Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder affecting more than 4 million individuals, producing silvery, scaly plaques on the skin. The skin condition usually begins in adolescence and affects 2 percent of the population. The most common type of psoriasis is called “plaque psoriasis” (or psoriasis vulgaris), characterized by raised, inflamed lesions with silver-white scales. Other far less common forms include pustular, guttate, inverse, and erythrodermic psoriasis.

The condition is considered to be mild if only 10 percent or less of the body is affected; 10 percent to 30 percent indicates a moderate problem, and psoriasis over more than 30 percent of the body is considered to be severe. The location of the symptoms, more than the extent, influences how disabling the condition may be. Psoriasis only on the palms and soles of the feet can be physically disabling, while psoriasis on the face can be emotionally disturbing. Typically, a person with psoriasis experiences cycles of improvement and flares; the disease can go into remission for periods ranging from one to 60 years.

Read the rest of this entry »

A food-borne disease caused by the microscopic intestinal roundworm Trichinella spiralis. Any child who eats undercooked meat of infected animals can develop trichinosis; pork products are most often responsible, although cases have appeared after eating infected bear and walrus.

The parasite may be found in a wide variety of animals, including pigs, dogs, cats, rats, and many wild animals (such as fox, wolf, and polar bear). The disease is found only among those who eat pork, primarily in North America and Europe. Up to 5 percent of Americans have had an infestation, usually without symptoms. It is almost never a problem in countries such as France, where pigs eat root vegetables, not garbage.

Read the rest of this entry »

The common general term for brain injuries that impair thinking as a result of physical trauma severe enough to cause loss of consciousness or damage to the brain structure. Each year, about two million Americans sustain a brain injury—about one every 15 seconds. More than a million of these are sustained by children, 30,000 of whom will have permanent disabilities.

Boys are twice as likely to be injured as girls, especially between the ages of 14 and 24, followed by infants, and then the elderly. Children are more likely to incur traumatic bran injury during the spring and summer. Traffic accidents account for almost half of the injuries; about 34 percent occur at home and the rest in recreation areas.

Read the rest of this entry »

How to run properly and safely:

1. Running with correct technique (even in prepared bare feet), on any surface, is injury free.

2. Running equals springing through the air, landing elastically on the forefoot with a flexed knee (thus producing quiet feet). On landing, the foot should be directly below the body. (Walking is landing on the heels with a straight leg).

3. Any and all additions to the body damage running skill.

4. Quality beats quantity; the speed at which you practice the most will be your best speed.

5. Walking damages running.

Read the rest of this entry »

The wrist can be sprained by damage from a fall, or twisting or bending of the joint in which the ligaments supporting the joint are pulled or bruised.

Signs of Sprained Wrist

• Painful
• Range of joint movement not restricted, other than by the discomfort
• Local tenderness

Read the rest of this entry »

Tetanus is an acute, often-fatal infectious disease commonly known as “lockjaw” because the condition causes the jaw muscles to lock. In the United States, four out of every 10 people who get tetanus will die. The disease is not passed from one person to the next, because the illness is caused by toxins produced by bacteria. The tetanus vaccine has been available since the 1940s.

What causes tetanus?

Tetanus is caused by a bacterium belonging to the Clostridium genus, which thrives in the absence of oxygen. It is found almost everywhere in the environment, most often in soil, dust, manure, and in the digestive tract of humans and animals. The bacteria form spores, which are hard to kill and highly resistant to heat and many antiseptics.

Tetanus bacteria enter the body through a wound (even one as small as a pinprick). More typically, the wound that leads to tetanus is a deep puncture caused by a nail or knife; because these wounds are hard to clean, bacteria remains deep within the wound. In the presence of dead tissue, tetanus spores can grow and produce the deadly exotoxin that causes symptoms.

While tetanus bacteria are found almost everywhere, natural immunity is rare, which is why immunization is so important. It is also possible to contract tetanus from animal scratches and bites, in wounds where the flesh is torn or burned, in crushing wounds, and in frostbite. It may even follow minor wounds such as splinters, and it can develop after surgery.