Also mentioned in Corpus Hippocraticum by the father of methodical medicine, Hippocrates (5^th century BC), Trachoma is a bacterial infection affecting the eye and possessing the potential to result in blindness.

Trachoma is said to have originated particularly in Egypt and Middle East and therefore it is also known as Egyptian Ophthalmia along with other alternative names like Granular Conjunctivitis, War Ophthalmia and Military Ophthalmia. Sometimes it is also generally referred as just Conjunctivitis.

As old as the history itself, Trachoma is prone to every race and community with even disastrous epidemic forms reported. Though, the number of cases has considerably reduced in most of the developed countries, it is not so in major part of developing nations as it is related to poverty and overcrowded conditions.

According to recent reports, trachoma has left nearly 8 million people blind whereas approximately 84 million need treatment. Compared to men, it is more common in children and women (especially in their 40s).

Causes of Trachoma

Trachoma is triggered due to the bacteria known as Chlamydia Trachomatis resulting in irritating eyes and discharge of mucous from the eyes at repeated times. Though it clears up in about a month’s time, it can spread rapidly due to poor hygiene. Other factors that spread the infection from person to person include direct eye contact, nose & throat secretions and using common objects like towel and washcloths.

At times, even insects (like flies) carry the discharge from infected person to a healthy human.

Trachoma Symptoms

Symptoms of trachoma are usually noticed in 5-12 days after exposure to the bacteria starting with the eyelid lining tissue turning red/pink and swollen. Its symptoms are quite similar to ‘pink eye’. If untreated, it can even lead to developments of scars.

Itching and drainage of pus or mucus from the eye are among the first signs of trachoma. After a few days of disease progression, the patient turns sensitive to light or develops photophobia. Individuals also experience blurry vision and pain in the eye.

Some other trachoma symptoms include cloudy cornea, corneal scarring, swollen eyelids and turned-in eyelashes (a condition of trichiasis). Further complications related to ear, throat and nose are also observed.

The symptoms of trachoma in children include white lumps under the upper eye lid’s surface and appearance of follicles at the junction of sclera and cornea. The scars developed on the eyelid result in deformation of the lid such that the lashes rub against the eye. This rubbing gives way to more scars and corneal opacities which can lead to blindness.

The symptoms in children are usually not painful until the adulthood is reached as the disease progresses at a sluggishly.

The abdomen is sometimes referred as the ‘magic box’ by most medical practitioners. This name comes from the fact that any abdominal pain is difficult to be diagnosed. In most cases, differences are seen between clinical diagnosis, investigation test results and intra-operative diagnosis.

To minimize this difficulty, there are two ways of dividing the abdomen. One method involves dividing the abdomen into 9 parts for accurately pointing out the area of any abdominal disorder. Another way is by dividing the abdomen into 4 quadrants by 2 imaginary lines, 1 vertical and 1 horizontal, passing through the navel as lower left, lower right, upper left and upper right.

Here, let us have a look at the causes of lower left and right abdominal pain, various factors linked and the treatment.

Lower Abdominal Pain

Any discomfort or pain that occurs in the abdomen below the naval or the umbilicus is referred as lower abdominal pain. Also referred as suprapubic pain, it is occurs due to various reasons and medical conditions.

Lower abdominal pain in women is more common due to the presence of urine bladder, womb or uterus, upper part of vagina, upper cervix and fallopian tubes.

Lower Abdominal Pain during Pregnancy

Though a lower abdominal pain during pregnancy is caused mostly due to the same causes as in normal women, there are certain conditions that are linked only to pregnancy. Some of these specific and non-specific conditions leading to lower abdominal pain in pregnant women are:

• Acute appendicitis
• Gallbladder disease like cholecystitis or biliary colic
• Infection in the urinary tract
• Duodenal ulcer
• Miscarriage
• Constipation
• Braxton hicks contraction
• Polyhydramnios

Any pain in the abdomen during pregnancy is temporarily relieved by using certain antibiotics that are proven safe for pregnant women.

An abdominal pain in any part can be excruciating or unbearable and tend to make the patient jump, shout or writhe in pain. The symptoms that are usually noticed along with abdominal pain are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, burning sensation, mild or severe fever, chills and shivering. Such symptoms and the location of the pain help in the correct diagnosis of abdominal pain.

The upper abdomen is located between the lower ribcage margins and the naval. It is further divided into upper left abdomen and lower left abdomen. The upper abdomen covers both the loins side-wise to the center of body and from under the breast-bone to umbilicus.

Upper Abdominal Pain

Any pain in the upper abdomen region is termed as upper abdominal pain. The presence of numerous organs or structures in the upper abdomen makes it difficult to diagnose the actual cause of pain.

