BiTherapca Health

Homeostasis dictates that the body adjusts itself to ward off the destabilizing influences of stressors, through its ability to maintain a constancy in the state and function of its internal environment. The driving forces that come to play may be neuronal, hormonal, that influence structural and functional changes. When the body functions sub-normally, it is bound to fail. A major stress mediator is histamine and it evokes compensation in the human system. Since exhaustion usually ensues if the stressor is not removed in time, cellular plasticity and versatile functionality are limited and decompensation results. Breathing compensation may be manifested by the recruitment of intercostal and other respiratory muscles, hypotension can be compensated by redistribution of electrolytes and fluid within the body compartments, the cardiac muscle stretches and hypertrophizes, the hepatic or the thyroid gland cells increase in number, post-nerve receptors may increase in number following...

It is generally believed that effective health education is a more desirable and cheaper way to attain good health status in an individual and the general population. But, practically, there exists no ideal singular model, to achieve this objective. The human mindset is very resistant to change from old habits, cultivated over years, however detrimental to health they may be. There is a common expression in everyday parlance which goes: "Old habits die hard". Human psychologists believe that we are conditioned by the belief system of the society we live in and constantly pick up habits from especially our peers. A child may become a chain-smoker by initially imitating a friend who had picked up this same habit. We put on weight because of our craving for food to fill a void in our lives. It is widely believed that it is easier to switch from a bad habit to a good one by re-orientating one's value system and engaging in an activity which takes the time off the bad habit...

In laminar flow, fluid is moving faster in the center and more slowly at the edges of the pipe. A critical speed is reached, since obstacles must be met along the way, as 'friction' builds up and the path narrows, when dynamic pressure(flow) falls, just downstream of the obstacle and central fluid flow slows. There is less ordered movement and separation of fluid into 'particulates'(drops), caused by 'friction' or traction and these particulates bombard the walls of the pipe. The dynamic pressure downstream of the obstacle falls as that at the edges rises(from impact and directional change in droplets), which normally is at low pressure in tne laminar flow; this due to redistribution from the center to the sides. Pressure on the walls of the pipe increases because of this redistribution and the separation of the fluid into droplets, which hit the walls with greater impact, creating strong vibrations. Collision of downstream flow with upstream flow created by di...

The human body may be quite efficient in producing high-energy ATP from food, when there is adequate oxygen(32% efficiency), in preventing wear and tear, from friction when bones, muscles and tendons slide over each other to effect motion or change the direction of force, through synovial fluid, which is a secretion from the bursa; but not so in the overall work output. This is because, once released, the unused energy from ATP is never recaptured in any other useful form for reuse but is rather dissipated(wasted) as heat. A machine is a combination of rigid or resistant bodies, formed and connected so that they move with definite relative motion or transmit force from the source of power(effort) to the resistance to be overcome(load). This function requires strength and rigidity. A machine has two functions: transmitting definite relative motion and transmitting force. Simple machines include the wedge(double inclined plane), levers which include pulleys/belts on wheels or merged to...

Patients are usually filled with high expectations of a cure once their illness, for which there is an existing cure, is diagnosed. However, unfortunately, a cure may not always be achieved. There are various reasons why treatment may fail or patient expectations may not be met: Acute attack may offer no time or means to the clinician to take appropriate measures to forestall impending havoc in a patient. This is because such a manifestation may have severely compromised the functioning of vital organs that some tissue survival is in effect impossible. For example, good functioning of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems is necessary to keep any tissue alive. Treatment may have been started too late when irreversible damage must have occurred in body organs. Most chronic infections and chronic lifestyle diseases such as atherosclerosis and liver cirrhosis fall in this category. Organ transplant may be a solution. A major problem with chronic infections is that they usually build...

Drinking salty water is less hydrating [may even be dehydrating by producing watery diarrhea and frequent urination] and less of a hypertensive risk than having a salty meal. Food is actively taken into the cell. In the stomach, active uptake of glucose, peptides and amino-acids into the enterocyte ( cell of the upper small intestine-duodenum and jejunum) by carriers causes this cell to transform and allow sodium to enter the cell through sodium channel. From the cell (enterocyte), the food molecules move into blood by simple diffusion. Water follows passively and then sodium, through osmosis. The rationale for putting glucose in oral rehydration solution is to facilitate the absorption of sodium lost in dehydration from, say, diarrhea. So if you take salty food you are in effect overloading yourself with salt and water and run the risk of developing high blood pressure (hypertension). In the ilium ( lower small intestine) sodium/proton and chloride/bicarbonate exchangers (pumps) ar...

