queries

Do antacids help?

YOUR HEALTH DR GITA MATHAI

Q: Whenever I take any antibiotics or painkillers I develop severe gastric irritation, with belching, burning and pain. Can I take antacids to prevent this? A: Painkillers usually belong to the “aspirin” family, or are paracetamol or are NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents). All of them can cause gastric irritation to varying degrees. The same is true of some antibiotics also. Using an antacid decreases the availability of the medication as many of them interact with the antacid in the stomach. Instead, you can add omeprazole, pantoprazole or ranitidine to the prescription. You can speak to your physician for specific advice and dosage schedules. Try smiling Q: At 50 years of age I find I have a sad and depressed look as I have bags on the cheek and my whole face sags. It affects my mood when I look in the mirror. A: Sagging of the skin (jowls) occurs owing to the loss of subcutaneous elastic tissue with age. The skin is not held taut. Gravity then causes the cheeks to sag. You have to be very conscious of this. Instead of developing a grumpy expression, try smiling. This will pull up your cheek muscles and the skin overlying them. You can also apply oil every morning and massage your cheeks upwards. This will give you slow improvement. If nothing works, and you are really mentally affected by this, several plastic surgery techniques are available. Alternatively, you can always try Botox. Grandma’s bladder Q: My 82-year-old grandmother suffers from recurrent urinary tract infections. Cultures of the urine repeatedly grow significant numbers of bacteria. The doctors advised an ultrasound (USG) and it indicated significant residual urine — around 190cc. What can we do? A: Residual urine means that her bladder is not emptying properly. Urine is left behind in significant amounts after she has passed urine. This occurs because of a weakness of the pelvic muscles as a result of previous childbirth, age and the loss of protective female hormones after menopause. Urine is a good culture medium for bacteria to gain a foothold and thrive. As long as this problem persists and urine remains in the bladder, infections will recur. You also need to check if she has any additional risk factors like diabetes. Appropriate antibiotic treatment has to be given in the correct dosage for the recommended schedule for the infection to clear. Sometimes a small night dose of antibiotic has to be continued prophylactically for a few months. Ask your grandmother to lean backwards instead of forwards while passing urine. That will help to empty the bladder more. In addition, yoga or Keegle’s exercises can be done to strengthen the pelvic muscles. Exercise, please Q: I have been a naturopath and yoga teacher for 30 years. Many diseases, infirmities, injuries and the effects of ageing can be delayed or prevented by practising this scientific ancient exercise form. Recovery from illness is also faster. I find most of my patients very resistant to the idea of exercise. They have a thousand irrelevant excuses to put off to “tomorrow” a schedule to start being physically active. Needless to say, tomorrow never comes! A: People are looking for a “quick fix ”, an instant solution or a miracle drug that’ll cure all their ailments with the least effort. Unfortunately the body has to be maintained and nurtured like any other piece of functioning ageing machinery. Studies show that 60 minutes of aerobic activity and 10 minutes of stretching will go a long way in maintaining health. For those who cannot spare that amount of time at one stretch, it can be split into 10 or 20 minute segments. The eventual benefits are immeasurable. On the pill for 15 years Q: I am 45 years old and have been on an oral contraceptive pill (OCP) for 15 years. How will I know if I have reached menopause? After all, the pill produces withdrawal bleeding every month. A: When you actually reach menopause there will be no withdrawal bleeding after the tablets are stopped. If this occurs for three months you have probably reached menopause. It is safer to continue the pills for a year more. If you stop the pill you should use some other form of contraception like condoms for a year. Excruciating pain Q: I was pregnant a year ago. On scan the baby was found to have Down’s syndrome. I underwent a termination of the pregnancy. Now I have lower abdominal pain all the time. Sometimes it is so severe that I have to double up. What can I do? A: Since this pain has appeared after the abortion, you could take an ultrasound of the pelvis and do a urine examination. This will help to determine if there is an infection or any other reason for the pain. Armed with these reports you could go to a gynaecologist for specific advice and treatment. Dr Gita Mathai is a paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore. Questions on health issues may be emailed to her at yourhealthgm@yahoo.co.in

cNo baby blues

	Your Health   DR GITA MATHAI

It's difficult to believe but true that despite our 1.2 billion population, many of our young adults have difficulty in producing children. They may be called "sterile, infertile or sub fertile". But before a couple is labelled "infertile", they should have had at least 12 months of regular contraception-free intercourse.

