Category: Food Good For Health

TREATING TUBERCULOSIS

Posted on by buigiathinhsocute in Food Good For Health, goodforheart

In the West, if a person is thought to have TB, skin and blood tests are usually the first diagnostic tests conducted, and if they generate a positive result, chest X-rays are taken, usually indicating that the patient has a latent infection. If the patient experiences night sweats, loss of weight and a persistent cough, then a sputum culture from the lung is sent off for testing. The sputum culture is the diagnostic “gold standard” used worldwide to confirm an active TB infection.

Kids often have trouble producing sputum, so instead they inhale droplets of saline, which can help them cough up phlegm from their lower airway. 

Getting a result from a TB sputum culture test takes at least three weeks. Newer tests could decrease the time-to-result to a few hours, though in practice, the turnaround time is usually a few days. This time lag is one reason why up to 40 percent of patients who are tested never return to the clinic to learn the result.

When a person is diagnosed with TB, they’ll begin treatment with antibiotics. The standard therapy is a daily cocktail of antibiotics for at least six months. 

While drug resistance in most countries hovers around a few percent of all TB cases reported (which is still noteworthy), some places, such as Russia, report that drug-resistant TB makes up a whopping rate of 19 percent of total cases. 

However, some strains of TB are becoming resistant to standard therapies. Globally an estimated 480,000 people developed drug-resistant TB in 2014. People infected with drug-resistant TB undergo a daily, painful injection plus daily oral, toxic drug cocktails for at least 18 months. 

Even with treatment, if you are infected with extremely drug-resistant TB, the risk of dying can be greater than 70 percent at five years after a full course or treatment, far worse than Ebola and most cancers. 

15 FOODS THAT ARE GOOD FOR YOUR HEART

Posted on by buigiathinhsocute in Food Good For Health, goodforheart
  1. Eat fish high in omega-3s, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring and trout.
  2. A handful of healthy nuts such as almonds or walnuts will satisfy your hunger and help your heart.
  3. Berries are chock full of heart-healthy phytonutrients and soluble fiber. Try blueberries, strawberries, cranberries or raspberries in cereal or yogurt.
  4. Flaxseeds contain omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and phytoestogens to boost heart health. Take them in ground or milled form to reap the greatest benefit.
  5. Oatmeal: the comfort-food nutrient powerhouse.
  6. Dark beans,such as kidney or black beans, are high in fiber, B-vitamins, minerals and other good stuff. Veggie chili, anyone?
  7. A 4-ounce glass of red wine (up to two for men and one for women per day) can help improve good (HDL) cholesterol levels.
  8. Try marinated tofu in a stir-fry with fresh veggies for a heart-healthy lunch or dinner.
  9. Red, yellow and orange veggies such as carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers and acorn squash are packed with carotenoids, fiber and vitamins to help your heart.
  10. Popeye was right – spinach packs a punch! Use it in sandwiches and salads instead of lettuce.
  11. Fruits such as oranges, cantaloupes and papaya are rich in beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium and fiber.
  12. Tender, sweet asparagus is filled with mighty nutrients such as beta-carotene, folate and fiber, and only provide 25 calories per cup, or 5 calories per large spear.
  13. Tomatoes – even sun-dried varieties in winter months – provide lycopene, vitamin C and alpha- and beta-carotene.
  14. Dark chocolate is good for your heart health, but just be sure that it’s at least 70 percent cocoa.
  15. Crisp, fresh broccoli florets dipped in hummus are a terrific heart-healthy snack with a whopping list of nutrients, including vitamins C and E, potassium, folate, calcium and fiber.