Waimana Clinic

06/11/2021

Two new anti-viral drugs coming on to the market may enable international travel to start up. Pfizer's paxlovid and MSD's molnupiravir both involve short 2XD courses of capsules and will probably be available from GPs. Both are showing strong reduction in illness and the need for hospital care. Imagine being able to take a 5-day course of capsules before leaving on holiday, and/or take a 10 capsule blister pack with you on your travels. (Of course, we need to see what the SE profiles look like....😗)

21/09/2020

The Guardian's info chart, based on the latest understanding of the symptomology of Covid, flu and colds.

20/08/2020

Study of More Than 55,000 COVID-19 Cases Reveals a Predictable Order of Symptoms
CARLY CASSELLA
20 AUGUST 2020

A new study on the global pandemic has found those who contract COVID-19 may exhibit a predictable sequence of symptoms, and the order differs from what we experience with flu and other coronaviruses.

So far, evidence indicates the most likely order of initial COVID-19 symptoms tends to start with a fever and then progress to a cough and muscle pain, followed by nausea and/or vomiting, and lastly, diarrhea.

While the symptoms themselves are not particularly unique, the order in which they arrive is different to other respiratory viruses, and the authors think their model could help to distinguish new cases, thus helping us to limit the spread of the disease.

Using World Health Organisation (WHO) data from more than 55,000 confirmed cases in China, the authors compared COVID-19's order of symptoms to thousands of influenza cases collected by the University of Michigan, nearly 150 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) cases in the Toronto area, and a handful of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) cases reported in Korea.

An influenza infection was found to begin with a cough and then a fever. And while MERS and SARS might start similarly to COVID-19, the lower gastrointestinal tract is usually impacted first, leading to diarrhea before nausea and vomiting.

"The order of the symptoms matters," says Joseph Larsen who researches computational biology and bioinformatics at the University of Southern California.

"Knowing that each illness progresses differently means that doctors can identify sooner whether someone likely has COVID-19, or another illness, which can help them make better treatment decisions."

When the researchers simulated the symptoms of COVID-19 for 500,000 patients, they found "a most common order of discernible symptoms... that is also different from other prominent respiratory diseases."

Even when the authors included other symptoms like sore throat, headache and fatigue, the order of the four most likely initial symptoms remained the same.

Since fever appears to usually come first, taking someone's temperature could be a valid screening mechanism.

The United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) already advises that people take their temperature before leaving isolation to make sure it's safe, and this new research backs that up.

"We are not proposing initial symptoms as a diagnostic test, but instead as a possible sign to get tested," the authors write.

COVID-19 is more contagious than influenza and it tends to break out in clusters. If we can better inform the public on its order of symptoms, this might help us faster identify and quarantine cases before they spread further.

Bob Lahita, a rheumatologist not affiliated with the study, told CBS news that the new model of symptoms was "a good guide".

Even if the disease doesn't present exactly the same in everyone, paying close attention to initial symptoms of respiratory infections could allow us to tease apart typical cycles of sickness from the current global pandemic.

The study was published in Frontiers in Public Health.

22/05/2018

CLEANLINESS MAY NOT BE NEXT TO ………
The most common cause of cancer in children could actually be prevented in a very simple way. Researchers believe that our obsession with cleanliness and fear of germs could actually play a role in ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA (ALL), by stopping children’s immune systems from developing properly.
Our modern lifestyles mean that we often keep everything squeaky clean, and intentionally protect our children from potential germs. But oddly enough this isn’t actually a good thing. Our bodies are meant to come into contact with all sorts of dirt and bugs when we’re growing up, as it’s what makes our immune systems good at dealing with unpleasant germs.
About 5% of children have a genetic predisposition to ALL, but if their immune system develops properly they will remain healthy. However, if they’re not exposed to plenty of microbes in the first year of life, their immune system won’t develop as well and won’t learn how to cope with infection. This is why cleanliness has also been linked to the development of asthma and allergies, and even a higher risk of autoimmune diseases like Type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis (MS).
Our super-clean lifestyle is thought to be the reason why these conditions have skyrocketed in recent decades – but only in developed countries. Less developed nations who are exposed to more germs have not seen this dramatic rise.
While cleanliness might be a contributor, it definitely isn't the only cause. For ALL, genetic predisposition and chance also play a role, and the researchers point out that parents of those with ALL should not feel responsible.