Worldwide, infertility affects 7-10 per cent of the population. Although women actually produce the babies, if the reasons for the infertility are investigated the woman is at fault in a third of the cases; in a third it is the man and in the remainder either both are responsible or no real cause can be found.

Before embarking on a planned pregnancy, the woman should have had immunisations for measles, mumps rubella (MMR) and hepatitis B (3 doses). She should also start folic acid supplements (5mg/day). Children born with physical or mental defects because these basic facts were forgotten are a human tragedy. Both partners need to keep their body mass index (BMI, or weight in kilograms divided by height in metre squared) at around 23 and be physically active for around 40 minutes a day. They also need to treat any existing underlying disease like diabetes, high blood pressure or thyroid problems.

Studies show that caffeine (found in tea, coffee and cola drinks) affects fertility. Women who drink alcohol can produce babies with "foetal alcohol syndrome". It also reduces the sperm count in men. Smoking affects the quality of the sperms and inhaled passive smoke is bad for the growing baby. Sperm counts may be reduced by inhaling hazardous chemicals in the work place or by working in high temperatures.

Women ovulate cyclically and the egg is released 14 days before the next period. For a woman to conceive, intercourse must take place around this time and the sperm count must be optimal. Initially, if a menstrual calendar is maintained, the fertile days can be calculated. A semen analysis for sperm count is a non-invasive simple test. Also, after intercourse lie down, don't douche, and avoid lubricants and cleansing agents.

If these simple methods fail in a couple where the woman menstruates regularly and the man has a normal sperm count, a visit to a reproductive medical unit is warranted. Further investigations to establish the patency of the tubes and quality of the sperm may be needed. Depending on the problem, medication or surgical correction of a specific defect may be needed.

Conservative medical treatments are usually tried for periods varying from 6 months to a year. If they fail, assisted reproductive technology (ART) techniques are started.

In IUI (intrauterine insemination) the woman is scanned during her most fertile period to determine ovulation. Healthy treated sperms from her partner are then inserted into the uterus. The technique is used when the sperm count is low, the motility unsatisfactory or if donor sperm is being used.

In GIFT (gamete intra-fallopian transfer), eggs and sperms are collected, mixed and then placed in the woman's fallopian tube. Fertilisation takes place naturally in the body.

In IVF (in vitro fertilisation) the eggs are harvested and fertilised with sperm in the laboratory. The resulting embryos are then placed in the uterus. This is used in cases where the fallopian tubes are blocked, the fertility unexplained or when several attempts with the other forms of ART have failed. It can result in multiple pregnancies. Some clinics offer "natural cycle IVF". This involves collecting and fertilising the one egg released during the normal monthly cycle. It avoids the side effects of fertility drugs and multiple pregnancies are less likely.

In ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) a single sperm is injected into the centre of an egg. This is used when the male partner has a very low sperm count or if other problems with the sperm have been identified.

Donor eggs from other women can be used if the woman has no eggs of her own, or if she is over 40 and the eggs are of poor quality. Sperm from donors can be used if the husband has a low count (oligospermia) or no sperms (azoospermia). Surrogate mothers can be hired to carry the baby to term.

There is no right time to seek medical help, but if sexual intercourse at least three times a week without contraception for a year has been unsuccessful, it is probably time for proactive action. If, however, the woman has periods at intervals less than 21 days or more than 90 days, the flow is unpredictable (if it starts it does not stop and if it stops it does not start) or if there has been pelvic infection in the past, an evaluation should be done at the earliest. In men, if the testes are not felt in the scrotum, or there is a hydrocoele (swelling) or a past prostate infection, investigation and treatment should be started sooner.

