EUPEPSIA

eupepsia — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 00:19:05 +0000

Here is a site with lots of practical information, well organized, with information that is easily digestible!

Tame Your Tummy

“A blog aimed to give hope to all of us around the world with all kinds of digestive disorders. I know from personal experiance how “all consuming” a digestive illness can be. I am going to do my best to help all of you find hope and get out of this rut.”

http://www.tameyourtummy.blogspot.com/

IBD and IBS same or not?

eupepsia — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 01:05:51 +0000

Is inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) the same thing as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?

No. Inflammatory bowel disease, including UC (Ulcerative colitis) and CD (Crohn’s Disease), is different from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Unlike IBD, IBS does not cause inflammation, ulcers or other damage to the bowel. Instead, IBS is a much less serious problem called a functional disorder. This means that the digestive system looks normal but doesn’t work as it should. Symptoms of IBS may include crampy pain, bloating, gas, mucus in the stool, diarrhea and constipation. IBS has also been called spastic colon or spastic bowel.

source: http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/ibd.htm

Resource for Infalammatory Bowel Syndrome with video:

http://abdellab.sunderland.ac.uk/Lectures/gastro/IBD22.html

Polyps and Cysts

eupepsia — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 20:18:01 +0000

A POLYP is an abnormal growth of tissue (tumor) projecting from a mucous membrane. If it is attached to the surface by a narrow elongated stalk it is said to be pedunculated. If no stalk is present it is said to be sessile. Polyps are commonly found in the colon, stomach, nose, urinary bladder and uterus. They may also occur elsewhere in the body where mucous membranes exist like the small bowel.

A CYST is a closed sac having a distinct membrane and developing abnormally in a cavity or structure of the body. Cysts may occur as a result of a developmental error in the embryo during pregnancy or they may be caused by infections. However, they sometimes arise spontaneously with no apparent cause. Cysts may often be dangerous as they may have negative effects (for instance, compression) on the nearby tissue. They may contain air, fluids, or semi-solid material. A collection of pus is called an abcess, not a cyst.A cyst may also be a sack that encloses an organism during a dormant period, such as in the case of certain parasites. The cyst may protect a parasite from the churning acid of the stomach so it can pass through to the intestines where it can then break out.Cystic fibrosis is an example of a genetic disorder whereby cysts develop in lung tissue and release mucus into the lungs (Alveoli) reducing lung capacity and causing persistent coughing.
A cyst is a deep-seated mass filled with liquid or semisolid material and surrounded by a capsule (an enveloping layer of tissue). A cyst may be as small as a pinhead or as large as a fist. Most cysts result from a blockage of follicular ducts or glandular structures. Cysts appear in very severe acne.

Skin Assessment II

eupepsia — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 09:37:26 +0000

SKIN LESIONS

Macule: a flat lesion; it is not elevated and it is not depressed. The macule is recognizable as a skin lesion because it is a different color than the surrounding normal skin. White, brown, and red are the most common color changes seen in macules. Macules appear in many shapes. When a macule is larger than 5mm in diameter, it is called a patch. A freckle is an example of a macule.
Papule: solid raised lesion that has distinct borders and is less than 1 cm in diameter. Papules may have a variety of shapes in profile (domed, flat-topped, umbilicated) and may be associated with secondary features such as crusts or scales.
Nodule: raised solid lesion more than 1 cm. and may be in the epidermis, dermis, or subcutaneous tissue.
Vesicle: raised lesions less than 1 cm. in diameter that are filled with clear fluid.
Pustule : are circumscribed elevated lesions that contain pus. They are most commonly infected (as in folliculitis) but may be sterile (as in pustular psoriasis).
Wheal: an area of edema in the upper epidermis. more: A wheal is a rounded or flat-topped, firm elevated lesion that results from edema (swelling) of the dermis. Wheals are often pink with a whitish center. The wheal is the classic lesion of hives.
Plaque an elevated, flat-topped lesion greater than 0.5cm in diameter. Plaques are often described as being shaped like a plateau. Plaques covered with silvery scales are common lesions in psoriasis.
Erosion: slightly depressed areas of skin in which part or all of the epidermis has been lost.
Ulcer: Complete loss of dermis

Skin Assessment

eupepsia — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 09:02:22 +0000

1. Color of skin:

pallor (whiteness), flushing (redness) jaundice (yellow), ashen (grey), or cyanotic (blue)

