Month by month embryo development
Magic within 270 days
The course of human embryo development is a real wonder. Imagine, just within 270 days more than 200 million cells are developed out of only one cell. And the little embryo, which is initially invisible and could be discerned only through microscope, grows half a meter in height.
Every process of its development runs in a step by step mode, following the rules of nature like everything else in the universe.
The first step: the moment of ovum fertilization till the end of the second week of fetus`s life in the mother`s womb. The second step: development of the fetus from the beginning of the third week through the eighth week. In this period some important changes happen to the fetus – the embryo starts to look like human and the formation of all vitally important organs is commenced. At the end of the second step the embryo could be called a fetus. The third step is the final one. It starts from the third month and culminates with baby birth. The most interesting thing about the human fetus is resemblance of its main development processes to those of vertebrates. There are only a few differences between human fetus and that of other representatives of earth`s fauna which allow to trace the development stages of human fetus. Thus only human fetus develops inside mother`s womb within 270 days, which equals to 10 lunar months.
The first trimester of pregnancy
The first trimester or the first 13-14 weeks is the most important period in the development of a baby, since it is the period when his all internal organs start to form.
In the first 7 days after fertilization the ovum cell starts to divide. Even if this process runs without pathologies, it does not mean successful pregnancy unless ovum implantation occurs. That is why the period from the 7th through the 9th day are considered the most crucial.
In case when the ovum did not get fastened well enough or got attached too high or low, it could be a risk pregnancy. It means that the baby would be developing normally, but the threat of miscarriage will be impending for a rather long time.
Another anomaly could be considered implantation of the ovum in any of the uterine tubes. In such a case the fertilized ovum does not get enough nutrition, since there are too few vessels there. Moreover, maintenance of such a pregnancy poses hazard to woman`s life.
The next important period of pregnancy is the 2nd -through the 9th week. Any deviation in the development of the embryo in this period usually leads to spontaneous abortion. Also pay special attention to your health in the 11th-13th week, since it is time when a new stage of fetal development starts.
Now we see how important the first trimester is and how little the successfulness of this period depends on the mother. It is time when the nature by natural selection promotes birth of healthy children. Nonetheless in most cases when the mom-to-be does not abuse alcohol, smoking or some medicines and is in good health, she has greater chances to avoid miscarriage and her pregnancy would proceed without any abnormalities. First of all normal pregnancy is associated with the correct chromosome number in the egg cell.
The second trimester of pregnancy
During the second trimester the fetus continues to develop. During this period it would grow considerably. Now your pregnancy would be noticeable to others, since your stomach grows in size quite quickly. In this period the baby makes more coordinated moves, the number of which may reach 600 during one day. The baby would be most active in the 6th month of pregnancy.
By the end of the second trimester the fetus is already viable. But if the baby is born at this period, he would be able to make the first breath and cry, but unfortunately the baby is still too weak to survive.
The third trimester of pregnancy
During the third trimester of the pregnancy quite a few changes happen in the life of the baby. Most of his organs have already formed and some of them even function. Now he needs to gain some weight and grow in height. The last period of pregnancy is the most difficult for the mother. It is a period when most of complications and ailments occur. They include leg swelling, varicose veins dilatation, backache, heavy breathing, etc.
In this period the mom gets exhausted very quickly and need to rest more frequently. She is no longer able to perform same volume of activity she used to.
Alzheimer`s disease is a degenerative brain disease characterized by progressing loss of intellect. The disease first described in1907 by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer is one of the most common forms of acquired dementia. Only in the USA more than 1,5 million people suffer from Alzheimer`s disease. 30 % out of total number of 1,3 million aged in the US nursing homes make up Alzheimer`s patients.
This disease affects people independently of their nationality or socio-economic status. The youngest Alzheimer`s patent known was 28 years old, though the disease usually affects people above 40. Though very often Alzheimer`s diseases goes unrecognized, it is the fourth leading cause of death: in the US more than 100 thousand people die of Alzheimer`s disease every year.
Alzheimer’s disease was first described in patients under 65 years old; that is why earlier it was called presenile dementia. It was also wrongly considered as manifestation of aging or brain vessel sclerosis. In truth the disease is associated with degeneration of nerve cells (neurons) rather than with the affection of blood vessels.