Dr Gita Mathai is a paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore. Questions on health issues may be emailed to her at yourhealthgm@yahoo.co.in

Jaundice

Top of Form Royal disease YOUR HEALTH   DR GITA MATHAI Jaundice, icterus, hepatitis." These three terms are interchanged by people to describe what they believe is a single common affliction, a disease that causes the skin and eyes to turn yellow. The word "jaundice" is actually a corrupted anglicised version of the French jaune coined in the 19th century by French physicians to describe what they thought was a single disease entity. Unaware of cause or cure, the discolouration was also called the morbus regius (the regal disease), with the belief that only the touch of a king could cure it. Times have now changed and medicine has become evidence based. Tests can be done if a person becomes "jaundiced" to evaluate the "when, where and why". Once the cause is removed, the disease will disappear. The yellow colour is due to a pigment called bilirubin, normally produced in the spleen and liver when old red blood cells are broken down. The pigment is then metabolised in the liver and excreted. The level of bilirubin is usually 0.3 to 1.9mg/dl (milligrams per decilitre). The human eye can discern the yellow colour imparted by bilirubin when the level is three times or more than the normal 3mg/dl in the blood. Infectious diseases can interfere with the ability of the liver cells to metabolise bilirubin. The most common infections are viral, commonly caused by the hepatitis group of viruses. There are several of these — some are transmitted through contaminated food or water, others through unprotected sex or unsterile injections. Jaundice owing to viral hepatitis A is the commonest form of jaundice in young people. It is usually a mild self-limited disease that recovers spontaneously in one or two months. No specific treatment is required. Hepatitis B, C or E can be more severe, relapsing, fatal or chronic. Out of this group, hepatitis A and B are preventable. Vaccination against hepatitis B is offered in a 3-dose schedule before the age of one year (it can be given later to anyone who missed it). Hepatitis A vaccine is given after the age of two years as a 2-dose schedule. Protection is almost 100 per cent. Other infections caused by the herpes group of viruses, leptospirosis, cytomegalovirus, malaria or even severe bacterial sepsis can also cause jaundice. These diseases are not preventable by immunisation. Jaundice is not always due to an infection. If for any reason the number of red blood cells destroyed is greater than normal, the liver is unable to cope with the overload of pigment and the person becomes jaundiced. This occurs in some hereditary blood disorders like thalassaemia, and sickle cell disease, or a hereditary metabolic defect like G6PD deficiency. Sometimes, the liver cells themselves are defective and unable to cope with even the normal amount of bilirubin produced in the body. This occurs in certain inherited conditions like the Dubin-Johnson or the Gilbert syndrome. Several members of a family are affected, the jaundice is mild and fluctuating and it is not fatal. Medications can be toxic to the liver and cause jaundice. Common examples are an overdose of paracetamol or even oestrogens. Alcohol is a direct toxin, poisonous to the liver cells. Consumption on a regular basis over many years can damage the liver and can result in jaundice. Even when the bilirubin is adequately metabolised and produced in normal quantities, jaundice can occur, if the drainage ducts are blocked by stones, strictures and primary or secondary cancer deposits. Sixty per cent of newborns can develop a "physiological" or normal self-limited jaundice. There is a rapid cell turnover in newborns and they produce bilirubin at a rate of 6 to 8 mg per kg per day, (more than twice the production rate in adults). The immature liver cells are initially unable to cope but the bilirubin production and level typically decline to the adult level within 10 to 14 days. Sometimes the jaundice is due to a mother-baby blood group incompatibility. The mother forms antibodies to the infant's blood. This too is self limited and treatable. The sudden appearance of jaundice in any age group should not be self diagnosed, ignored, treated with diet restrictions or herbs without a diagnosis. After consultations with a physician, appropriate blood and urine tests and, if necessary, scans or a laproscopy should be done to arrive at a diagnosis. Eighty per cent of the jaundice in young adults is due to hepatitis A. As this disease is self-limited, quackery and miracle cures (like the touch of the king, amulets and bracelets) abound and appear successful. Secondary jaundice recovers once the causative factor is removed. Abstaining from alcohol and discontinuing offending drugs may reverse jaundice. If a correctable obstruction is seen on scanning or a laparoscopy, surgical treatment provides relief. The tragedy of jaundice is that ignorance and superstition stand in the way. Some treatable and curable forms of jaundice are not diagnosed or tackled till it is too late. Dr Gita Mathai is a paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore. Questions on health issues may be emailed to her at yourhealthgm@yahoo.co.in   Bottom of Form

 

The 6 pack

Six pack abs

	Your Health   DR GITA MATHAI

Gone are the days when a paunch, a plump wife and a couple of well-fed children were signs of success. The "now " generation follows the fashion trends of its idols (the Khan brigade of Aamir, Shah Rukh, Salmaan and a few others in Bollywood) and everyone wants a six pack, or at least a four pack ab. Such ambition is not the prerogative of men alone. Women too want a midriff that can be bared and need not be concealed under voluminous folds of chiffon.

