5 Easy Ways To Lose Weight For Students.

Most students don’t think carrying extra pounds is a health risk. But the harsh reality is that you need to know Ways To Lose Weight being obese can cut as many as 20 years off your life. The impact being overweight or obese has on your body is one of the main reasons to lose weight. The more weight you gain, the more at risk you put yourself for some serious medical conditions. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, type-2 diabetes, sleep apnea, arthritis and even some forms of cancer are linked to carrying around excess weight. According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 112,000 people die every year from conditions related to being overweight or obese. Even losing a moderate amount of weight when you’re obese — 5 to 10 percent — can significantly reduce your risk for chronic disease.

Fortunately, losing even a small amount of weight can reduce and sometimes reverse the risks.

So what are 5 easy ways to lose weight? Especially as a student:

1.  Add Fruits To Your Diet

Add in healthy goodies you really love, like cherries, grapes, pears, bananas.  Slip those favorite fruits into your bag lunch and breakfast cereal; add the veggies into soups, stews, and sauces.”Adding in really works, taking away never does,” says registered dietitian David Grotto, RD, LDN, author of 101 Optimal Life Foods, but do remember to keep an eye on overall calories.

2. Fun Exercising

Many students get scared of the word exercise, so what can you do?  Burn calories and invigorate muscles by beach combing, riding bikes, grass skiing, making snow angels, hiking, washing the car, playing Frisbee, chasing the dog around the yard, or even enjoying great sex. Do something physical that you enjoy, it could be football, basketball or even volleyball

3. Go Walking

Walking when the weather’s nice is a super-easy way tokeep fit, says Diane Virginias, a certified nursing assistant from New York. “I enjoy the seasons,” she says, adding that even when she’s short on time she’ll go out for a few minutes. “Even a five minute walk is a five minute walk.” Walking is highly underestimated, but it does a whole lot of good

4. Cut Back on Foods You Love

One of the easiest ways to cut back without feeling denied is to switch to lower-calorie versions of the foods you crave. A pizza tastes just as good with reduced-fat cheese, and when you garnish low-fat ice cream with your favorite toppers, who notices those missing calories? And while you’re trimming fat calories, keep an eye on boosting fiber, 

 5. Drink a Lot of Water

One of its greatest advantages is that it leaves you feeling full. Drink some water before a meal and you won’t feel so famished, says David Anthony, an information technology consultant from Atlanta. “Drinking a glass of water before a meal helps me watch what I eat. … I don’t just hog everything, since I’m not so hungry.” Easy Ways To Lose Weight.

Symptoms, Diagnosis, & Treatment of ZIKA VIRUS

Symptoms

• About 1 in 5 people infected with Zika virus become ill (i.e., develop Zika).
• The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes). Other common symptoms include muscle pain and headache. The incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) for Zika virus disease is not known, but is likely to be a few days to a week.
• The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week.
• Zika virus usually remains in the blood of an infected person for a few days but it can be found longer in some people.
• Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon.
• Deaths are rare.

Diagnosis

• The symptoms of Zika are similar to those of dengue and chikungunya, diseases spread through the same mosquitoes that transmit Zika.
• See your healthcare provider if you develop the symptoms described above and have visited an area where Zika is found.
• If you have recently traveled, tell your healthcare provider when and where you traveled.
• Your healthcare provider may order blood tests to look for Zika or other similar viruses like dengue or chikungunya.

Treatment

• No vaccine or medications are available to prevent or treat Zika infections.
• Treat the symptoms:
  • Get plenty of rest.
  • Drink fluids to prevent dehydration.
  • Take medicine such as acetaminophen to relieve fever and pain.
  • Do not take aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen and naproxen. Aspirin and NSAIDs should be avoided until dengue can be ruled out to reduce the risk of hemorrhage (bleeding). If you are taking medicine for another medical condition, talk to your healthcare provider before taking additional medication.
• If you have Zika, prevent mosquito bites[PDF - 2 pages] for the first week of your illness.
  • During the first week of infection, Zika virus can be found in the blood and passed from an infected person to another mosquito through mosquito bites.
  • An infected mosquito can then spread the virus to other people.

  SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OF LASSER FEVER
Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic fever caused by an RNA virus of the arenavirus family. It is most common in a large region of West Africa, and is named after the Nigerian town where it was first discovered by Western medical professionals. It is animal-borne, and the vector is a species of rat named Mastomys natalensis. Besides Nigeria it is endemic in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. It is also found sporadically in neighboring countries due to the distribution of the rat’s habitat over the whole region.
The mortality due to Lassa fever is about 5000 deaths a year, out of 100,000 to 300,000 cases. The death rate depends on the severity of illness. Up to 20% of hospitalized patients die of the infection, but the mortality shoots up to 50% during an epidemic. In contrast, about 1% of all infected cases die.
The virus is shed in the urine and feces of infected rats for possibly the whole lifetime of the animal. This rat is widespread throughout the forests and grasslands of West and Central Africa. It is also common inside homes and food storage areas, leading to a high frequency of transmission to humans.