It has widely been speculated that tryptophan, an amino-acid found in protein is responsible for sleepiness that occurs after taking a protein rich meal, but how it does it has largely eluded the minds of scientists for sometime until recently. It is well known that tryptophan is converted into serotonin in the brain and then into melatonin in the pineal gland. Melatonin, produced from serotonin, causes sleep. Taken with carbohydrate, protein is digested and releases branched chain amino-acids that are taken up into the muscle. This allows tryptophan to be taken up into the brain with little competition from the branched chain amino-acids, already sequestrated in the muscle. In the brain, tryptophan is converted into serotonin and finally into melatonin, which brings about sleep. Calcium is necessary for melatonin formation, the reason why sea food is usually more hypnotic. [Melatonin is a strong antioxidant with high protective effects on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA]. Raised levels...

It is common knowledge that a major reason for the high prevalence of obesity in our society, and the deleterious health consequences of this problem, is the increase in our calorie intake. Starter sweets are the worst way to start a meal. They actually raise our appetite by stimulating insulin release. The sudden upsurge in blood insulin leads to increased glucose uptake into our body cells and a paradoxical hypoglycemia( low blood sugar), which the brain senses and responds to by the craving for more food. A proper meal should contain carbohydrate rich in fiber, balanced with a good portion of protein. Not only does the high fiber slow down absorption of sugar, it also conditions the stomach to feel full and this reduces the need for excess food intake. It is also important to start a meal with eating carbohydrate and protein simultaneously. This strategy has the benefit of providing the essential amino acids and glucose at the same time. The satiety quorum is thus easily attained...

To stay healthy, the human body must meet certain basic requirements dictated to it by its biological make-up. Oxygen is necessary to produce energy from food, to allow for the proper functioning of our body organs and to maintain good coordination of our systems, as well as to ensure the production and maintenance of body structures. Good oxygenation requires proper breathing, adequate vascularization of our organs and optimum functioning of the heart. Good oxygenation gives a glow to the skin. Physical exercise not only supplies the much needed oxygen but it also strengthens our breathing and heart muscles. It opens up existing blood vessels, at the same time creating new ones. After good exercising, the heart beats more slowly, empties more effectively and the blood pressure drops. Breathing is deeper, less labored and emptying is more effective. Muscles acquire better nutrition and an appealing tone. Physical exercise burns body fat and keeps the mind alert. For oxygen to be us...

Pre-eclampsia, which precedes eclampsia , is characterized by high arterial blood pressure ( Hypertension ) in a pregnant woman.The high B.P. is just a symptom of a severe systemic disease which may involve damage to the liver, the kidney and the brain blood vessels. Kidney tissue is shed as protein in urine.There is swelling ,especially of the hands, feet and face partly due to the inability of the kidney to function adequately.The onset of these symptoms is at about the 20th week of pregnancy and symptoms may last for weeks after child birth. Eclampsia is more severe and is characterized by fits and coma. Women who have had pre-existing high B.P.,diabetes, kidney disease and blood clotting disorders , are more at risk of toxemia of pregnancy( pre-eclamsia and eclampsia). Eclampsia and pre-eclampsia usually occur in first pregancies and multiple pregnancies . A history of pre-(eclampsia) is enough worry to expect future pre-(eclampsia) .It is now believed that the ...

Stroke Signs and symptoms: Disorientation in person, time and space, Confusion (difficulty in concentrating or comprehending), Dizziness, Paralysis e.g. tilted tongue or lips, drooped eyelids, sagging cheek, Inability to talk, see, or move body part, Numbness, Vomiting. Cause: Hemorrhage of blood vessel in the brain, Blood clot and block of artery supplying part of the brain. Risk factors : Overweight and high blood lipids, Hypertension, alcohol consumption, Smoking, Stress. What to do: Immediate measures ; Keep the victim calm and allow for oxygen by not crowding the victim's breathing space, Call for help(911) ; Preventive measures ; Watch what you consume, your weight and exercise regularly. Heart attack Signs and symptoms: Shortness of breath, Dizziness, vomiting, Squeezing sensation in the chest, Excruciating pain in the chest, neck or jaw which may extend to the left or both arms, Cold sweat. Cause: Block of coronary(heart) artery. Risk factors: Overweight and high blood...