The concept is simple. Just strengthen the abdominal muscles and lose body fat. What could be easier?

The catch lies in putting the equation to action. If your job and personal monetary value rest on your appearance (as with models and movie stars), many hours a day can be dedicated to achieving and maintaining this goal. Personal trainers, physiotherapists, physicians and dieticians can be employed.

For most people, an hour a day is about all they can spare, and the household income will not support the services of additional helpers.

With patience, dedication and will power, a six pack is an achievable objective and the effort is well worth it. Your morale, and physical and mental health will improve. An added bonus — despite your age, heads will turn.

The first step is often the most difficult — to get off the couch, put down the TV remote and start exercising.

When you eventually do get a six pack, the idea is that it should be seen and appreciated. This will not happen if it is hidden under a layer of body fat. Priority one is, therefore, to get rid of that flab. To do this, cardiovascular exercises like running, swimming, cycling, skipping or stair climbing for at least 20 to 30 minutes have to be combined with muscle training. Ideally the cardiovascular exercise should be performed after weight training. Having a light tea or coffee before starting also kick starts the metabolism.

Weight training increases muscle mass, calorie consumption at rest and reduces flab. Around 20 repetitive movements with a light weight (1-5kg) for each group of muscles is usually sufficient. This will not result in huge bulging muscle masses as in body builders.

Abdominal exercises have to be repeated at least every other day to maintain muscle tone. Exercises involve lying on the floor with the knees bent and then trying to touch the knee with the nose, bringing the knee up to touch the nose or moving both together simultaneously to meet in the middle. Start with 20 repetitions and eventually work up to 500 of each exercise set, increasing the number done only once a week. The most efficient abdominal exercise is cycling in the air.

While performing any manoeuvres, protect the neck. Do not attempt to place the fingers behind the head and pull up using arm strength. Place the arm across the chest or else place just the tips of the fingers behind the ears. Also, make the movements smooth and fluid. Jerky jack knife movements can injure the lower back.

Exercise does not really have to be a "no pain, no gain" process. Activities like flexing, stretching, clenching and unclenching the stomach while sitting behind a desk (especially if your job is sedentary) will effortlessly go a long way to achieving a flat stomach.

The abdominal machines advertised on television are really not worth the money. Similar results can be achieved with persistence. Targeting just a specific area of your body and doing exercises only to reduce fat from that particular region does not work. Dieting, exercising and working out have to be combined to get the ideal shape. Space out calories in 3-4 meals instead of missing a meal altogether. Try eating a fruit or drinking a large glass of water before a meal. Both will curb the appetite and offer health benefits as well.

Snacking on high calorie foods is unhealthy and silently adds to the number of calories consumed. Even when the meals actually eaten are small, there is no weight loss and the paunch remains. A written record of the food eaten and exercise done will help to keep a reality check on intake and output.

Many supplements (pills, powders, liquids) are advertised as the magic cure for increasing muscle mass and/or weight loss. They are expensive and the claims misleading. Thyroid tablets (to increase the metabolism) and anabolic steroids (for muscle) or diuretics (to lose water) are dangerous. There are specific appetite suppressant drugs that can be taken under strict medical supervision. Adjuvants will work only if combined with diet and exercise.

Everyone has an opinion on diet, exercise and body sculpting. Listen to these opinions, settle on a routine that works for you, and, remember, working out is like having a job. You cannot "take off" too many days without losing out.

Dr Gita Mathai is a paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore. Questions on health issues may be emailed to her at yourhealthgm@ yahoo.co.in

The Great Depression

The great depression

	Your Health   DR GITA MATHAI

Feeling down and blue? That's not surprising — the economy is down, jobs are scarce, people are being laid off and the stock market has collapsed. What could be worse?