The symptoms of Alzheimer`s disease may vary from person to person and from stage to stage. Alzheimer’s symptoms include: memory and attention impairment, thought disorder, cognition disintegration, disorientation in time and space, speech impairment, communication disorder, personality disintegration. The symptoms of dementia gradually progress leading to full inability of the patient of self-service. The process of disintegration of the psyche may last several years causing a lot of sufferings to the patient and his family.
Diagnosing Alzheimer`s.
There is no such a test which could help diagnose Alzheimer`s disease accurately. That is why the doctor should exclude other diseases causing dementia symptoms too, especially those ones which are curable, i.e. benign tumors, injuries, infections, metabolism disorders, medicine overdose and mental disorders such as depression or anxiety syndrome. Even after exclusion of other diseases the diagnose of Alzheimer’s disease is still considered hypothetical. It could only be confirmed after post-mortem microscopic examination of brain tissue. Rarely this type of examination is applied to live people. For this purpose biopsy is done (a small sample of brain tissue is removed for examination).
Changes in brain confirming the diagnose of Alzheimer`s disease are usually found in outer layer of the brain (cortex) and hippocampus, which lays deep in the hemispheres and plays an important role in the memory processes. Microscopic examination reveals neurofibrillar tangles and neuritic plaques in these region of brain of Alzheimer`s patients. The tangles consist of pathologically changed neurons containing anomalous proteins. Plaques represent are extracellular deposits of amyloid (protein and carbohydrate complexes) in the gray matter of the brain. The greater the number of tangles and plaques in the brain the more evident the intellectual disorders are.
Biochemical researches show that Alzheimer`s disease cause considerable reduction in acetyltransferase rate in brain – a ferment necessary for acetylcholine synthesis. The latter is a neurotransmitter, i.e. a substance transmitting stimulation from one cell to another and participating in memory processes.
The treatment of Alzheimer`s disease.
The disease is incurable. Tacrine is a medicine that can only suspend or decelerate the progression of the disease. That is why the treatment generally carries symptomatic nature. The patients and their families are usually helped to adjust themselves to the disease. It is important to make the patient lead an active life. In case of delirium, excitation or other behavioral changes medical therapy is recommended.
The cause of Alzheimer`s disease is yet unknown. Presently many researches are carried out in order to determine the role of viral infections, heredity, pathological immune responses, environmental factors and toxic agents in the development of the disease.
Acne should be treated correctly to avoid scars. First of all consult a dermatologist. Only the dermatologist can determine the cause of your acne break out. If you are older than 25 years old, he is likely to ask you to undergo a full examination, since acne at this age may be a consequence of some disease.
The treatment of acne should be prescribed by your dermatologist as well and may vary depending on your sex, age, duration of the break-out, clinicopathologic examination (identifying type, localization and abundance of the elements) and the results of complete examination (helps to detect concomitant diseases). The treatment course should be determined individually for each patient and may include hormonal treatment, immune system improvement or topical treatment only, etc. Self-treatment is ineffective and even dangerous, since it may worsen acne break-out and cause complications including scars.
The acne treatment approach depends on the type of acne break-out, but the common principles are the following:
* inhibition of sebaceous gland function;
* elimination of dead skin cells blocking the canals of sebaceous glands;
* elimination of bacteria causing skin inflammation.
Acne therapy consists of special skin care and medicines. The medicines for treating acne may come in a form of ointments, creams, masks, tablets for peroral administration and even injections(in severe cases). However, today most dermatologists recommend their patients to use medicines for topical use, i.e. lotions, creams, ointments, etc.
