MAGGOTS

BENEFITS OF USING MAGGOTS

It may sound a bit unorthodox but one of the most effective ways to eliminate dead tissue from a wound is by using maggots. Yes, it's true. The medical and surgical community has formed an alliance with the maggot for wound care and most physicians and surgeons are raving about the results. It seems these tiny creatures do their job well when it comes to cleaning up dead tissue. Although it may sound like a scene from a horror movie, using maggots to do the job of wound debridement reduces the need for antibiotics which often carry side effects. It also provides a solution to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. It's a completely natural way to sterilize a wound.

This isn't the first time maggots have been used for wound care and tissue debridement. This practice dates back to Renaissance times and has often been used during times of war for debridement of wounds after it was discovered that using maggots gave better results than any of the other treatments they had available. Although maggots have been used throughout history to for wound care, it wasn't until 2004 that the FDA approved the production and marketing of maggots for use in the treatment of wounds and ulcers.

In modern times, maggots used for wound care and tissue debridement are grown in special facilities and carefully disinfected before being being placed on a wound site. To debride an area, they're applied directly to the wound using a special dressing that allows them the freedom move around and feed on the dead tissue. Several treatments may be required to completely clean up a wound.

How do they perform? Maggots have remarkable accuracy when it comes to selecting dead, devitalized tissue that needs to be removed while leaving the health, viable tissue intact. They also produce secretions with anti-microbial properties that prevent growth of bacteria in the region of the wound, further disinfecting it.

Of course using maggots can bring problems relating to patient cooperation. After all, most people don't visit their doctor's office to have live, squirming maggots placed on their skin. Surprisingly, patients feel very little when maggots are used for wound care. Maggots devour tissue using a special process whereby enzymes break down the dead tissue into a gelatinous liquid which is devoured by the maggots. The patient is completely unaware of this process. This can allay some of the fears of patients who imagine maggots greedily gnawing away at their flesh.

Using maggots for wound care and debridement is a win-win situation for patients and maggots. The patient gets his or her wound cleaned quickly and efficiently and the maggot gets a good meal.

http://voices.yahoo.com/the-benefits-using-maggots-wound-care-debridement-3067591.html?cat=68

CLOZE TEST

Directions: Supply the missing words to complete the paragraph.

            A completely natural way to 1)_________ a wound could be done effectively by tiny creatures called maggots. They are good in cleaning up dead 2)___________. They can also produce secretions with 3)__________ properties that prevent growth of bacteria in the region of the wound that further disinfecting it. The therapy was discovered way back 4)__________ period during times of wars. At present, they are still used for wound care and tissue debridement. Seemingly, it is a win-win 5)_________ for patients and maggots. They patients get their wound cleaned quickly and efficiently, and the maggots get a good meal.

MARE

Premarin (PREgnant MARes’ urINe)

Premarin is the commercial name for a compound cream of vaginally administered estrogens, consisting primarily of conjugated estrogens. Isolated from mares' urine (PREgnant MARes' urINe).

The major forms of estrogen in Piremarin are estrone (>50%), equilin(15-25%) and equilenin. The estrogens in Premarin are often called "conjugated equine estrogens" (CEE) because the estrogen molecules are generally present with hydrophilic side-groups attached such as sulfate. Thus, estrone sulfate is actually the major active constituent in Premarin. Estrone sulfate is easily absorbed into the blood after Premarin pills are taken by women. Estrone sulfate is converted to estradiol, an active estrogen normally found in women. It is not clear if estrogens such as equilin that are foreign to the human body have effects in women that are significantly different from the estrogens like estradiol that are normally made in the human body.

Premarin is a form of hormone replacement therapy. Premarin pills are used most commonly in post menopausal women who have had a hysterectomy to treat hot flashes, and burning, itching, and dryness of the vagina and surrounding areas. It can also be used in conjunction with a progestin pill in women who have not had a hysterectomy. For women already taking the drug it can be used to treat osteoporosis, although it is not recommended solely for this use. The most common side effects associated with Premarin use are vaginal yeast infections, vaginal spotting or bleeding, painful menses, and cramping of the legs.