Ions are distributed segregatively between the inner and outer parts of the cell membrane. Irritability, a defining characteristic of the living organism, is effected by ion exchange between this membrane in excitable tissue e.g the nerve or muscle cell. Similar exchange is carried out in the less excitable cell. Mechanical, chemical and electrical stimuli cause ion distribution across the membrane to change transiently, mainly sodium and potassium in the nerve; and sodium, potassium and calcium in the muscle. This is commonly sensed as irritation, and structurally leads to cellular proliferation, if chronic. Such chronic stimulation in some highly proliferative cells like fibroblasts, hepatocytes, or bone marrow stem cells or genetically modified adult cells, from such damage, will receive signal from influxed calcium to proliferate, through gene activation and protein synthesis. No doubt, most chronic irritations in the body lead to excessive tissue growth and calcification. Magnes...

Oxygen is necessary to burn fuel(food), and through biochemical removal of carbon dioxide and production of water, the living system acquires energy to sustain life or do work. In humans, through this necessary catabolism, oxygen provides high energy biochemical intermediates, mainly adenosine triphosphate(ATP), that are required to do work or build our tissue. Oxygen is, therefore, essential for organ vitality. Since the brain is incapable of storing the high energy metabolic intermediates, it is the more important that it remains in continuous supplies of oxygen or else it soon dies. It takes just 5 minutes for the human brain tissue deprived of oxygen to die. Good and radiant health requires good oxygenation of body tissues. It is, therefore, important that we develop good breathing techniques, through regular exercises, to keep our brain alert, allow our muscles and other vital organs to function optimally and keep us balanced in life. Good breathing is one that is neither too fast...

It is becoming increasingly evident that the wait for chemotherapeutic cure or effective vaccine for HIV infection will remain long, given that previous pronouncements of breakthroughs , unfortunately, have failed to completely fill the void in the expectant public. It is, however, not surprising that it has taken this while to reach this far, short of a cure or a vaccine. HIV has its specificities which have made the road to be this long, very long indeed, ever since HIV was associated with AIDS. Another glimmer of hope is now coming from the results of a bone marrow transplant. It has recently been reported that an HIV patient had a bone marrow transplant from a donor whose T lymphocytes had no receptor for the attachment of HIV. The donor's bone marrow took over from the host's and started manufacturing T lymphocytes that were not receptive to HIV. Following this procedure, tests are showing that the recipient no longer harbors HIV. These results are opening up another r...

Prolonged exposure to the sun produces dark spots, wrinkles, deep creases and sagging skin. The glossy look and uniform tone are lost. By middle age the scaffolding of the skin tissue, provided by collagen and elastin, is experiencing chronic damage from aging, due to persistent free radical production. Protection against the sun's ultraviolet rays reduces wrinkles and muddy skin tone, giving a younger look. Anti-oxidants, principally vitamins A, C, and E (tocopherol) are known to boost the benefits of sunscreen by neutralizing damage caused by U.V. light of the sun, through their electron capture property. Vitamin B(riboflavin) is a good sunscreen. It also shares redox property with vitamins A, C and E. Vitamin A (retinoid) penetrates the skin readily and increases the production of collagen through its oxygen carrying/donating effect. It vitalizes the skin cell. The result is a smoother skin. In excess it could lead to irritation, the peeling or thickening of the s...

Latest studies are showing that with the current HIV treatment mix known as Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment (HAART), HIV levels in blood remain very low ( undetected with current technology) but cannot go lower even though the virus no longer replicates in CD4 because, it seems, the virus in the bloodstream is trickling from non-CD4 sanctuary [ no viral growth] in body tissues where the virus had been sequestrated prior to institution of treatment. It is also observed that with this highly effective treatment, when started early enough and after say five years, a patient can be put off treatment for a year and will not experience viral rebound in blood. There is possibility to extend this treatment holiday further. Simply put, when we get Highly Active Anti-retroviral Treatment early we may succeed to reduce the amount of virus in our blood to a level that can be contained or checked by our body's defence system. We will still have low levels of the virus in us but ...