World Health Organization (WHO) compares depression with epidemic outbreak spread in the whole world. Depression takes the lead among reasons for absence from work and is rated second among incapacitating illnesses. If relevant measures are not taken in time, by 2020 the depression would have paralyzed the economics of both developed and developing countries. Every year about 150 million people in the world become incapable of work because of depression. Because of it only the economics of the US suffers an estimated 50 million dollar loss annually. This amount includes the costs of 290 lost working days, psychotherapeutic aid and worsening of work quality. According to WHO`s forecast, by 2020 the depression would have taken the first place among all diseases leaving behind today`s leaders- infectious and cardiovascular diseases. Now depression is the most common disease among women. According to American Psychiatric Association presently in the US more than 15 million people suffer from depression. Other researches name even larger figures: more than 26% of women and 12% of men. In the USA depression is number two reason for sick leaves and number one reason in Sweden. In the US, Canada and most countries of Western Europe about 80% of antidepressants are prescribed by general practitioners, not psychiatrists. According to researches carried out in the US, people who are susceptible to depression are at twice the risk of dying of other diseases. Women have depression twice as frequent as men (20-26% against 8-12%). There is no such divergence in children with depression- it usually becomes apparent in adulthood. Actually, it is not that the stronger sex has better immune system, just men, unlike women, rarely resort to professional aid preferring to suppress depression symptoms by alcohol, medicines or diving into work. This fact has been confirmed by researches carried out among some religious concessions which prohibit using alcohol and medicines. Frequency of depression in men and women in these concessions were equal. Therewith there are types of depression which affect only women due to their physiological peculiarities (e.g. PMS, depression accompanying menopause, severe postnatal depression which affects every tenth woman). About 50% of all people suffering from depression never seek medical aid, and only 25-30% of the rest visit a psychiatrist. Unipolar depression is a leading reason for disability among children above 5 years old. Special researches showed that 60% of all patients seeking medical care have depression symptoms of various levels of severity. Meanwhile, the traditional medical methods used in clinics allow to detect depression only in 5% of depressive patients who turn there. Depression is diagnosed in 22-33% of hospitalized patients, in 38% of oncological patients, in 47% of stroke patients, in 45% of myocardial infarction patients and in 39% of Parkinson’s disease patients. Not long ago depression mostly developed in patients aged 30-40, presently the disease has “grown younger” dramatically, and now depression often affects young people below 25. Among those who was born before 1940, the number of people who had depression before the age of 25 makes up 2,5%. Among those born in 1940-1959 this figure makes up 10%. There is no data available for later dates; however, this growth tendency is kept on. In 2-3% of people development of depression does not depend on any external circumstances (endogenous depression), in the rest depression occurs as a reaction to stress (psychogenic depression). 45-60% of all suicides on the planet are committed by depressed patients. As predicted, in 2020 depression would become 1 “killer”. Depressed patients kill themselves 35 times more often than non-depressed ones. 50% of patients with endogenous depression and 20% with psychogenic depression try suicide. People with mild to moderate depression have ability to give more objective assessment of reality (it was even mentioned by Freud). Thus, in one research after half an hour of a shooting game the gamers were asked to name the number of monsters killed by them. People with depression named a figure maximally close to real. The ones who were not depressed exaggerated their results by 4-6 times. Other research showed that both depressed and non-depressed people answer equally well to abstract questions, but when it comes to control over some events, non-depressed people suggest that they have better control of things than they actually do; depressed people are able to give a more accurate estimation of their abilities.
The sickness of annual catalog of new antidepressants reaches 3 cm. If you experience the first episode of depression the possibility of a recurrence makes up 50%, in case it is the second episode the possibility of recurrence makes up 70 %, and 90% in case of third episode. Married couples where at least one of the spouses is depressed break up 10 times more often than couples where none of the partners is depressed. A number of researches in the USA showed that depression affects homosexuals more often than heterosexuals. Another research with participation of 60 thousand workers showed that people who work in the sphere of nursing, elderly and child care are exposed to depression most of all (11,3%), job holders in the sphere of public catering go next (10,3%), and doctors are in the third place (9,6%). Scientists, architects and engineers are susceptible to depression least of all (4,3%). Among the unemployed the number of the depressed makes up12,7%. Very often depression develops in family members of depressed patients. Approximately 20% of people who have depressed relatives are susceptible to depression, whereas this figure among those who have no depressed next of kin makes up just 7%. The risk of developing depression among singles and divorced people is 2-4 times higher than among family people. At the same time divorced and single men are at greater risk than divorced and single women.
