VALO'S ARCHIVE

A wound is a break or opening in the skin. Your skin protects your body from germs. When the skin is broken, even during surgery, germs can enter and cause infection. Wounds often occur because of an accident or injury. Types of wounds include: Cuts Scrapes Puncture wounds Burns Pressure sores A wound may be smooth or jagged. It may be near the surface of the skin or deeper. Deep wounds can affect: Tendons Muscles Ligaments Nerves Blood vessels Bones Minor wounds often heal easily, but all wounds need care to prevent infection. Stages of Wound Healing Wounds heal in stages. The smaller the wound, the quicker it will heal. The larger or deeper the wound, the longer it takes to heal. When you get a cut, scrape, or puncture, the wound will bleed. The blood will start to clot within a few minutes or less and stop the bleeding. The blood clots dry and form a scab, which protects the tissue underneath from germs. Not all wounds bleed . For example, burns, s...

What are bleeding disorders? In people with bleeding disorders, the clotting process doesn’t work properly. As a result, people with bleeding disorders can bleed for longer than normal, and some may experience spontaneous bleeding into joints, muscles, or other parts of their bodies. Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder that affects approximately 1 in 10,000 people. People with hemophilia do not have enough clotting factor VIII or IX in their blood. As a result, they can bleed for longer than normal. The most common bleeding disorder is von Willebrand disease ( VWD ). It is generally less severe than other bleeding disorders. Many people with VWD may not know that they have the disorder because their bleeding symptoms are very mild.  Rare clotting factor deficiencies are disorders in which one of several clotting factors is missing or not working properly. Less is known about these disorders because they are diagnosed so rarely. In fact, many have only been discove...

Have You Ever Wondered... How powerful is stomach acid? What is the pH level of stomach acid? What is stomach acid made of? T here are some substances on Earth that children of all ages seem to be fascinated with. For example,  lava  captures the imagination in a way that few other substances can. The thought of molten rock flowing down a mountain consuming everything in its path gives us thrills and chills. Some children even play tag and keep away games in which certain areas are deemed to be filled with hot  lava and are thus off limits. Likewise, many children are amazed by the  corrosive  powers of  acid . If you've ever seen a piece of  metal  turned to a bubbling, fizzing liquid when it encounters  acid , you know the awesome chemical power  acid  has. Many people don't realize that their own stomachs contain  acid  that's powerful enough to destroy  metal . Sure, we know all about ...

Phenibut (beta-phenyl-GABA) is a central depressant used to treat a wide range of ailments including posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and alcoholism. Read more below to learn about its health benefits. Introduction: What is Phenibut? Phenibut is a synthetic drug that is structurally similar to natural brain chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) that has a calming effect on the brain  (R) . Phenibut, also known as fenibut, is sold under the brand names of Noofen and Citrocard  (R) . Phenibut was developed in Russia in the 1960s, and has since been used as a prescribed drug to relieve tension, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and other conditions  (R) . It is not FDA approved for clinical use in the United States. However, it is sold as a nutritional supplement, but withdrawal and dependency have been reported in those who are not under doctor’s supervision  (R) . Health Benefits of Phen...

(NaturalNews) Most of our society lives with the idea that health is a state of "feeling good" and "not being sick or diseased." We fear contact with bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms. We use antibacterial soap, sprays, pills, potions and lotions. We are constantly "gearing up" for the next big flu pandemic, etc. In traditional cultures, fevers were always well respected and understood. Most people knew that the fever would build up and then break, much like a wave rolling into shore. Now, our society tries to suppress the fever immediately using antipyretics, or substances that lower temperature. These antipyretics include acetaminophen and ibuprofen. These quickly lower the temperature, but they also silence the body and hinder the development of the immune system. This allows the invading organisms to survive and contribute to the formation of chronic disease. Your immune system is a muscle: The immune system functions like a muscle in ...

This Week’s Question: I remember having lots of fevers as a kid, but, now that I’m older, I don’t get them like I used to. What gives? The immune system doesn’t function as efficiently in older adults as it does in younger people. The body's fever response to infection is not always automatic in elderly people. More than 20 percent of adults over age 65 who have serious bacterial infections do not have fevers. This brings us to germs, which are defined as microbes that cause disease. Infectious diseases caused by microbes are the leading cause of death. Microbes are microscopic organisms that are everywhere. Some microbes cause disease. Others are essential for health. Most microbes belong to one of four major groups: bacteria, viruses, fungi, or protozoa. Bacteria are made up of only one cell. Less than 1 percent of them cause diseases in humans. Harmless bacteria live in human intestines, where they help to digest food. Foods such as yogurt and cheese, are made using ba...

Nursing practice often involves procedures or management about which there is debate or uncertainty. In Practice Questions we ask experts to determine how nurses should approach these Practice question: All the nurses I know give paracetamol to lower a raised temperature even when the patient is not distressed. Some actually cause distress by removing blankets from a shivering patient with pyrexia. Surely both these actions are interfering with the body’s natural host defence response to infection? Pyrexia is a common clinical finding in illness, often indicating infection. The body’s immune response triggers heat generating strategies to kill invading bacteria and viruses. Interventions that interfere with this response may be unhelpful, particularly if they actually cause distress to the patient. Physiological response to infection Protective role of pyrexia Increase antibody production; Enhance mobility and function of neutrophils and macrophages (kill bacteria)...