16/05/2018

Plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendon problems are very common, especially on the dominant leg (the right leg for right-footed people). It's important to understand that there is a complete chain of tension running from the toes and the arch of the foot, through the posterior muscles of the leg to the buttock and even the low back muscles. For everyone who regularly walks, runs, jogs or cycles; there is one very simple antidote to the tension that builds up over time in the posterior muscle chains – the stair drop.

There are two keys to success in this stretch. Firstly, all your weight should be on one heel because the Achilles tendon and calf muscles are so strong they need all your body weight to stretch them. The second key is to stay in place for quite a few minutes, with NO MOVING UP AND DOWN. Commonly people are told to pump up and down, but this will increase the tension in the posterior muscle chains. Just drop your heel as far as it will go and remain there for at least 3 minutes.

This can be usefully done both before and after an exercise session.

17/04/2018

It's International Osteopathy Awareness Week!

09/04/2018

Here's a really comprehensive article which covers both the sacro-iliac joint, and what happens in yoga shifts. Very good.

Twisting poses are a top cause of SI joint injury. Learn how 
to safely anchor yourself before moving into your next twist.

04/04/2018

7 REMEDIES FOR MANAGING HYPERTENSION
1. Exercise : get moving
Exercising 30 to 60 minutes a day is an important part of healthy living. Along with helping lower blood pressure, regular physical activity benefits mood, strength and balance. Exercise also decreases your risk of diabetes and other types of heart disease. Start slowly and gradually pick up the pace and frequency of your workouts. Exercise early to keep your metabolism raised for the rest of the day.
Not a fan of the gym? Go for a hike, jog, or swim, and still reap the benefits. The important thing is to get moving! The recommendation is to incorporate muscle strengthening activity at least 2 days per week, but raising heartrate is essential.
2. Follow the Hypertension Diet
The specific DASH diet consists of:
• eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
• eating low-fat dairy products, lean meats, fish, and nuts
• eliminating foods that are high in saturated fats, such as processed foods, full-fat dairy products, and fatty meats.
It also helps to cut back on desserts and sweetened beverages, such as fizzies and cordials.
3. Put down the salt shaker
Keeping sodium intake to a minimum can be vital for lowering blood pressure. Some people start to retain fluid when they consume too much sodium, resulting in a sharp rise in blood pressure. The maximum recommended is around half a teaspoon of table salt in total. Use herbs and spices to add flavour instead. Processed foods and sauces also tend to be loaded with sodium
4. Lose excess weight
Weight and high blood pressure go hand in hand. Losing just 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) can help lower BP. It’s not just scales weight that matters. Watching your waistline is also critical for controlling blood pressure. The extra fat around your waist, known as visceral fat, is troublesome because it tends to surround various organs in the abdomen. This can lead to serious health problems, including hypertension. In general, male waist measurement should be less than 102cm. Women should aim for less than 890cm.
5. Quit your ni****ne addiction
Each cigarette temporarily raises blood pressure for several minutes.. People with high blood pressure who smoke are at greater risk for developing not only dangerously HBP, but also heart attacks and stroke. Even secondhand smoke can increase risks for HBP and heart disease.
6. Limit alcohol
Drinking a glass of red wine with your dinner is perfectly fine; it offers mild heart-health benefits when done in moderation. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, however, can lead to numerous health issues, including HBP. Excessive drinking also reduces the effectiveness of certain BP medications.
7. Stress less
It’s important to step away from daily responsibilities to ease stress. Stress can temporarily raise your blood pressure, and too much of it can keep your pressure up for extended periods of time. If the higher pressure reading is above 130 mm Hg and the lower is relatively normal, then you are probably stressed. You can take steps to relieve your stress in a healthy way. Try taking a few deep breaths, meditating, or practicing yoga.

03/04/2018

The adrenal glands are a set of glands, located just above the kidneys, which produce the hormone adrenaline and the steroids aldosterone and cortisol. When our sympathetic nervous system – our fight or flight state – goes into hyperdrive, these hormones kick in to help you meet the energy demands of that stress. However, we are only meant to be in that increased sympathetic state for a short period of time. Since we oftentimes find ourselves in a chronic state of stress, these glands become overworked and stop performing optimally. When this happens, you experience a whole variety of symptoms, including cravings, weight gain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and even rashes. Yoga and meditation are well known for helping to relieve stress, especially slow-paced practices like restorative yoga. The goal of restorative yoga is to bring the body and mind into complete relaxation. When we allow ourselves to reach this state of relaxation, the adrenal glands have a chance to “turn off” and reset, bringing our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems back into balance.