Can Vitamin D Really Stop You Getting Cold And Flu?

Have you had a cold, flu or even pneumonia in the last year? You're not alone - in fact you're among 70% of the UK population.

But a new study claims that three million people could be spared the sniffles if they took vitamin D pills.

That's more than the number of people who are stopped from getting the flu after having the vaccine.

The people behind the new study want vitamin D to be added to food so that everyone gets enough.

Read more: Can Vitamin D Really Stop You Getting Cold And Flu?

Source: bbc.co.uk/newsbeat

Bacterial Pneumonia - Get the Facts

Bacterial pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs due to some form of bacteria. There are different types of bacteria that may lead to the infection.

The lungs are made up of different sections or lobes. There are three lobes on the right and two on the left. Bacterial pneumonia can affect both lungs, one lung, or even just one section of a lung.

The lobes of the lungs are made up of small air sacs called alveoli. Normally, the air sacs fill with air. Oxygen is inhaled and carbon dioxide in exhaled.

When a person develops pneumonia, the air sacs become inflamed, which can cause them to fill with fluid. If the air sacs are filled with fluid instead of air, it can make breathing difficult. In some cases, the lungs may not get enough oxygen.

Read more: Bacterial Pneumonia - Get the Facts

Bacteria that cause pneumonia are spread through coughing. Doctors will carry out a chest X-ray to

assess fluid buildup in the lungs. An annual flu vaccine can help prevent pneumonia.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Test That Differentiates Between Bacterial, Viral Infections in Development

An international team of scientists - led by researchers at Imperial College London - has discovered two genes that are switched on when a child has a bacterial infection. This revelation could allow the team to develop a rapid test for doctors' surgeries and hospitals to identify infections such as meningitis, and assist with the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

The study, published in JAMA, found that the two genes, called IFI44L and FAM89A, only shifted to an "on" state when a bacterial infection was present. This knowledge could enable doctors to distinguish between bacterial and viral infections, and identify early cases of severe infections that could be deadly.

While viral infections are more common than bacterial infections, bacterial infections are often more serious.

Meningitis, septicemia, and pneumonia all occur as a result of a bacterial infection. Differentiating between these potentially life-threatening conditions and viruses can allow health providers to provide quicker, more accurate treatments.

Read more: Test That Differentiates Between Bacterial, Viral Infections in Development

Doctors usually have to send samples away to diagnose bacterial or viral infections. The new test
could provide a rapid way for doctors to test patients immediately.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia

Diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is conventionally based on direct staining and visualization. Challenges in obtaining alveolar samples have stimulated interest in techniques for detection of Pneumocystis DNA in non-invasive samples, which can give good sensitivity and specificity. Robust diagnosis is key to ensuring appropriate therapy.

Introduction

Pneumocystis jirovecii (previously Pneumocystis carinii) is a pathogen capable of causing life threatening Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in the immunocompromised with case fatality rates among those hospitalized of around 10%. PCP typically occurs in individuals with hematological malignancies on chemotherapy or with other causes of acquired cellular immunodeficiency or, most frequently, in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals with CD4 T-cell counts <200 cells/µL or <14% of total white cell count. First-line treatment is co-trimoxazole, a combination of the antibiotics sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, at high dose for 3 weeks, which has the clinically significant potential side effects of bone marrow suppression, rash and bronchial hypersensitivity.

Read more: Diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia

Source: ClinicalLaboratoryInternational

What If No One Believed You Were Sick?

What’s worse than feeling ill? Having no one believe that your condition exists. That’s the reality for many Canadian women living with a slew of diseases that the medical community is slow to recognize as legitimate. Could you be suffering from something serious that your physician has dismissed as 'all in your head'? Read on for information that could change your life and your health.

Noelle Harris has learned to listen to her body, even when it means making sacrifices like canceling coveted vacation plans. For an upbeat, self-confessed Type A person, it’s been a challenging realization that’s come after a long, hard battle with two chronic conditions that affect hundreds of thousands of Canadians: chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia.

Harris’s story begins in 1986, when she developed mononucleosis, followed by bronchitis three months later, then pneumonia and a bad flu several months later. When Harris initially became sick, her doctor was suspicious. 'There’s something wrong with you, but I don’t know what it is,' she told Harris.

Read more: What If No One Believed You Were Sick?

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Source: msn/health&fitness