While there are some contradictory data, estrogen alone does not appear to increase the risk of coronary heart disease or breast cancer, like estrogen with progestin does While estrogen alone appears to decrease the risk of hip fracture for women who have had a hysterectomy, it is still suggested that Premarin be used for the shortest period of time and at the smallest possible dose that is effective in alleviating symptoms because it can increase the risk of endometrial cancer, stroke, blood clots, and possibly dementia. Premarin cream is only used for vaginal burning, dryness and itching.

Some of Premarin’s lesser known uses are the treatment of symptoms associated with metastatic breast cancer in men and women and prostate cancer in men. It can also be used for individuals that do not produce enough estrogen due to hypogonadism, castration, and ovarian failure, or who have certain intersex conditions such as Androgen insensitivity syndrome.

REFERENCE:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premarin

IDENTIFICATION

            Directions: Choose the correct word that best describes the sentence.

Alleviate                      Cardio             Commercial    

Coronary                     Foreign            Symptom 

_____1. It means belonging to or relating to the heart.

_____2. A suffering or an unpleasant condition that you make it less intense.

_____3. An object that has got into something else, usually by accident, and should not be there.

_____4. A product made to be sold to the public.

_____5. It is a sign of illness.

LEECH

LEECH THERAPHY

Yes, leeches can be thought of as slimy and unattractive creatures, but ugly or not, they do serve a lot of medical purposes when it comes to us, humans.

Since ancient times, leeches were used to treat many illnesses and disease through bloodletting, a method where blood was drawn out in the hope that removing impure blood would heal the body. Believe it or not, leech therapy is sometimes the best alternative in treating illnesses, and even surpasses pharmacological treatments. Because of its healing effects to the human body, this traditional method of curing diseases is still thriving today.

The Benefits of Leech Therapy

There are more than 600 species of leeches that have been identified, but only 15 of the species are used medically, so they are given a class of their own. They are classified as Hirudo Medicinalis or medicinal leeches.

Leech therapy has been used and is still in use for many diseases of the body. They are used to treat arthritis and other inflammatory processes. It is perfect for those with vascular (arterial and venous diseases), heart (ischemic diseases and hypertension), and lung problems (bronchitis and bronchial asthma). The medicinal leeches can also help in patients with pneumonia. The GI or gastrointestinal tract can also benefit from leech therapy, especially those who suffer from hepatitis, stomach ulcers, and pancreatitis, among others. Likewise, individuals with problems in their genitourinary system and gynecological disorders will also benefit greatly from leech therapy. Skin diseases like psoriasis, herpes, and eczema can also be treated with leech therapy. Other problems known to benefit from leech therapy are the eyes (example is glaucoma) and the brain (for infantile cerebral palsy).

But how exactly do leeches treat these many illnesses and diseases?

Anticoagulating effects of Leeches

The leech's saliva contains enzymes and compounds that act as an anticoagulation agent. The most prominent of these anticoagulation agents is hirudin, which binds itself to thrombins, thus, effectively inhibiting coagulation of the blood.

Another compound that prevents coagulation is calin. This, on the other hand, works as an anticoagulant by prohibiting the von Willebrand factor to bind itself to collagen, and it is also an effective inhibitor of platelet aggregation caused by collagen.

The saliva of the leeches also contains Factor Xa inhibitor which also blocks the action of the coagulation factor Xa.

Clot Dissolving Effects of Leeches

The action of destabilase is to break up any fibrins that have formed. It also has a thrombolytic effect, which can also dissolve clots of blood that have formed.

Anti-inflammatory Effects of Leeches

Bdellins is a compound in the leech's saliva that acts as an anti-inflammatory agent by inhibiting trypsin as well as plasmin. It also inhibits the action of the acrosin. Another anti-inflammatory agent is the eglins.

Vasodilating Effects of Leeches

There are three compounds in the leeches’ saliva that act as a vasodilator agent, and they are the histamine-like substances, the acetylcholine, and the carboxypeptidase A inhibitors. All these act to widen the vessels, thus, causing inflow of blood to the site.