Any disorder or medical condition pertaining to these organs or structures can lead to upper abdominal pain. Upper abdominal pain also includes the pain in abdomen due to organs or structures not located in the abdomen.

Upper Abdominal Pain during Pregnancy

Experiencing upper abdominal pain during pregnancy is not unusual as the different physiological and hormonal changes in a pregnant lady increase the risk of conditions that may result in upper abdominal pain.

The various causes of abdominal pain in expected mothers include those mentioned below:

• Miscarriage
• Urinary tract infection
• Constipation, as very commonly seen in pregnant women.
• Gastritis
• Appendicitis
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Fibroid
• Labor pains
• Tumors related to ovaries
• Diabetes keto acidosis.
• Pre-eclampsia of pregnancy

Abdominal pain is usually classified according the area where the pain is felt. For easier diagnosis and better identification of an abdominal pain, it is classified into two halves, right and left abdomen. These halves are further sub-classified into upper quadrant and lower quadrant.

A pain in the right side of abdomen refers to anywhere in the upper right abdomen and lower right abdomen. A right side abdominal pain can often be misleading or confusing as there are several causes with varying severity. Moreover, the presence of numerous organs on the right side of abdomen makes diagnosing the actual cause of pain difficult.

Right side abdominal pain can be dull and constant or it can also be sharp and stabbing. A dull and constant pain is usually accompanied with a burning or tingling sensation. Diagnosing the exact reason for such a pain requires detailed examination of various other factors like duration of the pain, history of other illnesses, the exact location of the pain, severity, type, vomiting and appetite.

An abdominal pain in the right side, or for that matter any abdominal pain, should not be ignored as it can be an indication for other serious health conditions. Some serious illnesses actually cause very mild right side abdominal discomfort while some gentle illnesses can provoke moderate or sometimes severe abdominal pain on the right side.

{image source: ADAM}

Causes of Right Side Abdominal Pain

To determine what causes abdominal pain on the right side, it is necessary to look at the different organs or structures present on the right side of abdomen. Any illness, infection or irritation in these organs can lead to abdominal pain on right side.

Given below is the list of various organs and structures that exist in the right half of the abdomen:

• Appendix
• Liver
• Gallbladder
• Kidney (right)
• Pancreas
• Adrenal gland (right)
• Ureter (right)
• Right part of large intestines
• Duodenum
• Fallopian tube (right)
• In females, right ovary
• Blood vessels
• Muscles
• Skin

Other health disorders or conditions related to various organs or structures too are common causes of right side abdominal pain though not situated in that area. Examples for these could be tumors and the right lung’s lower part. Any kind of infection or illness in the right lung’s lower part is also one of the several right side abdominal pain causes even though it is not counted as a part of the right abdomen. Similarly even tumors could cause right side abdominal disorders.

The abdomen is divided into 4 parts namely the upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right abdomen. Left side abdominal pain refers to pain in the upper left and lower left quadrants of abdomen.

Abdominal pains are commonly occurring pains in the left side, right side or the entire abdomen. An average individual experiences this pain at least for once in lifetime. Any pain in the abdomen should not be ignored, especially on the left side.

Abdominal pain on left side can be varying according to the cause. On some occasions it can be dull and at times it is a sharp pain. Some people experience a throbbing pain while for some it is cramp-like.

Left side abdominal pain can be chronic and long-lasting while for some it appears suddenly and may be acute. At times, the left side abdominal pain is followed by nausea and vomiting.

image source : buzzle.com

A pain in the abdomen should not be neglected as this may be a symptom of some other bigger problems. It can be linked to multiple conditions that do not necessarily occur in the abdomen itself though they cause discomfort in abdomen. Some pains may be directly associated with gastrointestinal tract while other abdominal pains, like the one experienced in strep throat, are not directly associated with the tract.

Left Side Abdominal Pain Causes

What causes Left side abdominal pain?

A detailed study is necessary to determine the exact location and cause of left side abdominal pain as there are numerous organs in that area. An abdominal pain can result due to some disorder in any of the following parts situated on the left abdomen:

• stomach
• spleen
• left part of liver
• left kidney
• left half of large intestine
• body and tail of pancreas
• sigmoid colon
• descending colon
• left ureter
• in women – left ovary and fallopian tube
• left adrenal gland
• blood vessels, nerves, muscles and skin

These are the organs that can directly give an abdominal pain in case of any disorder. Apart from these, there are some more organs not found in the left abdomen but they can still cause a pain. These are the heart, left half of diaphragm and left lung’s lower part. In some rare cases, the appendix is situated on the left side instead of the right and this too can result in left sided abdominal pain. However, this condition, Situs Invertus, is uncommon and hence not considered as a major cause for left abdominal pain.