Bronchial asthma is a very common disease. Presently the number of people with bronchial asthma has been increasing despite the early diagnosis and contemporary approaches to treatment. Total number of asthmatic patients in the world counts more than 150 million people.
Asthmatic patients have chronic inflammation in their respiratory tract which causes suffocation at exacerbation. The attack may be short or prolonged. Very often, at the early stages of the diseases the attacks go away by themselves and the patient does not suspect he has the disease. With time without treatment and prophylaxis these episodes of suffocation become more severe and frequent. As a rule, only in this stage of the diseases most patients consult a doctor for the first time. Bronchial asthma is a hereditary disease, and the diseases in one of the parents doubles the risk of getting bronchial asthma by the child. If both parents have the disease, the chances of development of asthma in the child are quadrupled. In children and aged people the diseases tends to runs in more serious mode.
There could be several causes of development of bronchial asthma. The common risk factors which may provoke its development include:
domestic allergens (domestic and paper dust), pets (hair and dandruff of cats and dogs), fungal spores;
allergens widely spread in the environment (e.g. pollen);
food allergens;
smoking (both passive and active);
occupational allergens, i.e. paint, varnish, etc.
Viral respiratory tract infections also play a role in development of bronchial asthma. It is more characteristic of younger children. In older children allergy is the most common cause of the disease. In adults the disease often develops due to the impact of allergens associated with their occupation. Another cause of bronchial asthma may represent bad environmental condition. Asthma is very common in big cities and industrial regions. Leading unhealthy lifestyle and unfavorable climate (wet and cold) may also have a negative effect on the course of the disease.
The common symptoms of bronchial asthma are:
1. Recurrent asthma attacks with sibilant wheezes during exhalation when the patient for facilitating breathing assumes sitting position with hands resting against knees and upper body leaned forward;
2. Shortness of breath (difficulty breathing) often experienced at night; the patient wakes up because of lack of air or cough;
3. Physical load, emotional stress and allergen inhalation may provoke asthma attack;
4. In asthmatic patients colds usually last more than 10 days and it feels like cough is getting deeper into chest;
5. Shortness of breath goes away soon after taking bronchial spasmolytics (medicines dilating bronchi).
An asthma attack may start gradually or suddenly. In either ways the patient need medical care during the attack. If you experience the attack for the first time, get examined by a pulmonologist.
Bronchial asthma treatment
In recent years the attitude towards the treatment of bronchial asthma has changed radically. This has happened due to the latest researches, in the results of which scientists have defined a decisive role of allergic inflammation in respiratory tract problems and hyperactivity (excessive sensitiveness) of bronchi. The two directions in the treatment of bronchial asthma (basic anti-inflammatory therapy and emergency actions in the event of an asthmatic attack) are based on the above mentioned conclusion.
The method of treatment of bronchial asthma is chosen individually for each patient depending on the severity of the disease. As a rule, the severity of the disease is determined after a full examination of the patient and analysis of the symptoms of the disease.
Mild bronchial asthma is characterized by rare attacks (1-2 times a day) which go away soon whether treated or not. Between attacks the general condition of patients with mild asthma is quite normal.
Moderate asthma is characterized by more serious attacks with involvement of cardiovascular system (e.g. palpitation). In this stage of the disease patients should use antispasmodic inhalers.
Severe asthma is characterized by frequent attacks (almost every day or 2-3 times a week) which pose threat to life and require emergency care. Patients with severe asthma suffer from short breath even between the attacks.
Basic anti-inflammatory therapy of bronchial asthma includes corticosteroids (hormonal agents) coming in tablets or inhalers. Inhalation corticosteroids are more preferable, since they have a number of advantages: the agents delivered directly to the respiratory tract work more effectively and do not cause serious side effects.