When events over which people feel they have no control occur, or when they are inevitable but unpleasant, people say, "I am depressed." They feel down and out. Depression can be medically diagnosed not merely when changes in outlook and mood negatively affect behaviour, thinking and normal functioning, but only if they have lasted two weeks or longer.

Depression appears to be a nebulous entity, "all in the head", and is often summarily dismissed as just that. In a way it is true, because medically, depression occurs when the neurotransmitters — chemicals responsible for carrying messages in the brain — are unbalanced and out of sync. It can start in childhood, but usually becomes obvious between the ages of 25 and 44. This is a time when the external stresses of life are at their peak. It probably results from a combination of genetic, biochemical, environmental and psychological factors.

The onset of depression appears with the insidious onset of vague sadness, irritability, anxiety, fatigue, loss of energy, altered eating habits with weight gain or loss and decreased concentration. Physical symptoms like headache, digestive symptoms and vague aches and pains may set in. None of these, on investigation, entail identifiable diagnostic abnormalities, nor do they respond to conventional medical treatment. Subconscious attempts by the individual to artificially boost one's mood may manifest as drug or alcohol abuse. It may remain unrecognised by family, peers and society until there's a suicide attempt.

The Greeks had a name for long lasting depression. They called it "dysthymia", a diagnostic term still in use. The symptoms of dysthymia are mild and last from 3-5 years. Affected people are always sad, pessimistic, socially withdrawn and unproductive. Major depression, on the other hand, shows negative mood changes that may be overwhelming. This, if untreated, can last from six months to one and a half years. A combination of stressful situations leads to a type of depression called an "adjustment disorder". Manic-depression or bipolar disorder results in extreme mood swings, alternating between sadness and withdrawal and reckless mood elevation, insomnia, increased libido and grandiose ideas.

All types of depression are more common in women. Hormonal changes in women — pre-menstrual and during menopause and childbirth — directly alter the neurotransmitter ratios in the brain and make them vulnerable to depression. A particular type, called post partum (after childbirth) depression, is peculiar to women.

Depression is not a normal or inevitable part of ageing. Depression can set in with age, as a result of external causes like financial insecurity, illnesses and loss of a spouse, or physical factors like atherosclerotic blood vessels with compromised blood flow to the brain.

Children and adolescents can also develop depression. They feign illness, refuse to go to school, sulk, get into trouble, or are disruptive, negative and irritable.

Depression must be treated before it spirals out of control. Treatment with psychotherapy (talking) and medication leads to 80 per cent recovery and normal productive lives.

Antidepressants must be taken regularly for three to four weeks before the full therapeutic effect appears. The medication should then be continued for the time specified by the doctor, despite apparent improvement, to prevent a relapse.

If you are depressed:

Feelings of tiredness and hopelessness are part of depression and, even though it may be difficult, go to a therapist and begin treatment.

 • Engage in regular physical exercise. The chemicals released during the activity will cross the blood brain barrier and elevate your mood. Physical fitness is a great morale booster.

 • Go to a movie, or visit a friend.

 • Participate in religious, social or cultural activities.

 • Set realistic goals.

 • Large tasks may appear formidable and insurmountable, but can be completed if broken into smaller ones, and then prioritised without guilt.

Try to spend time with other people and speak to a trusted friend or relative. Isolating yourself prevents others from reaching out to you.

It is better to postpone life-altering decisions like marriage, divorce or a job change till the depression lifts.

Mood improves gradually. It does not become elevated overnight, nor is it possible to "snap out" of depression. Improvement is often as insidious as the onset. Sleep patterns revert to normal and appetite becomes normal even before the mood lifts. Positive thinking replaces negative thoughts as the depression starts to respond to treatment.

Those around depressed souls also need to be conscious. They can help by listening to them, providing encouragement and not making demands that may heighten their sense of failure. Any reference to suicide is a red flag — an appeal for help and urgent intervention. It must be taken seriously.

Dr Gita Mathai is a paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore. Questions on health issues may be emailed to her at yourhealthgm@yahoo.co.in

Snoring? It is a cinch!

