (progression-free survival). The median progression-free survival for patients taking Verzenio with fulvestrant was 16.4 months compared to 9.3 months for patients taking a placebo with fulvestrant.

The safety and efficacy of Verzenio as a stand-alone treatment were studied in a single-arm trial of 132 patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer that had progressed after treatment with endocrine therapy and chemotherapy after the cancer metastasized.

 The study measured the percent of patients whose tumors completely or partially shrank after treatment. In the study, 19.7 percent of patients taking Verzenio experienced complete or partial shrinkage of their tumors for a median 8.6 months.

Common side effects of Verzenio include diarrhea, low levels of certain white blood cells (neutropenia and leukopenia), nausea, abdominal pain, infections, fatigue, low levels of red blood cells (anemia), decreased appetite, vomiting and headache.

Serious side effects of Verzenio include diarrhea, neutropenia, elevated liver blood tests and blood clots (deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolism). Women who are pregnant should not take Verzenio because it may cause harm to a developing fetus.
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Solosec for treating bacterial vaginosis

Solosec is a potent, next-generation, 5-nitroimidazole antibiotic with enhanced pharmacokinetic properties that enable delivery in a single dose that has been shown to be efficacious and well tolerated. Solosec is the first and only single-dose oral therapy for bacteria vaginosis the most common gynecologic infection. Bacteria vaginosis has been shown to increase the cause of chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, trichomaniasis and HIV, pre-term birth and low birth weight if left untreated.

A single dose regimen may improve adherence and the likelihood of a successful cure. No serious adverse events were reported during the trial and no patients discontinued treatment due to adverse events. Solosec is contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to secnidazole, other ingredients of the formulation, or other nitroimidazole derivatives.

Vulvo-vaginal candidiasis may develop with Solosec and require treatment with an antifungal agent. Potential risk of carcinogenicity in patients taking single-dose of Solosec to treat bacterial vaginosis is unclear. Chronic use should be avoided. Solosec may pass into breast milk. Patients should discontinue breastfeeding for 96 hours after administration of Solosec.

Solosec is a single-dose therapy for oral use. The entire contents of Solosec packet should be sprinkled onto applesauce, yogurt or pudding and consumed once within 30 minutes without chewing or crunching the granules. Solosec is not intended to be dissolved in any liquid. In clinical studies, the most common adverse effects of the drug are headache, nausea, dysgeusia, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and vulvovaginal pruritus.
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Nerlynx drug for early breast cancer treatment

Breast cancer starts when cells in the breast begin to grow out of control. The cancers can start from different parts of the breast. It can start from the ducts that carry milk to the nipple or in the glands that make breast milk.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration FDA has approved Nerlynx a once-daily oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor for the extended adjuvant treatment of adult patients with early stage HER2-overexpressed/amplified breast cancer.

Nerlynx is a prescription medicine used to treat adults who have early-stage breast cancer, which is HER2-positive and has previously been treated with the medicine trastuzumab.

Nerlynx may cause serious side effects like diarrhea, liver problems, fatigue,
vomiting, fever, rash, right upper abdominal pain, weight loss and urinary tract infection UTI.

Pregnant women, nursing mother and women planning to get pregnant can not use Nerlynx.
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Eating raw spinach can cause kidney stones

Spinach is a good source of dietary fiber, raw spinach has oxalic acid, it can react with minerals in our intestines to form calcium oxalate precipitation which can cause kidney stones.

Other foods that have high oxalic acid are swiss chard, beetroot, almonds, cashew nut, buckwheat, tea, coffee, chocolate and parsley.

Eating raw spinach can cause diarrhea and abdominal pain. Excess consumption of raw spinach can make it difficult for your body to absorb required amount of iron from ingested foods.

People who are genetically predisposed to kidney stone formation must be very careful when consuming raw spinach,
cooking or steaming of spinach can destroy oxalic acid in it.
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How to prevents urinary tract infection UTI

When bacteria from rectum and vagina get into the urethra or when the bladder has more of bad bacteria than good ones, urinary tract infection UTI may occur.

Common symptoms of urinary tract infection UTI are pain while urinating, lower abdominal pain, frequent urination at night, lower-back aches, nausea, fatigue, dizziness and headaches.

Poor diet, stress, and abuse of antibiotics can suppress or kill the good bacteria that protect the body from infection.

Risk of UTI can be reduced by wiping from front to back after defecating or when you are cleaning the vagina.
Avoid bathtub; bacteria that come out of your body may enter your vagina and avoid swimming in a dirty water.

Urinating after sexual intercourse,
maintaining good hygiene; wearing of clean underwear, avoiding bacteria buildup; sweating can cause bacteria buildup, take your bath twice in a day.

Avoid spermicides; it may introduce bacteria into the vagina and change the pH of the vagina, avoid douching and urinate regularly.

Oregano essential oil, D-Mannose and cranberry are effective in controlling bacteria that causes urinary tract infections.
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Effects of diabetes on vital organs

 The raised blood sugar levels that result from diabetes can cause a wide range of serious health issues. When people have diabetes, the body either does not make enough insulin or cannot use what it has effectively. As a result, the amount of sugar in the blood becomes higher than normal.

 Blood sugar is the main power source for the human body. It comes from the food people eat. The hormone insulin convert glucose into fuel. Diabetes may
cause complications in the circulatory system, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.

Diabetes can damage large blood vessels, causing macrovascular disease.
It can also damage small blood vessels, causing what is called microvascular disease. Microvascular disease can
cause eye, kidney, and nerve problems.

Excess blood sugar decreases the elasticity of blood vessels and causes them to narrow, impeding blood flow.
When people have diabetes, they can develop nerve damage because the blood vessels can not supply enough oxygen.

Nerve damage usually happens some 25 years or more after diagnosis. The most common form is peripheral neuropathy which causes pain and numbness in toes, feet, legs, and arms.

Over time, high blood sugar levels damage blood vessels in the kidneys. This damage prevents the kidneys from filtering waste out of the blood.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, diabetes is one of the major
causes of kidney disease.

Diabetes is the most frequently identified cause of gastroparesis. This is a condition that causes the stomach to slow the movement of food into the small intestine.

A person with gastroparesis may experience symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain, and acid reflux.
Gastroparesis may cause: nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, bloating, abdomen pain and weight loss

Diabetes can interfere with the body's ability to send and implement responses to sexual stimuli. It can cause erectile dysfunction in men. If you have
diabetes, you can manage it by monitoring your glucose level and working closely with your health providers.

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Symptoms of pancreatic cancer

The pancreas is a large gland that is part of the digestive system.
In the early stages of cancer, a tumour in the pancreas doesn't usually cause any symptoms, which can make it difficult to diagnose.

Some people in the early stages of the disease can experience abdominal pain, changes of bowel habits, nausea and vomiting, jaundice, diabetes, back pain and weight loss.

Survival rates for pancreatic cancer remain low, with most patients given months rather than years to live,” said Dr Francesco Cellini, radiation oncologist.

The study retrospectively analysed 514 patients from Europe and the US diagnosed when their tumours had not spread and could be removed by surgery.

Following surgery, all the patients had been treated with chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy and followed up for an average of 20 months.

For patients with early stage tumours, standard treatment is surgery followed by chemotherapy, sometimes with radiotherapy.

For later-stage disease, patients are treated with chemotherapy, which may be combined with palliative radiotherapy as their disease progresses.