Bacteriostatic and Anesthetic Effects of Leeches

The saliva of leeches also contains anesthetic substances which deaden pain on the site and also bacteria-inhibiting substances which inhibit the growth of bacteria.

Overall Effects to the Human Body

Once the leeches attach themselves to the skin of the patient and start sucking blood, the saliva enters the puncture site and along with it the enzymes and compounds responsible for all these positive effects. Working together, they act to cure the disease present in the individual. Because of anticoagulation agents, the blood becomes thinner, allowing it to flow freely through the vessels. The anti-clotting agents also dissolve clots found in the vessels, eliminating the risk of them traveling to other parts of the body and blocking an artery or vein. The vasodilating agents help widen the vessel walls by dilating them, and this causes the blood to flow unimpeded, too.

Patients who suffer from pain and inflammation will feel relief from the anti-inflammatory and anesthetic effects of the leech's saliva.

In the long run, leech therapy also helps to normalize the blood pressure of hypertensive individuals as well as lessen their risk of suffering from stroke and heart attacks. Blood circulation is also improved with leech therapy and it helps with the healing process of wounds, as well as wounds and lesions caused by diabetes. There is also a noticeable boost in the immune system's function due to bacteriostatic agents.

Contraindication to Leech Therapy

Leech therapy is contraindicated to patients with HIV and AIDS. It is also not recommended to patients who are on immunosuppressive drugs. Leech therapy puts these patients at risk for bacterial sepsis, thus, worsening their conditions.

REFERENCE:

http://www.triedtastedserved.com/health-trends/benefits-leech-therapy.php

QUESTIONS:

MULTIPLE CHOICE

           

Directions: Select the correct answer and write the letter on the space provided before each number.

___1) Leech Therapy is contraindicated to patients with ___________?

            a. anemia

            b. allergy

            c. HIV

___2) This agent helps widen the vessel walls and also causes the blood to flow unimpeded.

            a. Anti-Inflamatory

            b. Bacteriostatic

            c. Vasodilating

___3) It is the substance that deaden the pain when leeches start to suck blood.

            a. Eglins

            b. Aerosin

            c. Anesthesia

___4) Leech Theraphy helps to normalize the blood pressure and lessen the risk of __________?

            a. High Blood and Diabetis

            b. Heart Attack and Comatose

            c. Heart Attack and Stroke

___5) Which does NOT belong to three compounds that act as a vasodilator agent?

            a. Acetylcholine

            b. Bdellins

            c. Carboxypeptidase

ROOSTER

Rooster Comb Injections vs. Knee Replacement

Let us find out the benefits of rooster comb injections for osteoarthritis patients and how they can be a good alternative to knee replacement surgery.

Osteoarthritis is a condition that affects over 20 million of Americans and is usually seen in older patients, or patients with prior knee injuries and overweight individuals. The standard medical routine for arthritis treatment includes weigh management, special exercises for arthritic knees, ice pack application and anti inflammatory prescription medications. If you do not respond to these treatments your doctor might recommend you undergo a series of rooster comb injections, or knee injections with special lubricants.

This therapy usually involves hyaluronic acid injections in the knee area intended to lubricate your knee cartilage, relieve pain and inflammation and possibly to boost your body’s own synovial fluid production. You will have to undergo anywhere from 3 to 5 rooster comb injections performed one week apart. You will most likely not see immediate results from these knee cartilage injections and it can take up to 3 weeks for you to start noticing less pain, inflammation and improved flexibility.

 

Rooster comb injections could become a great alternative to costly and invasive knee replacements. According to the statistical medical data rooster comb injections enabled patients to delay a knee replacement procedure for an average of 4 years. If you have a severe form of osteoarthritis, knee injections with hyaluronic acid might not be right for you due to a vast knee joint destruction process. If you have known allergies to eggs or birds, your doctor might recommend you undergo a euflexxa injections, the only knee lubricant that is not made from a bird source.