Emergency care in case of asthma attack:
1. Eliminate the causative allergen;
2. Provide fresh air access, unbutton the cloths;
3. Give the patient an inhalator with antispasmodic effect which was prescribed for him.
4. Repeat the inhalation if no effect is observed in 20 minutes;
5. Call emergency care if the asthma attack symptoms are getting worse.
An asthmatic patient should always maintain close contact with his supervising doctor. As it was mentioned, a specific plan of treatment should be worked out individually for each patient. The plan should be flexible and change depending on the severity and duration of the disease. The patient should regularly be informed about new methods of treatment by his doctor. One of the most effective methods of asthma treatment is a step therapy (different treatment for each stage of the disease). As the symptoms of the bronchial asthma get worse, a more intense therapy is prescribed. In case the symptoms improve and stay stable within 3 months, the doses of the prescribed medicines are reduced and even could be fully withdrawn. The most important goal of step therapy is achievement of prolonged remission (less frequent asthma attacks or their absence).
In the result of such an approach towards treatment of bronchial asthma it has become easier to control the disease and prevent the attacks. Due to this approach life quality of asthmatic patients has improved and their life duration increased.
As a prophylaxis of bronchial asthma professionals recommend exercising, swimming, breathing gymnastics or walking in the park in any weather. At the same time, try to avoid factors promoting development of asthma. Though, it is almost impossible to fully eliminate such allergens as animal hair, dust or pollen, you can reduce the time you contact with them by leaving the place where they are in abundance. It is recommended to change your workplace or even move to another place, in case the allergens you suffer from are associated with your occupation.
And of course, it is important to avoid inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and receive timely treatment in case you get it.
The causes of Achilles tendon injuries
The problems with Achilles tendon are mainly caused by overuse. It may happen during exercising, at work or other activities.
Achilles tendon injury may happen if you start exercising in the period when you are out of shape, or you do not warm-up before work-out.
Uncomfortable shoes that hurt also may lead to torn calf. Very often torn calf occurs in the result of abrupt movements, when too much load is passed on them. It is common in sportsmen while they run or jump. Another risk group that often get tendon injuries are people of middle age. Such types of injuries may also happen during playing basketball, tennis, etc. Very often Achilles tendon is torn when sprained, in the result of inflammation or some other reasons.
Symptoms of Achilles tendon injury
The symptoms and the signs of Achilles tendon are severe calf pain, swelling or inflammation of the tendon and the region around it. At rest you may not feel any pain, it usually appears in motion. A sharp and sudden pain could be felt at the moment of tendon injury. Very often patients with tendon injury are unable to remain on feet and need hospitalization.
Only a healthcare professional may tell you whether your injury is serious. First, your doctor may ask you to describe the pain so that he could determine the seriousness of your condition. If the symptoms do not improve and even get worse, you may have your ankle x-rayed for a more exact diagnose.
The treatment of Achilles tendon injury
The treatment of Achilles tendon injury may include medical therapy and some stretching exercises. You may also need to wear special shoes that do not create excessive pressure on your tendon. The sooner you start the treatment the more chances you will have to avoid further complications of the injury. The treatment of even an insignificant tendon injury may take a considerable period of time before the tendon is rehabilitated and the patient is able to walk and exercise again. In severe cases (torn tendon) a surgery and immobilization may be required. Special exercises which are included in the treatment course can help to accelerate the recovery process and make your leg stronger. The treatment may take from several weeks to a month.
Psoriasis is one of the most common and at the same time mysterious diseases. Nobody can tell for sure what the exact causes of psoriasis are. It is only known that it is a systemic disease of noninfectious etiology. The first symptoms of psoriasis are skin exfoliation and itching. Further on, round pink plaques with scales develop on the skin; when scratched droplets of blood appear on them. With time psoriasis may affect significant areas of skin and nails. But the most dangerous form of the diseases is psoriatic arthritis which damages vessels.
Earlier psoriasis had been treated with small doses of arsenic. Presently it is treated with immunosuppressive agents, creams with vitamin A and D and other ointments. If the disease has reached a more serious phase, blood purification and ultraviolet therapy are usually prescribed. But do not think that you can treat yourself by simply attending a solarium, though UV therapy is almost same thing. Ultraviolet in large doses may worsen the course of the disease.
Most researchers have come to the conclusion that the causes of the psoriasis have neurological nature. They advise psoriatic patients to cope with internal problems, fears, sense of guilt and offence, etc. Psychotherapy sessions indeed may give positive effects in the treatment of psoriasis.