Routes of infection

The infection may be acquired through:

• Contact between broken skin or mucous membranes and rat excreta
• Inhalation of the aerosol, as occurs during the sweeping of an area where the droppings are present
• Ingestion of food contaminated with rat urine or feces
• The use of the rat as food, with both preparation and eating of the rodent being potential routes of infection
• Person to person contact via sweat, blood, feces, urine or other body fluids
• Contaminated needles, or exposure to an infected aerosol, in healthcare settings.

The symptoms take up to 3 weeks to manifest, and are so mild as to be ignored in about 80% of cases. They start with a low fever, tiredness, malaise, body aches, a sore throat and headache. There may be nausea and vomiting, or diarrhea.
In more serious cases, high fever develops, along with symptoms such as:

• Bleeding from the eyes, the nose or the gums (which accounts for its classification as a hemorrhagic fever)
• Appearance of ulcers, or small vesicles, on the palate and throat, with patches of white or yellow exudate
• Breathing difficulties
• Swelling of the face
• Severe pain in the back, the chest or the abdomen
• Effusion from the pleura or the peritoneum
• Shock
• A few patients also have nervous symptoms such as deafness or tremors

Death occurs within 2 weeks in seriously sick patients, and is due to the failure of multiple organs. Death is preceded by the occurrence of widespread bleeding into the skin, the mucosa and internal organs.
Complications of the disease include:

• Deafness (in about a fourth of affected people), which is permanent in about a third of patients
• Spontaneous abortions
• Fetal death (in up to 95% of pregnant women with Lassa fever)
• Maternal death when infection occurs during the third trimester of pregnancy  

Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis is by:

• Serologic tests, namely, the ELISA for IgM and IgG antibodies, and for the virus antigen
• Virus culture is another technique, requiring a week to 10 days
• Tissue staining with specific antibody-linked stains can show the virus on post-mortem
• A research technique used in lab diagnosis is the use of RT-PCR

Treatment with Ribavirin is quite effective, but needs to be given in the earlier stages of infection, in the first 6 days.
Supportive treatment with oxygen, intravenous fluids, antibiotics for other complicating infections and respiratory support are all vital in maximizing the chances of recovery.

Risk factors

Exposure to a large population of infected rats or humans is an effective means of virus transmission.

Prevention

To prevent rat-human transmission, contact between the rats and humans should be minimized:

• Use rat-proof containers for food storage
• Avoid using rats as food
• Avoid attracting rats to the house by cleanliness and healthy waste disposal practices
• Use rodent-control measures such as traps in and around the house

The infected person sheds the virus in their urine for up to 9 weeks following infection, and in semen for up to 3 months. Sexual contact of any sort should be avoided during this period.
In the healthcare system, the use of barrier nursing precautions is very effective in limiting the spread of infection:

• Use of gown, gloves, mask and cap
• Sterilizing all equipment used for care of the patient
• Careful segregation of biologically hazardous waste
• Isolation of patients till recovery is well advanced

Urology / Nephrology

Kidney Stones: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

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Kidney stones usually comprised of a compound called calcium oxalate, are the result of an accumulation of dissolved minerals on the inner lining of the kidneys. These deposits can grow to the size of a golf ball while maintaining a sharp, crystalline structure.

The kidney stones may be small and pass unnoticed out of the urinary tract, but they may also cause extreme pain upon exiting.

Kidney stones that remain inside the body can lead to many conditions, including severe pain and ureter (the tube connecting the kidney and bladder) blockage that obstructs the path urine uses to leave the body.

Scientists at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA, say that people with kidney stones are at a significantly higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease.

Causes of kidney stones

Kidney stones can vary in size. Some have been known to become as big as golf balls.

The leading cause of kidney stones is a lack of water. Stones commonly have been found in those that drink less than the recommended eight to ten glasses of water a day. When there is not enough water to dilute the uric acid (component of urine), the pH level within the kidneys drops and becomes more acidic. An excessively acidic environment in the kidneys is conducive to the formation of kidney stones.

Medical conditions such as Crohn's disease, urinary tract infections, renal tubular acidosis, hyperparathyroidism, medullary sponge kidney, and Dent's disease have been known to lead to kidney stones. It also has been suggested that water fluoridation - the addition of fluoride to drinking water - is responsible for some cases of kidney stones.

Vitamin D and Calcium supplements linked to kidney stone risk

A study carried out by scientists at Creighton University Medical Center suggested that calcium and vitamin D supplements could increase the risk of developing kidney stones because they raise levels of calcium in the blood and urine.

Head researcher, J. Christopher Gallagher, M.D., explained that perhaps using vitamin D and calcium supplements is not as benign as people had thought. He advised people not to exceed the guidelines for these supplements of 800 international units of vitamin D, and 800-1,200 milligrams of calcium per day (according to the Institute of Medicine).

When asked which of the two supplements might be raising kidney stone risk, Dr. Gallagher said:

"It is not clear whether it is the extra calcium, the vitamin D or both together that cause these problems.