 

If you are thinking of getting a knee replacement surgery, ask your doctor if the rooster comb injections therapy is right for you, which could become a great alternative to costly knee surgery and provide a great pain relief and more freedom of movement for you. In addition to surgical procedures and knee injections you may consider trying Elations joint drink that may help to stabilize joint functions in your knees.

REFERENCE:

http://www.healtharticles101.com/rooster-comb-injections-vs-knee-replacement/

QUESTIONS:

1. What do you mean by Osteoarthritis?

2. Retell the medical routines for arthritis treatment.

3. Why is it important to inject hyaluronic acid to the people who suffer from arthritis?

4. What evidence can you list to prove that rooster comb injection is better than knee replacement?

5. What solutions would you suggest to prevent osteoarthritis?

6. If you were suffering from osteoarthritis, would you also like to have some rooster comb injections? Why? 

BEES

5 Health Benefits of Honey

A spoonful of sugar may help the medicine go down, but what if the sweet stuff is the medicine? Sounds too good to be true, but the evidence is piling up that honey has some real medical value, especially for healing wounds and burns. When it comes to other bee products, however, be wary. Much of the buzz around royal jelly, bee venom, and propolis may be more scientific fiction than fact. U.S. News scoured the medical literature to find five situations in which today's best scientific evidence suggests that our six-legged, pollen-toting pals can help, and five for which the jury's still out.

Bee products can help if...

You have a burn. Seared your hand while baking? No worries. Of the many supposed medical benefits of honey, few have been studied as extensively as its soothing effect on burns. In fact, a review published this week in Cochrane Reviews synthesized data from multiple studies and concluded that honey reduces healing time more than conventional gauze and film dressings that are often used to treat moderate burns.

You have an infected foot or leg ulcer that's slow to heal. Nope, this doesn't mean that downing a teaspoon of honey will make the gaping ulcer on your leg magically disappear. In fact, treating an ulcer with honey doesn't involve eating even a drop of honey. Here's how it does work: There's a certain type of honey from New Zealand called Manuka honey that has potent antimicrobial properties. Your doctor can get you a prescription for a wound dressing infused with this honey, and some studies suggest it can hasten healing.

You have a cough. If you think over-the-counter cough medications actually help, think again. The FDA has been questioning the value of these medicines, and the agency has warned that children under the age of 2 should never use them because of potential side effects. What are parents to do when they've got a sneezing, sniffling, coughing kid on their hands? A spoonful of buckwheat honey might be a good place to start. Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine recently compared honey with a cough suppressant called dextromethorphan and found that honey worked better.

You have Fournier's gangrene. Fournier's gangrene, a frightening type of gangrene that mainly affects men, is caused by a bacterial infection that infiltrates the genital region. Though quite rare, the combination of virulent and aggressive microbes that cause the problem can result in organ failure and death. Thankfully, honey seems to help. A study published in 2004 showed that men treated with honey-soaked gauze dressings recovered more quickly than those who got a common solution called Eusol, which is a combination of lime, boric acid, and water. While some patients in both groups died (1 of the 14 men in the honey group, 2 of 16 in the Eusol group) and nine in each group required skin grafts, the men treated with honey were released from the hospital after an average of 19 days, compared with 27 days for the Eusol group.

You're infected with MRSA. Methicillin-resistant Staph aureus has long been a threat in hospitals, and the antibiotic-resistant bacterium has recently emerged in places other than healthcare settings. Usually, MRSA bacteria infects only its victim's skin, which results in a reddish rash, but sometimes the colony penetrates farther into the body, where it can become fatal. The good news is that research shows Manuka honey is surprisingly adept at killing the bug.

REFERENCE:

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/articles/2008/10/08/5-health-benefits-from-bees-and-5-that-call-for-caution

TRUE OR FLASE

QUESTIONS:

Directions: Put a check mark [ü] if you think the statement is true and put a wrong mark                                 [x] if you think the statement is false.

___1. MRSA bacteria rarely infect the skin of the victim.

___2. Honey-soaked gauze dressing is more effective in curing Fournier’s gangrene than Eusol.

___3. Researchers have found out that a spoonful of honey could bring potential side effects to   

          children under 2 years old.