 

"Blow into the didgeridoo" said the article in the February 4th issue of the BMJ (British Medical Journal) with a photograph of a middle aged man blowing into a strange wind instrument. Studies had proven that people who played this instrument for 25 minutes a day not only snored less, there was also a decrease in their sleep apnoea episodes.

 

Snoring is seldom heard by the perpetuator (who often vehemently denies the accusation). It is a complaint voiced by long suffering family members sharing the same living space.

 

A few years ago, snorers were not taken seriously and were the butt of unkind jokes. All that changed now, and snoring is considered a serious medical disorder. It has been found to be a forerunner to dangerous obstructive sleep apnoea. These are repeated episodes of cessation of breathing occurring during deep REM (rapid eye movement) sleep in the night. The diagnosis is confirmed if 15 or more episodes occur during the course of an hour. The person does not waken when this occurs. Instead the start and stop pattern of breathing leads to exacerbation of hypertension leading to heart attacks and sudden death, usually at night. `

 

Obstructive sleep apnoea is suspected if there is :

Loud snoring

Day time drowsiness

Choking at night

Morning headache

 

It is possible to distinguish between normal drowsiness, tiredness, simple snoring and dangerous sleep apnoea using an "Epworth" sleepiness scale.

Grade answers to pertinent questions with :

0 for never dozing

1 slight chances

2 moderate chances

3 high chances.

 

Add the score with answers to the questions:

Would you drop off to sleep

While watching TV

Sitting in a meeting

Riding in a car continuously for an hour

Lying down in the after noon

Sitting quietly after lunch

In a car at a traffic light

 

A score of 1-9 is normal

12-16 severe obstructive sleep apnoea

 

 

 

 

More and more Indians suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea, placing them in danger of sudden death. This is because our lifestyles have changed. India is moving up globally at a fast pace.

 

The boom in our economy has come at a price. MNCs employ our MBAs and other graduates at unimaginable salary scales. In private family owned businesses and in the public sector employees have to produce results. We have also acquired the diseases associated with this new lifestyle, Stressed out executives are unable to lead a regular life. They seldom have the time to exercise. Travel upsets their circadian rhythms and they do not to sleep well. Eventually, they tend to fall asleep in important meetings, or while driving. All this cuts into their productivity and the sharp cutting edge thinking process of their brains.

 

To cater to the requirements of this subset of patients "sleep labs" have sprung up in the major metros. For a fancy price, they will analyze your sleep patterns and diagnose either simple snoring or sleep apnoea.

 

A fortunate 30 % have correctable causes. Surgical removal of enlarged tonsils, adenoids, nasal polyps or correction of a nasal deformity removes mechanical obstructions to breathing. Others are in the habit of drinking alcohol or taking medications like sedatives and tranquillizers. All these depress the respiratory centre in the brain.

The remaining 70% will have some improvement if they loose weight. A BMI (Wt in kg / ht in m2) more than 30 needs regular dieting and exercise. Till the ideal weight is achieved CPAP(continuous positive pressure ventilation) through a nasal mask prevents the oxygen saturation from falling below danger levels.

 

Many anti snoring devices like a T-shirt with a tennis ball sewn in the back, especially designed pillows, neck braces and tongue depressors are advertised. Their efficiency is debateable and anecdotal.

 

Turning the snoring person to one side also helps.

 

Until the didgeridoo study sufferers were not really offered viable options. Now simply practising blowing into this instrument for 25-30 minutes a day has produced tremendous documented improvement. This can be done while travelling to and from work.

 

It is possible to substitute the didgeridoo with a football bladder available in sports shops, or an inexpensive bamboo flute sold on the streets. If the flute is used it makes sense to block the openings so that a loud irritating sound is not produced.

 

A simple solution to a complex dangerous and irritating problem!

 

Attention cat lovers

People are cat lovers, dog lovers, bird fanciers, or those who hate all pets.

 

Dogs are leashed, confined and controlled. Cats may be collared but they are never leashed or chained. They roam free, nimbly climb stairs, and reach high ledges.