Keep your home or office clean, do not allow dust or animal hair to accumulate on your carpet or bedspread. During the treatment course do not consume too much meat, refuse spicy dishes. If the allergy recurs regularly- consult an allergist so that he could help you to define the allergen that causes allergy in you. With identified allergen it would be easier for you to avoid it further on. If you suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis (the most common type of allergy also called pollinosis or pollen disease) the symptoms of which are the following: severe itching in the nose, redness in the eye region and lacrimation, you can resort to medical treatment to eliminate them. In severe cases using medicines is indispensible despite their side effects, which may include heart impact, sedative effect and mucous membranes desiccation. A good solution for treating pollinosis exacerbations is homeopathic medicines. For successful treatment of allergy it is first necessary to ascertain its origin. Defining the causative agent is crucial both for the treatment and prophylaxis of the disease. However, it is not that easy to do and very often, even when defined, it is just impossible to get rid of it. Therewith, any manifestation of an allergy is a signal of your body that something is wrong with your immune system. It means that even if you fully neutralize the action of “your” allergen, you cannot be sure something else would not cause allergy in you. That is why the best way of treating allergy is a complex therapy including such methods as elimination therapy (simply speaking creation of hypo-allergic condition at home and workplace), specific immunotherapy and pharmacotherapy. It is also important to keep to special hypo-allergic diet during the treatment.
Allergy is an excessively sensitive response of a body to certain substances (allergens). The mechanism of allergy consists in release of antibodies in human body which may lead to its decreased or increased sensitivity. Allergy symptoms manifest themselves in the form of skin rash, severe irritation of mucous membranes and total exhaustion.
Allergic reaction is a condition developed on the basis of immunological conflict. In diagnosing allergy it is important to define the allergen, its causative relation with clinical manifestations and the type of the immunological reaction. Pathogenetic principle of defining 4 types of allergic reactions is the generally accepted method of diagnosing allergy.
Presently allergic diseases are very common among children and the number of affected children and severity of the disease in children grows every day. Supposedly it is associated with environmental pollution: exhaust, industry waste, etc; and appearing in household use multitudes of synthetic materials and dyes which are potential allergens and may promote spreading allergic diseases. The uncontrolled use of medicines may also lead to the growth of the number of allergic patients. The increased sensitivity to medicines often occurs in the result of unjustified use of several medicines simultaneously, uncontrolled use of antibiotics or your doctor`s insufficient knowledge of pharmacokinetics who prescribed incompatible medicines or wrong dosage for you. Other factors which may play a significant role in the development of an allergy are climate, food habits, heredity, somatic pathologies, etc.
Thus allergy is a pathologically increased response of a human body to specific substances of antigenic nature which usually do not cause any symptoms of disease in people with normal body reaction. Allergy may also be caused by gastrointestinal pathologies, nervous or endocrine system dysfunctions, etc. Any agent which causes antibody response in case of getting into human body can become an incentive for an allergy.
Some people experience sudden drop in blood pressure when they stand up from lying or sitting position. This type of low blood pressure is called postural hypertension.
Postural hypertension is a condition when autonomic nervous system (part of nervous system which controls such vitally important involuntary processes as heartbeat) is unable to respond adequately to sudden changes. When you get up, a significant blood volume flows into your lower extremities. This may cause drop in our blood pressure. But, as a rule, your body compensates this drop by sending by sending impulses to heart to make it to beat faster and to blood vessels to make them contract. Thus, pressure drop is neutralized. Postural hypertension develops when this process does not happen or happens too slowly. The risk of high or low pressure is increased with age and is partially associated with the natural process of aging. Moreover, with age blood supply to brain is worsened due to formation of plaques on the walls of vessels.
The pattern of loss of consciousness in patients with postural hypertension is stereotypical. Fainting usually occurs in the way well known by the patient. In such patients the arterial blood pressure is normal in lying position. They usually lose consciousness at night or in the morning right after getting up from the bed. Unlike vasodepressor fainting, loss of consciousness caused by postural hypertension occurs suddenly and without any precursors. After getting into horizontal position, the arterial pressure of the patient increases to the normal level and the patient comes into consciousness.