Jock itch or Tinea Cruris is  basically a form of ringworm and a skin contagion. Primarily it affects the skin of the genitals, inner thighs, scrotum in males and buttocks areas. These areas are warm and moist and the itch results in reddish irritated ring-shaped rashes. Anyone who is overweight prompting a skin to skin rub and perspires a lot like sports persons is susceptible to this infection. It can affect women as well, though in rare case.

Ringworm is not to be taken as a form of worm; it is purely an infection of skin referred simply as ringworm (tinea).

Body ringworms :

Jock itch (tinea cruris) -

Infects the groin & the skin adjacent to it.

Nail ringworm (tinea unguium) –

Also called onychomycosis renders the nails opaque, stiffened and brittle. Women using  artificial nails and people suffering from peripheral vascular disease are prone to it.

Scalp ringworm (tinea capitis) -

Caused by fungus Tricophyton tonsurans leads to sores or lesions called keroins on the scalp skin. It affects children mainly due to poor hygiene.

Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) -

Caused by Trycophyton is spread as painful rashes, peeling and scaling’s on the toes, fingers and spaces betwixt them. Mainly is transmitted by walking or remaining in moist wet areas like that found in showers or bathrooms.

Beard ringworm (tinea barbae) -

Called the “barber’s itch” are lesions on the bearded areas of men and young adolescents. Zoophilic & Antro-pophilic fungi are the one responsible for causing it. In females and young children it is termed as Tinea faciei.

Is Jock Itch Contagious?

Engaging in sexual encounters is the prime reason for the spread of this infection amongst people. Also if one does not care enough to wash their hands after touching, scratching or rubbing the area, then they are responsible for spreading it to others by means of hands shaking, hugging and touching. Also sharing undergarments, swimming costumes, other clothing’s, towels and kerchiefs of the infected person will spread the contagion. Regular visits to activities like swimming and gym open to public is also a potential source of tinea fungus. Thus it is advisable to go in for a shower before and after engaging in such activities.

Ear or cartilage piercings are amongst the oldest rage acquired by youngsters worldwide. Almost every one especially teenagers till individuals of both the gender in the age up to 30 are keen to get pierced so as to look trendy and happening. Guys are catching up faster than girls in getting ear cartilage piercing. However, they need to be very particular to ensure the overall look comes out well.

People are no longer restricting to just one cartilage pierce on their ear lobes but a many along the cartilage portion of external ears to sport a unique fashion statement. It is more of a gesture to depict your individual fashion style and get a distinctive look out of the normal crowd. Even the guy cartilage piercing is getting popular these days.

To be more precise the piercing of upper portions of external ear is termed as “cartilage piercing” whilst that of the earlobe only is referred simply as “ear piercing”. Generally across the helix, daith, antitragus, tragus, conch or shell and rook and snug are the areas where pierced cartilage is done apart from the ear lobe. Also side and middle parts of the nostrils are subjected to it.

Cartilage Piercing Picture 1 : madmaxtattoo.com

Cartilage piercing is a complicated as compared to simple ear lobe piercing and is prone to higher risks of contacting cartilage piercing infection. Sometimes even bumps or scars can be left if the procedure is not performed properly. Treating cartilage contagions is very difficult as unlike other body parts blood supply to cartilage is lesser in amount. It usually takes 6 times more the time required by any other body piercing to heal completely. In severe cases of infections one might have to take recourse of antibiotic medications. Thus, it is always advisable to anyone who wants to experiment with cartilage piercing to go for some authentic and experienced source.

A wide range of materials are available today which can be used to adorn your new piercing. Most common metals to be used as cartilage piercing earrings are gold, silver, platinum and even stainless steel. Apart from this precious, semi-precious stones, crystal, diamonds studs are equally popular as earrings. Now a day beads and plastic creations are also in demand. The accessory might be in form of studs, hoops, rings, pins, drop dangling stuffs, cuffs etc. The size of the earring is determined by the ability of the ear lobe to hold it for long.

How to pierce your cartilage?

Innumerable methods are present for getting a piercing done, from “Help yourself” to specialized equipment’s like piercing guns or medically sterile needles. Most traditional cartilage piercing procedure is with the help of a sewing needle as the piercing object and a thread to draw through the hole.

This is not a safe means though because of lack of sterilization. It is henceforth advisable to go for fully sterilized piercing needles as using a piercing gun will enhance the risk of acquiring an infection. Guns are invariably used on several customers and may contain infection causing germs.

Staphylococcal can cause various types of infection like changes in skin, infection in internal organs and blood poisoning or sepsis. These are all included in symptoms of staph infection. It is important for few diseases cause by these bacteria, to focus on the signs of staph infection and get it cured before it threatens the life. At the same time some type of infection would be cured naturally.

What is Staph?

Staph (pronounced as ‘Staff’)  is a gram-positive spherical parasitic bacterium. Some of them cause infections or septicemia by forming the irregular colonies.