 

Aware that dog bites can cause rabies and death, people, if bitten, immediately seek medical advice and treatment. Cats and dogs belong to the same mammalian species and are branches of the same family tree. Public awareness about the dangers of cat bite is minimal. Pet cats are hardly ever immunized. Their owners do not take bites or scratches (accidental or intentional) very seriously.

 

A domesticated and docile cat can revert to its "wild ways" and "tom-cat" on certain days. Cats (even well fed ones) occasionally attack, kill and eat other animals. They are territorial and can ferociously defend their perceived living space from other cats. These battles leave them injured, wounded and scarred. They can acquire rabies during these forays, because of the close contact with other infected cats or dogs. After infection, cats can also harbour the dreaded rabies virus and may become asymptomatic carriers. Unlike dogs, cats rarely exhibit the classic form of rabies and become furious biters. Instead, they tend to develop the passive form, remain silent and withdrawn but infective, until they die.

 

Domesticated cattle often harbour cysts of the organism known as "Toxoplasma gondii". Cats eat the raw carcasses or placenta of these animals even if they are well cared for. Cats then acquire the infection but remain asymptomatic. They shed the potentially infective oocytes of the organism into the environment. Floors of houses or any other surface on which infected cats sit and groom themselves become contaminated. Oocytes remain in the dormant form for years until they are accidentally swallowed.

 

Children are particularly susceptible both because of their age and their propensity to touch contaminated surfaces and then their mouths. Almost 4% of the adult population has had asymptomatic infection with demonstrable antibody level.

 

This infection is dangerous if acquired in pregnancy as they can transmit the infection (via the placenta) to the foetus. It can affect the developing brain producing a small head, retardation blindness and deafness.

 

The Egyptian royal family (pharaohs) eventually became extinct after many members died young or were born deformed with small microcephalic heads. Many suffered from seizures. These are classical symptoms of Toxoplasma gondii infection. Historians now theorize that part of the problem was caused by their propensity to live with cats. Cats were worshiped in ancient Egypt and reared by the royal family. Killing a cat was a serious offence punishable by death.

 

Almost 75% of cats carry pasteurella bacteria in their mouths and can these contaminate bites. Unless wounds are cleaned thoroughly with hydrogen peroxide solution followed by an antibiotic ointment (Neosporin, Bacitracin) antibiotics may be required.

 

Fleas and ticks live on cats until they are manually removed by the owner. These fleas can jump on to other convenient warm-blooded hosts (man). This causes itchy red lesions. These can be mistaken and treated as a frustratingly recurrent eczema which remains unresponsive to treatment. The fleas also harbour the bartonella species of bacteria and this can cause "cat scratch disease" with fever body ache and enlarged lymph nodes.

 

Cats have diarrhoea caused by the same viruses and bacteria as humans. Their excreta contaminate the environment and may dry unnoticed in areas of the house transmitting the infection.

 

Tonsillitis in humans and cats is caused by identical group of streptococcal bacteria. The disease is mild in cats but can be severe, persistent, recurrent and unresponsive to treatment in children and immunocompromised adults.

 

Panic occurred among many cat owners when they read that the H. pylori bacteria implicated in stomach ulcers and cancer is found in cats and can spread from them to humans. H. pylori is a familial infection commoner in cat rearing families.

 

Mycobacteria (TB group) species, typical and atypical can cause disease in cats and be transmitted to humans. This is likely to occur in immunodeficient (HIV) individuals or in young children.

 

Small pox has been eradicated in the world, but cow pox is still present and transmitted by cats. It can cause fever and rash with a similar confounding appearance in humans particularly children.

 

Diseases caused by cats are serious in children, pregnant women and immunocopromised (HIV, cancer) adults. The diagnosis may be missed as patients, unaware of the serious implications, fail to mention feline contacts to the treating physician.

 

Attention "cat lovers",

Immunize your cat, yourself and your family

Treat all illness in the cat promptly

Do not allow cats to sit on areas used for food preparation

Do not feed cats from your plate

Wash hands after contact with cats

Swab the house with a disinfectant solution

 

Better safe than sorry.

 

 

People are cat lovers, dog lovers, bird fanciers, or those who hate all pets.

