“Of the more than 72,000 preventable drug overdoses in the country in 2017, more than 47,000 involved opioids. International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) is a global event held Aug. 31 each year to remember those gone too soon from overdose deaths.”
The National Safety Council (https://www.nsc.org)
“Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections that are spread by sexual contact. STIs can cause severe damage to your body—even death. Except for colds and flu, STIs are the most common contagious (easily spread) infections in the United States, with millions of new cases each year. Although some STIs can be treated and cured, others cannot.”
ACOG – American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have been known to mankind for centuries. Before the advent of modern medicine, people’s lack of awareness and understanding of STDs contributed to the widespread transmission of the infections while few or no treatments were available to treat the conditions.
In medieval times, syphilis and gonorrhoea were two of the most prevalent STDs in Europe.
Some STDs can have severe, life-changing consequences; syphilis, for example, can eventually cause progressive destruction of the brain and spinal cord, leading to mental dysfunction and hallucinations, speech problems and general paresis.
It’s kind of puzzling that sexually transmitted diseases are so prevalent—particularly when you consider that you have to get pretty up close and personal to contract one. An STD is characterized by any disease that is spread by one partner to another via sexual contact, and that can be orally, vaginally, anally, or via hand to genital contact. Regardless, they are spread when one partner passes the disease-causing organism on to the other. Obviously, preventing STD transmission is first and foremost by practicing safe sex (PREVENTION) and not enough do it in America for some crazy reason hurting themselves and other people. However, if you think you might have contracted one of the most common STDs, recognizing the disease is imperative for swift treatment and preventing further spreading.
Top venereal diseases in the USA:
The Centers for Disease Control estimate that 700,000 new cases of Gonorrhea, or the “clap”, crop up every year. This long-term STD that is spread bacterially, affecting a female’s cervix, a male’s urethra, or the throat in both sexes, which means that it’s transmitted by vaginal, oral, and anal sex. The symptoms of gonorrhea are pretty subtle; the most noticeable being burning when urinating or a yellowish penile discharge in men.
Sexually transmitted hepatitis is hepatitis B (or HBV), which afflicts more than 1.25 million individuals in the U.S. even though there is a vaccine. If left untreated, a Hep B infection will scar and damage the liver, causing cirrhosis and liver cancer. Unfortunately, over half of those affected show no symptoms, but those who do suffer muscle pain and fatigue, yellowing of the eyes (or jaundice), nausea, and a distended stomach.
Syphilis is a particularly sneaky STD that caused by a type bacterial infection of the genital tract, known as Treponema Pallidum. Syphilis is transmitted when direct contact is made between the small, painless sores on the mouth, rectum, vagina, or around the genitals in areas not protected by latex condoms. It can also be transmitted via infected mother to her baby during pregnancy. When there are no sores, the disease is still present. Syphilis symptoms are rare , however, the most telling are sores or lesions on and around the genitals, as well as hair loss, sore throat, fever; headache; and a white patchy skin rash.
Like Gonorrhea, Chlamydia affects a man’s penile urethra and a woman’s cervix. However, oftentimes those who’ve contracted Chlamydia don’t show symptoms for months or even years, which explains why it’s the most common and rampant STD. If you do show symptoms, you’ll feel pain during intercourse and have a discolored, thick discharge from the vagina or penis. Transmitted via sexual penetration with an affected partner, using latex condoms can prevent transmission of this curable STD.
If you feel a creepy-crawly, itchy sensation in your genitals, you may have crabs (or public lice). They show themselves as visible eggs or lice in the coarse hair of the genital region (even if you shave it off), and they can spread to the armpits and eyebrows if left untreated. Typically transmitted via sexual contact, crabs can also be passed via contact with infested linens or clothing .
Human Papilloma Virus (or HPV) is currently the most wide spread STD. It affects roughly three-quarters of the sexually active population and a staggering one-quarter of sexually active women, which is why there is a North American vaccine to protect young women from certain types of HPV that are linked to genital warts and cervical cancer. HPV is transmitted through genital contact—via vaginal and anal sex, and also oral sex and genital-to-genital contact. Most times HPV doesn’t show any symptoms until it’s far advanced, but genital warts as well as RRP, a condition where warts grow in the throat and eventually cause breathing difficulties are common.
