A Simple Guide to Beestings

A Simple Guide to Beestings
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What are beestings?
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Beestings include stings by different bees, wasps and hornets.
The most common sting is by the common honeybee.
Usually the bee stings the patient skin, leaving its stinger behind and dies.

What are the symptoms of Beestings?
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1. stinger left on the skin

2. pain and mild discomfort may last a few hours

3. swelling of the skin at the sting site in sensitive patients reacting to the venom of the sting

4. itch at the site may lasts for a week

The main component of bee venom responsible for pain is the toxin melittin.
Histamine and amines in the beesting contribute to the pain and itching.
Most beesting are acidic in nature.

What is the treatment of Beestings?
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1.Remove the barbed stinger.

2.Apply cold compress to reduce pain and swelling.

3.Use baking soda solution to conteract the acid.

4.Give paracetamol and antihistmines for pain and itch

For more severe reactions such as allergy and anaphylactic shock to the beestings, emergency treatment may be required:

1.Give adrenaline injection subcutaneously slowly over a minute peroid
followed by

2.antihistamine like diphenhydramine intravenously

3.Treat shock

4.Corticosteroids may be needed to counter allergy

Multiple beestings may cause severe reaction with shock and hemaglobinuria.
This may require hospitalisation.

Multiple beestings have been known to cause the kidneys and vital organs to shut down and should be treated urgently.

A Simple guide to Whooping Cough

A Simple guide to Whooping Cough
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What is Whooping Cough?
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Whooping cough is an acute infectious childhood disease of the respiratory tract caused by the bacillus Bordetella pertussis.

How is Whooping Cough transmitted?
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Whooping Cough is transmitted by droplets from coughing spells.

It is highly infectious.

The early stage when it appears to be a cold is the most infectious peroid.

Most infections occur in children under six years of age.

One attack usually confers immunity

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Whooping Cough?
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The incubation peroid is usually 10 - 12 days after contact with an infected child.
Symptoms start off with:
1.an ordinary cold (runny nose, sneezing, cough, fever) for 1-2 weeks followed by:

2.uncontrolled coughing that can last 1 - 2 months.

Cough persists and become paroxysmal ending in a noisy inspiration "whoop" sound causing the child to go blue and vomit.

Between the spasms of coughing the child seems relatively well

What are the complications of Whooping Cough?
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The worst affected are children below the 1 year old.
Some serious complications are:
1.pneumonia,

2.seizures,

3.brain damage

4.nose bleeds

5.death can occur during the severe coughing stage.

Serious complications are less with older children or adults.

Adults rarely get whooping cough because their immmunity from vaccination usually last 10 years after the last dose.

When adults get whooping cough, a prolonged, irritating cough may be present instead of whooping type of cough.

What is the Treatment of Whooping Cough?
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Antibiotics (erythromycin) are used in the treatment of Whooping cough.

Once severe coughing has begun, antibiotics are less effective. They can reduce the duration of the illness and stop the spread to others.

Family members should be treated once there is an infected person.

Tetracycline is used if the patient is allergic to erythromycin but should avoided in children because of the staining of the teeth.

Besides antibiotics, the following will help:
1.Steam inhalation

2.cough mixtures

3.oxygen therapy

4.avoid smokes, dust, dry air,sudden temperature change

What is the Prevention for Whooping Cough?
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Vaccination against whooping cough is the best prevention .

Since vaccination began, the worldwide incidence of whooping cough has declined.

Vaccination against diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus (DPT) is usually given to a baby at 3 months of age and repeated at 4 and 5 months of age.

There is a booster vaccination at 18 months.

In very rare cases (1 in 100,000 cases), there has been serious reactions such as seizures to the whooping cough part of the vaccination.

Recently, an improved acellular pertussis vaccine is now available. There are fewer side effects such as high fever and seizureswith this new vaccine.

A Simple Guide to Conjunctivitis

A Simple Guide to Conjunctivitis
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What is Conjunctivitis?
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Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva(the white of the eye and inner lining of eyelids).
It is one of the most common and treatable eye infections in children and adults.

What causes Conjunctivitis?
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Conjunctivitis can be caused by a
virus
bacteria
irritating substances (shampoos, dirt, smoke, and especially pool chlorine)
allergens (substances that cause allergies).

Conjunctivitis caused by bacteria, viruses can spread easily from person to person, but is not a serious health risk if diagnosed promptly.

What are the symptoms of Conjunctivitis?
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1.Redness in the white of the eye or inner eyelid

2.tears overflowing

3.yellow discharge that crusts over the eyelashes, especially after sleep
Other discharge from your eye (green or white) .

4.Pain in the eye

5.Itchy eyes (especially in conjunctivitis caused by allergies)

6.Burning eyes (especially in conjunctivitis caused by chemicals and irritants)

7.Blurred vision

8.sensitivity to light

How is Conjunctivitis spread?
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Bacterial or viral Conjunctivitis can also be spread through hand contact when rubbing the eyes or touching contact lenses after touching infected skin.

Being around a person who has conjunctivitis and wearing contact lenses may increase your risk of getting conjunctivitis, but the outcome is usually very good with treatment.

How is Conjunctivitis treated?
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Bacteria:Conjunctivitis caused by bacteria is treated with antibiotics.
The antibiotic can be given as eye drops, ointments, or pills.
Eye drops or ointments may need to be applied to the inside of the eyelid three to four times a day for five to seven days.

Virus: No Medicine can treat conjunctivitis caused by a virus.
This type of conjunctivitis often results from a common cold.
You may, however, help relieve symptoms by applying a cold compress.

Irritating substance:For this type of conjunctivitis, use warm water for five minutes to wash the irritating substance from the eye.

Allergies:Allergy-associated conjunctivitis is treated with antihistamines or when the allergen is determined and removed.

How to relieve symptoms of Conjunctivitis?
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1.Protect your eyes from dirt and other irritating substances.

2.Do not use contact lenses, if you wear them.

3.Place cold compresses on your eyes.

4.Wash your face and eyelids with mild soap or baby shampoo and rinse with water to remove irritating substances.

5.Do not rub your eyes with hands that are not washed.

6. Do not use the same bottle of drops in the other eye if it is not infected.

How to prevent spreading Conjunctivitis?
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1.Do not touch or rub the infected eye(s).

2.Wash your hands often with soap and warm water.

3.Wash any discharge from your eyes twice a day using a fresh cotton ball or paper towel. Afterwards, discard the cotton ball and wash your hands with soap and warm water.

4.Wash your bed linens, pillowcases, and towels in hot water and detergent.

5.Avoid wearing eye makeup.
Don’t share eye makeup with anyone else.

6.Do not wear another person’s contact lens.

7.Wear glasses instead of contact lenses.
Throw away disposable lenses or be sure to clean extended wear lenses and all eyewear cases.

8.Avoid sharing common articles such as unwashed towels, cups, and glasses.

9.Wash your hands after applying the eye drops or ointment to your eye or your child’s eye.

10.Do not use eye drops in a non-infected eye that were used for an infected one.