 

Dogs are leashed, confined and controlled. Cats may be collared but they are never leashed or chained. They roam free, nimbly climb stairs, and reach high ledges.

 

Aware that dog bites can cause rabies and death, people, if bitten, immediately seek medical advice and treatment. Cats and dogs belong to the same mammalian species and are branches of the same family tree. Public awareness about the dangers of cat bite is minimal. Pet cats are hardly ever immunized. Their owners do not take bites or scratches (accidental or intentional) very seriously.

 

A domesticated and docile cat can revert to its "wild ways" and "tom-cat" on certain days. Cats (even well fed ones) occasionally attack, kill and eat other animals. They are territorial and can ferociously defend their perceived living space from other cats. These battles leave them injured, wounded and scarred. They can acquire rabies during these forays, because of the close contact with other infected cats or dogs. After infection, cats can also harbour the dreaded rabies virus and may become asymptomatic carriers. Unlike dogs, cats rarely exhibit the classic form of rabies and become furious biters. Instead, they tend to develop the passive form, remain silent and withdrawn but infective, until they die.

 

Domesticated cattle often harbour cysts of the organism known as "Toxoplasma gondii". Cats eat the raw carcasses or placenta of these animals even if they are well cared for. Cats then acquire the infection but remain asymptomatic. They shed the potentially infective oocytes of the organism into the environment. Floors of houses or any other surface on which infected cats sit and groom themselves become contaminated. Oocytes remain in the dormant form for years until they are accidentally swallowed.

 

Children are particularly susceptible both because of their age and their propensity to touch contaminated surfaces and then their mouths. Almost 4% of the adult population has had asymptomatic infection with demonstrable antibody level.

 

This infection is dangerous if acquired in pregnancy as they can transmit the infection (via the placenta) to the foetus. It can affect the developing brain producing a small head, retardation blindness and deafness.

 

The Egyptian royal family (pharaohs) eventually became extinct after many members died young or were born deformed with small microcephalic heads. Many suffered from seizures. These are classical symptoms of Toxoplasma gondii infection. Historians now theorize that part of the problem was caused by their propensity to live with cats. Cats were worshiped in ancient Egypt and reared by the royal family. Killing a cat was a serious offence punishable by death.

 

Almost 75% of cats carry pasteurella bacteria in their mouths and can these contaminate bites. Unless wounds are cleaned thoroughly with hydrogen peroxide solution followed by an antibiotic ointment (Neosporin, Bacitracin) antibiotics may be required.

 

Fleas and ticks live on cats until they are manually removed by the owner. These fleas can jump on to other convenient warm-blooded hosts (man). This causes itchy red lesions. These can be mistaken and treated as a frustratingly recurrent eczema which remains unresponsive to treatment. The fleas also harbour the bartonella species of bacteria and this can cause "cat scratch disease" with fever body ache and enlarged lymph nodes.

 

Cats have diarrhoea caused by the same viruses and bacteria as humans. Their excreta contaminate the environment and may dry unnoticed in areas of the house transmitting the infection.

 

Tonsillitis in humans and cats is caused by identical group of streptococcal bacteria. The disease is mild in cats but can be severe, persistent, recurrent and unresponsive to treatment in children and immunocompromised adults.

 

Panic occurred among many cat owners when they read that the H. pylori bacteria implicated in stomach ulcers and cancer is found in cats and can spread from them to humans. H. pylori is a familial infection commoner in cat rearing families.

 

Mycobacteria (TB group) species, typical and atypical can cause disease in cats and be transmitted to humans. This is likely to occur in immunodeficient (HIV) individuals or in young children.

 

Small pox has been eradicated in the world, but cow pox is still present and transmitted by cats. It can cause fever and rash with a similar confounding appearance in humans particularly children.

 

Diseases caused by cats are serious in children, pregnant women and immunocopromised (HIV, cancer) adults. The diagnosis may be missed as patients, unaware of the serious implications, fail to mention feline contacts to the treating physician.

 

Attention "cat lovers",

Immunize your cat, yourself and your family

Treat all illness in the cat promptly

Do not allow cats to sit on areas used for food preparation

Do not feed cats from your plate

Wash hands after contact with cats

Swab the house with a disinfectant solution

 

Better safe than sorry.