In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who cannot take warfarin , the combination of clopidogrel (Plavix, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi-Aventis) and aspirin reduced major vascular events, particularly stroke, compared with placebo, although at the expense of an increase in major bleeding [1]. Although warfarin and vitamin-K antagonists are the treatment of choice for AF patients at high risk for stroke, up to 50% are not treated with either because they are judged as unsuitable candidates by their physician, and for these patients who are treated only with aspirin, "there is a major unmet medical need," lead author Dr Stuart J Connolly (McMaster University, Hamilton, ON) told the meeting here. "The results of ACTIVE-A , which is the largest trial ever performed of an antithrombotic therapy in atrial fibrillation, with more than three times as many strokes as any other trial, have clearly shown that clopidogrel reduces major vascular events, primarily due to a reductio...

For ages aspirin has been used as a painkiller, from chewing the leaves of the willow of the wild to administration of the present day refined pharmaceutical product. This simple molecule has remained the Doctor's magic pill and more wonder uses are still only slowly being uncovered. Aspirin is known for its inhibitory effects on cyclo-oxygenase; an enzyme that produces prostaglandins, prostacyclin and thromboxane, which are mediators of inflammation and clot maturation( platelet aggregation) But other uses seem to stem from its effects outside the inflammatory pathway. Aspirin uncouples oxidative phosphorylation. It is now known to possess anti-proliferative property, which is key in preventing the growth of cancer cells or other wart-like lesions of the body. In this wise, it has been advocated for the treatment of colo-rectal cancer and it has long been used to treat acne. It is useful in preventing plaque build-up in arteries; and in impending thrombotic stroke or heart attack ...

Having looked at the Prof. Duesberg's postulate, I have the following comments to make: He advances that " AIDS is the result of chemical intoxication and malnutrition". He suggests that " HIV is a latent virus without pathological bearing". Professor Duesberg says that people who had prior ant-viral vaccination should not contract other viral infection. To me this only applies to closely related viruses like herpes and chicken pox . In fact, vaccination against common cold is worthless because strains keep on changing.This is currently the case with HIV/AIDS. Professor Duesberg asserts that in the diagnosis of HIV we currently look for antibodies which supposedly should be protective. He points out that viral strands are built in vitro by chain polymerization and are erroneously referred to as viral load. The antibodies are only partially protective for HIV because in viral infections the body depends on T lymphocytes for protection and less on the...

Why may people suffer distress and collapse, unexpectedly? Many conditions may give us little time or means to act to stem impending havoc, upon acute manifestations. What should we do? Go for regular check-ups to monitor our vital signs ( cardiovascular,breathing etc) and do some tests such as glucose tolerance test, blood lipid profile; take control measures to stem the insults or get treatment; know the limit to which we can safely stretch ourselves and live lifestyles that do not put unnecessary demands on the functioning of our vital organs. Recognizing the signs of impending stroke, heart attack , shock, heat stroke , exhaustion and administering first Aid prior to hospital referral can be life saving. Dr. Oliver Verbe Birnso

I share the call for caution when we carry out new non-standardized treatment on patients because very often we cannot say with any significant degree of certainty what has happened and we run the risk of doing some harm to a patient we intended, in good faith, to help. The reason for standardization in clinical trials is the need to eliminate the occurrence of outcome by chance and to prevent or mitigate harm. People will still get cured even without treatment. This phenomenon is experienced when doctors give placebos or "sugar pills" to patients and succeed to affect diseases and benefit patients or even effect cure. This partly explains why stringent measures are put in place and best practices expected of experimenters by regulatory authorities before any treatment is approved for public consumption in the civilized societies; this in a bid to make sure that claims of effective treatment are not just a result of chance. When it is alluded that sero-conversion [from...

I believe that the reason for rebound viral upsurge after a patient goes off ARV treatment should be attributed to the fact that most 'antibiotics' including antiretrovirals, in effect, suppress the immune system as they interfere with our own cellular function, as a side-effect. When a patient eventually goes off it, the immune system which has been battered cannot adequately cope with even the low residual viral load. It is important to note here that viral infections have never been cured with existing conventional therapy. In fact antibiotics are contraindicated in viral infections and when antiviral drug is recommended for treatment, adherence is expected for long enough to allow adequate immunity to develop- if not for life- for fear of this rebound effect. Good immune health is the key but because HIV principally attacks those cells responsible for our own immunity, it leaves the body weak and unable to contain the virus. Therefore, there is little chance of spontaneous ...