Bacterial Vaginosis, or BV, is not always considered an STD even though it typically afflicts those of child-bearing age with multiple or new sex partners. BV occurs when healthy bacteria in the vagina overgrow and become imbalanced, causing burning and itching around the vagina and a thick, grey discharge with a strong fishy odor. Antibiotics will quickly clear up bouts of BV, but it can reoccur, leaving the victim prone to pelvic inflammatory disease, other STDs, and premature births (if pregnant).
Painful sores or lesions on your mouth or genitals may indicate herpes, a viral STD that comes in two forms HSV1 (herpes of the mouth) and HSV2 (herpes of the genitals). Herpes is transmitted skin-to-skin—for instance, from genital to genital, mouth to genital, or mouth to mouth contact with an infected individual, even when they don’t have visible sores. Even though herpes symptoms be treated with antibiotics, the virus never goes away and reoccurs typically 2 to 4 times per year.
Trichomoniasis, or “trich”, often masks itself as a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis (BV) in women with similar symptoms—including a thick, grey discharge, offensive vaginal odor, pain or burning intercourse, and itchiness. A parasitic trichomonas vaginalis infection affects the urethra and the vagina in women. It can be transmitted back and forth between sex partners (man to woman and woman to woman) via vaginal intercourse and contact. However, most men typically don’t have any symptoms.
HIV is transmitted via the exchange of body fluids—such as semen, vaginal secretions, blood, or breast milk. Within a month or 2 of contracting HIV, about 40 to 90-percent of those afflicted suffer from flu-like symptoms including fever, fatigue, achy muscles, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, headache, skin rash, dry cough, nausea, rapid weight loss, night sweats, frequent yeast infections (for women), cold sores, and eventually, pneumonia. Luckily, many individuals who are diagnosed early can live a long, productive life with HIV thanks to a combination of highly active anti-retroviral drug therapy, which prevents to progression to AIDS.
1.) Practice Abstinence 2.) Condoms 3.) The pill for women 4.) Fewer partners or one partner only and be checked prior to having sex through the doctor or clinic to make it safe for BOTH. 5.) Get Vaccinated.
“Presently the Top 3 Hospitals in America by U.S. News for glioblastoma are:
Glioblastoma is an aggressive type of cancer that can occur in the brain or spinal cord. Glioblastoma forms from cells called astrocytes that support nerve cells. The tumor only grows in brain tissue this means the cancer only spreads in the brain and spinal cord since the spinal cord is made out of brain tissue.
Glioblastoma can occur at any age, but tends to occur more often in older adults. It can cause worsening headaches, nausea, vomiting and seizures.
Glioblastoma, also known as glioblastoma multiforme, can be very difficult to treat and a cure is often not possible. Treatments may slow progression of the cancer and reduce signs and symptoms.
Survival rate is one to five years but some live longer; it varies from person to person.
Tests and procedures used to diagnose glioblastoma include:
Glioblastoma treatment options include:
“Hip replacement surgery is one of the most successful operations in all of medicine. Since the early 1960s, improvements in joint replacement surgical techniques and technology have greatly increased the effectiveness of total hip replacement. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, more than 450,000 total hip replacements are performed each year in the United States.”
Ortho Info (https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/)
“Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a group of illnesses caused by four families of viruses. These include the Ebola and Marburg, Lassa fever, and yellow fever viruses. VHFs have common features: they affect many organs, they damage the blood vessels, and they affect the body’s ability to regulate itself.”
Department of Health
Hemorrhagic fevers are caused by a variety of infections from viral agents that originate in animals and insects, including rodents and mosquitoes, according to the Mayo Clinic. The type of virus determines how the infection spreads, such as tick bites or contact with contaminated rat feces.
Examples of viral hemorrhagic fevers include dengue, yellow fever and ebola, the CDC Special Pathogens Branch states. VHFs are caused by four families of viruses that all rely on specific animal or insect hosts, known as natural reservoirs and vectors, and they only occur in the geographic regions of their host species. While VHFs never originate in humans, some variants can spread from person to person once contracted.