2. Skin discolorations

Ecchymosis : “a bruise, bleeding under skin” : small, flat, hemorrhagic patch, or even fancier definition: a collection of blood greater than 1 cM in size outside the vascular tree, and within tissue.
Petechiae : is a small red or purple spot on the body, caused by a minor hemorrhage (broken capillary blood vessels)
Purpura: Spontaneous bleeding into the skin usually appears as a rash known as purpura, Petechiae is the term given to the individual small red or red-blue spots about 1 to 5mm in diameter which make up the rash. They are caused by a small local amount of bleeding within the skin. Deeper bleeding beneath the skin may be seen as bruises (ecchymoses).The difference between petechiae and abnormally prominent blood vessels can be shown by applying pressure to a red spot. If it is caused by an abnormal blood vessel the redness disappears temporarily. By contrast when pressure is applied to purpura the spots do not pale. Happens in platelet disorders, coagulation disorders.
Erythema: “reddish skin” :Erythema is redness of the skin caused by increased blood flow to the capillaries, often a sign of inflammation or infection…

3. Evaluate skin temperature

4. Assess Turgor, skin sensation

5. Nutrition (rough, dry scaly skin, pigmented or irritated, bruising)

6. Cleanliness

7. Skin Integrity (intact or not) observe for lesions (broken skin) or ulcers.

CHOLESTEROL & CORTICOSTEROIDS

eupepsia — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 19:50:07 +0000

CHOLESTEROL (a lipid, comes from diet {meat, poultry, fish, dairy} and liver production) is part of the cell membranes, but also is a starting point for steroid/sex hormones (including cortisol, cortisone, and aldosterone in the adrenal glands, and of the sex hormones progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone), also cholesterol is broken down into bile salts which are involved in fat absorption in the digestive system. The insolubility of cholesterol in water is also a factor in the development of arteriosclerosis, the pathological deposition of plaques of cholesterol and other lipids on the insides of major blood vessels, a condition associated with coronary artery disease. This buildup of cholesterol in the blood vessels may constrict the passages considerably and inhibit the flow of blood to and from the heart. In order to travel throught the body cholesterol becomes attached to a lipoprotein. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) carries cholesterol out of the bloodstream for excretion, while low-density lipoprotein (LDL) carries it back into the system for use by various body cells. Researchers believe that HDL and LDL levels in the bloodstream may be at least as important as cholesterol levels, and now measure both to determine risk for heart disease. Reducing consumption of foods containing cholesterol and saturated fat has been found to lower blood cholesterol levels. Cholesterol levels can also be reduced with drugs, most especially with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (commonly called “statins”), such as lovastatin (Mevacor) and atorvastatin (Lipitor), and by regular exercise.

CORTICOSTEROID: Any of several steroid hormones secreted by the cortex of the adrenal glands; also synthetic forms with similar properties. Corticosteroids have anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects and may be used to treat a number of conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, severe allergies, asthma, some skin diseases, and some cancers. Side effects can be serious, and therapy must be withdrawn very gradually.

The two main groups of corticosteroids include

1.glucocorticoids (cortisone, hydrocortisone, prednisone, and dexamethasone), which are essential to carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism, and to the body’s response to stress; and

2.mineralocorticoids (aldosterone, fluorocortisone), which control the balance of water and salt in the body.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

eupepsia — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 18:44:55 +0000

Inflammatory bowel disease is a general term for two closely related conditions, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. The diseases can affect the colon, distal, small intestine and sometimes other portions of the gastrointestinal tract as well as several sites outside the gastrointestinal tract. In 15–25% of cases limited to the colon, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease cannot be distinguished by clinical manifestations, x-ray examination, or even pathology. For this reason the broad term inflammatory bowel diseases is useful. The cause of these diseases is unknown.

Ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory condition limited to the colon, primarily affects the mucosa or lining of the colon. Marked inflammation gives rise to small ulcerations and microscopic abscesses that produce bleeding. The condition tends to be chronic, alternating between periods of complete remission and episodes of active and even life-threatening disease.

Crohn’s disease, also known as regional enteritis, granulomatous colitis, and terminal ileitis, affects the colon and small intestine, and rarely the stomach or esophagus. Like ulcerative colitis, it is chronic and of unknown etiology

All forms of IBD may require immunosuppression to control the symptoms. This consists of mesalazine, steroids, and later of steroid-sparing agents (such as azathioprine, methotrexate or 6-mercaptopurine) or biologicals. Severe cases may require surgery, such as bowel resection, strictureplasty or a temporary or permanent colostomy or ileostomy.

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eupepsia — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 07:52:01 +0000

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