___4. Taking 1 tbs. of honey could treat a person with ulcer

___5.  Honey reduces the healing period more than conventional gauze and film dressing in        
          treating moderate burns.

ALLIGATOR

Gator blood: Could it be the miracle cure for AIDS?

Alligator blood has been found to be high in certain peptides that are great at killing viruses, including HIV.Courtesy Bill Swindaman. Have you ever wondered why you never see alligators in the waiting room at the clinic?

For one thing, alligators have really bad medical insurance. But the bigger reason they stay so healthy is in their blood. New research has shown that alligator blood can kill off 23 different strains of bacteria. In effect, the gators have antibiotics in their blood.

Researchers started looking into alligator blood after noticing that the creatures rarely get infections despite all the wounds they suffer in their violent lives.

Why does any of this matter to us? The discovery could have huge impacts for our health. For one thing, experiments have shown the alligator blood is able to destroy much of HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS.

More specifically, alligator blood (and the blood of many other reptiles) is high in peptides, which are fragments of proteins). Learning more about these peptides could lead to the creation of medicines we’d be able to use to fight off strong viruses like HIV.

Don’t worry. You won’t be getting any transfusions of alligator blood the next time you’re at the hospital. Researchers estimate that pills or creams with the peptides that are also present in alligator blood might be ready for the human marketplace within the next seven years.

REFERENCE:

http://www.sciencebuzz.org/blog/gator-blood-could-it-be-miracle-cure-aids

CLOZE TEST

Directions: Supply the missing words to complete the paragraph.

            Alligators blood have _____________ that keep them healthy despite the wounds they suffer in their violent lives. In fact, gators blood can kill ________ different strains of bacteria. Moreover, experiments have shown that the __________ is high in __________ which can destroy HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS. This discovery then could have a huge impact for human health. Researchers estimate that ______________ might be ready for the human marketplace within the next seven years.

SNAKE

SNAKE VENOM FOR MEDICAL CURE

Snake venom — which can be lethal to humans when bitten – is frequently studied by scientists for the potential medicinal powers within it. Venom contains anti-clotting proteins. It was a factor in the development of a blood pressure medication. And it might even help slow cancer growth.

A novel protein within King Cobra venom is science’s latest venom-related discovery — and it could lead to better treatment options for certain neurological conditions.

Discovered in the Singapore laboratory of Dr. R. Manjunatha Kini, “haditoxin” is expected to have unique pharmacological properties, according to the “paper of the week” in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. “We know that the family of three-finger toxins display diverse biological actions on the human nervous system, cardiovascular system and blood clotting,” said Dr S. Niru Nirthanan, a co-author of the paper. “Some have directly led to the development of compounds with potent analgesic and blood pressure reducing properties — so it is likely that haditoxin in its ‘conjoined twin’ state or as individual components will offer us more novel insights.”

Haditoxin could serve as a lead compound or template from which to design other drugs, the researchers said. Or it could serve as a “molecular probe” helping scientists study neurotransmitter receptors and their role in conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, schizophrenia, anxiety and nicotine addiction.

The venom of the King Cobra, a carnivorous snake that can grow up to 18 feet in length, has provided a wealth of opportunities for scientists. ”Researchers have been studying King Cobra venom for over 50 years and yet we are still identifying new compounds,” Nirthanan said. ”It is a complex cocktail of biological molecules that can change composition depending on the environment, the season or even the snake’s diet.”

The paper’s lead author, Amrita Roy, is a doctoral student in the biological sciences department at the National University of Singapore, where Kini is a professor. Nirthanan is a lecturer and researcher at Griffith University in Australia.

RESOURCE:

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/pure-genius/studying-snake-venom-for-medical-cures/2518

IDENTIFICATION

            Directions: Choose the correct word in the box  that best describes the sentence.

	Cocktail                       Compound                  Diverse Lethal                          Schizophrenia              Venom

_____1. It is a substance that can kill animals and human.

_____2. A serious mental illness.

_____3. The poison that puts into your body when it bites or sting you.

_____4. It is made up of a number of different things.

_____5. Mixture of a number of different things, especially ones that do not go together well.