What Is Staphylococcal (Staph) Infection?

Caused by Staphylococcal bacteria and their toxin production, Staph infection is an irritation of the skin or internal organs. The bacteria generally enter the body with an open cut and it can be life-threatening as well.

Symptoms of Staph Skin Infection

One may get Staph skin infection through the cut or scratch or by skin-to-skin contact with the infected person. It is wise to keep wound clean and dry, to avoid the infections transmission. Symptoms and signs of staph infection in skin can be as listed below:

• Red rashes or blisters with pus
• Skin bumps and eyelid swelling
• Impetigo – the small red blister which gets crust and erode.
• Paronychia – Infected tissue adjacent to nails.
• Cellulitis –Inflammation of body tissues with fever and swelling.
• Staphylococcal scalding skin syndrome -Scaling of skin
• Infected acne
• Staphylococcal lymphangitis -lymphatic vessels infection

Various Types of Staph and their Symptoms:

Staph Mastitis symptoms

Staph mastitis is an inflammation of breast tissues which occur mainly to breastfeeding mothers. The possible time period of its occurrence is within 6 weeks of child’s birth. Symptoms of staph mastitis are:

• Red painful lump in the breast with swelling.
• Itchiness of breast skin and nipple
• Nipple discharge
• Fever
• Lymph nodes close to armpit.

What is armpit odor?

Armpit odor, the most common form of body odor is the unpleasant smell that is linked to stale perspiration under the arms. When the perspiration is exposed for some time to the atmosphere, chemical changes take place due to the active bacteria present on the skin’s surface. This can result in odor though initially the perspiration is odorless. Armpit odor is not truly the smell of perspiration as commonly assumed since the sweat secreted by the body is odorless. It is in fact the chemical changes caused by the bacteria while they break down the protein into acids.

An average person has about 3-4 million sweat glands in the body that are responsible for secreting perspiration. These can be classified into two types:

• Eccrine Glands — These glands are the source for most perspiration. They secrete salts and water that reach the skin through coiled ducts or tubes when the nervous system senses the body heat. These glands are responsible for controlling the body temperature. The sweat produced by these glands is high in salt content and thus bacteria find it harder to break down the protein.
• Apocrine Glands — These glands secrete sweat through the hair follicles and are present in large numbers in armpits. The sweat secreted by these glands contains organic substance (fatty substance) also known as sebum. The sweat contains high amount of protein which the bacteria finds easier to break. The breaking down of protein in sweat by the bacteria present on the armpit results in underarm odor. Thus, it can be assumed that the apocrine glands are more responsible for the armpit body odor.

Smelly armpit usually starts being evident when reaching puberty as the apocrine glands begins to develop at the age of 13 to 15. However, even in children, armpit odor is noticed in case of hyperhydrosis.

The only symptom for armpit odor is the unpleasant smell given out by the body.

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone or TSH or Thyrotropin is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland, a small organ located below the brain and behind the sinus cavities. It is responsible for stimulating the thyroid gland. The TSH levels are measured for diagnosing any thyroid disorders.

The level of thyroid hormones in the blood depends and is controlled by the pituitary gland and the TSH levels. The TSH is secreted by thyrotrope cells in the front pituitary gland which is responsible for regulating the endocrine function of the thyroid gland. The TSH level is directly related to the level of thyroid hormones.

The TSH is responsible for the secretion of the following hormones by the thyroid gland:

• Triiodothyronine or T3
• Thyroxine or T4

Ironically, T3 and T4 restrain the production and secretion of TSH similar to another hormone somatostatin that inhibits TSH production.

Thyroid Gland

The thyroid gland is located at the anterior part of the throat just below the Adam’s apple. This butterfly-shaped gland produces hormones that can affect and regulate nearly every bodily function. Along with these, Triiodothyronine (T3) and Thyroxine (T4) are also necessary for the normal development of the human brain. In case of any thyroid disorders in the early years of a child resulting in insufficient thyroid hormone production, the child may become mentally retarded.

These hormones control various functions of the body including memory, heart rate, cholesterol levels, metabolism and organ function, weight loss or gain, energy levels and skin condition.

Thyroid Gland Disorders

When the thyroid gland is producing less thyroid hormone, the pituitary gland produces increased TSH levels to stimulate the thyroid forcing it to increase its production of thyroid hormones. This condition is called hypothyroidism. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include tiredness, dry skin, slow growth, constipation and delayed pubertal development.

When the thyroid gland produces more thyroid hormone than required, the pituitary gland decreases its level of TSH production so as to decrease the level of thyroid hormones produced by the thyroid. This condition, hyperthyroidism, results in unexpected weight loss, irregular heartbeat, excessive sweating, irritability and nervousness.