According to WebMD, symptoms of dengue fever include a sudden, high fever, severe headaches, joint and muscle pain, pain behind the eyes, nausea, vomiting, skin rash, and mild bleeding. As of 2014, there is no treatment for dengue fever. However, WebMD recommends taking acetaminophen to reduce pain and fever, drinking plenty of fluids and getting plenty of bed rest.
Dengue fever is the result of the transmission of one of four dengue viruses through mosquito bites, according to WebMD. Most of the infections take place in tropical climates, especially areas around southeast China, the Caribbean and Mexico. Most Americans become infected with dengue fever by travelling to places where the disease is present, and infection can be confirmed with a simple blood test.
The first symptoms appear anywhere between four and six days after contracting the virus and usually last around 10 days. Young children or people that have never contracted the disease usually suffer from milder symptoms. However, people that have a weakened immune system or who have been previously infected are at a greater risk of developing complications, including dengue hemorrhagic fever and failure of the circulatory system. WebMD recommends that people who believe that they are infected with dengue fever should get medical attention, especially if they begin to feel worse after the fever has diminished.
Contact with infected bodily fluids and secretions typically causes transmission of VHFs, according to the CDC Special Pathogens Branch. Occasionally, VHFs spread to geographic regions where they don’t occur naturally after an imported host or infected traveler carries the virus. A direct bite usually causes insect-related infections, but humans can also contract viruses from handling livestock infected by insect bites.
Symptoms of VHFs depend on the disease, but they commonly include high fever, muscle and joint aches, dizziness, shock and fatigue, the Mayo Clinic states. In more severe cases, these viruses cause bleeding from the eyes, mouth or ears and internal hemorrhaging under the skin and inside organs.
Patients with viral hemorrhagic fevers usually receive only supportive therapy; there is no other established cure for viral hemorrhagic fevers. However, ribavirin (Rebetol, Copegus) has been effective in treating some individuals with Lassa fever, and treatment with convalescent-phase plasma has been used with success in a few patients — other experimental antiviral agents have also been tried in a few patients.
Prevention and control of hemorrhagic fevers is difficult; except for yellow fever and Argentine hemorrhagic fever, no vaccines have been made commercially available so that prevention efforts are concentrated on avoiding contacts with the host species, vectors, or humans infected with the viruses.
The Ugandan Ministry of Health reported on Oct. 5, 2014, that a health-care worker died of Marburg virus disease (formerly known as Marburg hemorrhagic fever [Marburg HF]) on Sept. 30, 2014. The source of his exposure is not clear. This is of interest since Marburg virus is a close relative of the Ebola virus, and both produce clinical signs and symptoms that are often indistinguishable.
*Viral hemorrhagic fever facts by Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) refer to a group of illnesses that are caused by several distinct families of viruses. In general, the term “viral hemorrhagic fever” is used to describe a severe multisystem syndrome (multisystem in that multiple organ systems in the body are affected). Characteristically, the overall vascular system is damaged, and the body’s ability to regulate itself is impaired. These symptoms are often accompanied by hemorrhage (bleeding); however, the bleeding is itself rarely life-threatening. While some types of hemorrhagic fever viruses can cause relatively mild illnesses, many of these viruses cause severe, life-threatening disease.
The Special Pathogens Branch (SPB) primarily works with hemorrhagic fever viruses that are classified as biosafety level four (BSL-4) pathogens. A list of these viruses appears in the SPB disease information index. The Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, also in the National Center for Infectious Diseases, works with the non-BSL-4 viruses that cause two other hemorrhagic fevers, dengue hemorrhagic fever and yellow fever.
VHFs are caused by viruses of four distinct families: arenaviruses, filoviruses, bunyaviruses, and flaviviruses. Each of these families share a number of features:
In rare cases, other viral and bacterial infections can cause a hemorrhagic fever; scrub typhus is a good example.
So what is the key to stop this from occurring in your country PREVENTION through infection control.
“Heart disease is very common and serious. It’s the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. If you have diabetes, you’re twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke than someone who doesn’t have diabetes—and at a younger age. The longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to have heart disease.”.
Centers of Disease Control and Prevention – CDC