However, it is possible that long-term use of supplements causes hypercalciuria and hypercalcemia, and this can contribute to kidney stones. For these reasons, it is important to monitor blood and urine calcium levels in people who take these supplements on a long-term basis. This is rarely done in clinical practice."

Who gets kidney stones?

Kidney stones are twice as common among males as females. Most people who experience kidney stones do so between the ages of 30 and 50. A family history of kidney stones also increases one's chances of developing them at some point in life. Similarly, a previous kidney stone occurrence increases the risk that a person will develop subsequent stones in the future if preventative action is not taken.

Certain medications can increase the risks of developing kidney stones. Scientists found that opiramate (Topamax), a drug commonly prescribed to treat seizures and migraine headaches, can increase the propensity of calcium phosphate kidney stone.

The more overweight a person is the more at risk he or she is for forming uric acid kidney stones, a study found.

Additional risk factors for kidney stones include diets that are high in protein and sodium but low in calcium, a sedentary lifestyle,obesity, high blood pressure, and conditions that affect how calcium is absorbed in the body such as gastric bypass surgery, inflammatory bowel disease, and chronic diarrhea.

A study indicated that kidney stones among children are on the rise.

Symptoms of kidney stones

A kidney stone usually remains symptomless until it moves into the ureter. When symptoms of kidney stones become apparent, they commonly include:

• Severe pain in the groin and/or side
• Blood in urine
• Vomiting and nausea
• White blood cells or pus in the urine
• Reduced amount of excreted urine excreted
• Burning sensation during urination
• Persistent urge to urinate
• Fever and chills if there is an infection

• Diagnosis of kidney stones

  Several different tests can verify the existence of a kidney stone. A physical examination may reveal colicky pain (in the groin) and pain in the lower back by the kidneys - often warning signs of the condition. An analysis of the urine will indicate whether or not there is blood in the urine and if there is a subsequent infection. Blood tests can be done to identify complications that may accompany a kidney stone and check the validity of the diagnosis.
  A CT scan of the abdomen is the most thorough way to test for kidney stones. A CT scan will ascertain the state of the ureter, bladder, and kidneys, whether or not a stone exists, the kidney stone's exact size and location, whether or not a blockage exists, and the state of the other adjacent organs such as the appendix, aorta, and pancreas. Pregnant women may receive an ultrasound rather than a CT scan in order to avoid unnecessary radiation.
  Once a patient is diagnosed with a kidney stone, simple x-rays will be used to track the stone's progress through the excretory system.

  Treatments for kidney stones

  Treating kidney stones primarily is focused on symptom management; passing a stone can be very painful. If a person has a history of kidney stones, home treatment may be suitable. A person who has never passed a kidney stone should seek the help of a medical professional.
  If hospital treatment is sought, personnel will hydrate the patient via an intravenous tube and administer anti-inflammatory medication. Narcotics are often used as medication in an attempt to make the pain of passing the stone tolerable. Anti-emetic medication can treat a patient suffering from nausea and vomiting.
  
  Lithotripsy involves sending a shockwave into the kidney stone to break it into smaller pieces.
  In some cases, a urologist can perform a shock wave therapy called lithotripsy - a treatment that will break the kidney stone into smaller pieces and allow it to pass. A study indicated that shock wave therapy for kidney stones may be linked to an increased risk of diabetes.
  Patients with large stones located in regions that do not allow for lithotripsy may receive surgical procedures such as percutaneous nephrolithotomy (removal of the stone through an incision in the back) or ureteroscopic stone removal (removal of the stone through a thin tube into the urethra).

  Prevention of kidney stones

  For individuals in good health, preventing kidney stones can be as easy as staying hydrated. Diluting the urine with water keeps the minerals from concentrating and forming stones. When one's urine is clear, rather than yellow colored, the chance of stone formation is reduced. Doctors may also prescribe medicines to prevent certain types of stones for individuals who are at higher risk.
  If you’ve had a kidney stone, your doctor will probably advise you to increase the amount of water you drink, to reduce your risk of getting another one. You should be drinking enough fluid to make your urine colourless rather than yellow or brown.
  If you’ve had a calcium stone, your doctor may also advise you to do the following.
  • Cut down on salt to less than 3g of salt a day – don’t add it to your food and don’t eat processed foods.
  • Cut down on foods that have high levels of oxalate – such as chocolate, tea, rhubarb, spinach, nuts and strawberries.
  • Eat less meat, fish and poultry. Liver, kidneys, herrings with skin, sardines, anchovies and poultry skin increase the amount of uric acid in your urine.
  • Don’t take vitamin C supplements of more than 500 to 1000mg per day because vitamin C forms oxalate in the body. You should also steer clear of vitamin D preparations, including fish oils and multivitamins. These can increase how much calcium you absorb.
  Depending on the types of kidney stone you get, your GP may prescribe various medicines to help prevent further stones
  
  
  A study published in 2006 suggests that a daily glass of orange juice can help prevent the recurrence of kidney stones better than other citrus fruit juices such as lemonade.
  A different study published in 2004 suggests that if you are prone to kidney stones you should watch your caffeine intake.