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  What it is (background) Influenza — commonly called “the flu” — is an acute viral infection of the nose, throat and lungs caused mainly by influenza A and B viruses. It spreads easily from person to person and can cause anything from a mild illness to severe disease and death, especially during seasonal epidemics or pandemics. PMC +1 Symptoms Typical flu symptoms appear suddenly and often include: Fever or feeling feverish/chills, cough, sore throat Runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headache Fatigue (tiredness) and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea (more common in children). Symptoms usually last about 5–7 days in healthy adults, though cough and fatigue can linger longer. If you’re in a high-risk group (older adults, very young children, pregnant people, or those with chronic medical conditions), symptoms can progress to severe complications like pneumonia. Mayo Clinic +1 Causes & how it spreads Influenza viruses mutate frequently, which is why new ...

 In honour of tomorrow being Osteoporosis Day, this article briefly discusses the disease. What is osteoporosis? Osteoporosis, which means porous bones, is a disorder that affects the bones, making them thinner, more brittle, and more susceptible to fractures. Facts about osteoporosis: - Bones of the wrists, spine, ribs, and hips are the bones that are mostly affected by osteoporosis. This, in turn, can cause dependency on aid and sometimes even death. - Mild actions like bending, sneezing, or coughing cause the bones to break with a great deal of suffering accompanying it - Even though osteoporosis is rarely heard of, it's reported that over 15,000,000 U.S. citizens and 200 million people worldwide live with it - Osteoporosis is common in older people because the bones tend to get more fragile with increasing age - The hormonal change that occurs during menopause in women causes osteoporosis to be more common amongst women than men -  Osteoporosis can affect...

  What is asthma?  The word "asthma" was first recorded in 400 BC in ancient Greece, and it means "panting" in the Greek language. Asthma is reported to cause an average of 250,000 deaths per year, and specifically 455,000 in the year 2019 alone, according to the WHO. Asthma is a chronic, non-communicable condition that affects the lungs' airways, causing inflammation and sometimes narrowing of the Airways, which can lead to difficulty breathing.  Asthma patients can experience asthma exacerbations or attacks caused by external triggers like exercise (heavy movement) and pollen allergies. The TH-2 cells, which are pivotal players in the immune response, receive the environmental triggers and initiate a cell production sequence that causes narrowing of the Airways or spasming, as mentioned earlier. That's why asthma is considered an obstructive pulmonary disease. Symptoms of asthma include: -Coughing -Tightness of the chest -Shortness of breath ...

When was the last time you thought about your heart, not emotionally, but literally? This amazing organ works 24/7 to keep you alive, yet most of us only pay attention to it when something goes wrong. Let’s dive into how the heart works, the most common heart diseases, and how you can protect your heart for years to come. What Does the Heart Actually Do?  Your heart is a powerful muscle, about the size of your fist, located slightly to the left of your chest. Its job? Pump blood throughout your entire body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to every cell. It has four chambers two upper (atria) and two lower (ventricles) and works like a highly coordinated machine. Blood flows in one direction thanks to a series of valves, and everything is controlled by electrical signals that keep your heart beating rhythmically, around 100,000 times a day. ___________________________________________________________________________________   Common Heart Diseases You Should Know About Heart dis...

    Diabetes is a condition that affects the blood sugar levels ( glucose ), and it’s a condition that affects people of all ages with alarmingly increasing diagnostic rates. WHO reports that the number of people living with diabetes rose from 200 million in 1990 to 830 million in 2022.     Diabetes is an extremely dangerous condition that can cause a variety of other diseases, like  blindness , kidney failure , heart attacks , stroke , and lower limb amputation.  Diabetes is also reported to have affected 37.3 million people in the United States, which is about 11% of the population . ·   Diabetes arises when the pancreas is unable to produce adequate insulin , which causes an excess in glucose levels. Insulin turns the excess glucose into glucagon for later use so when there is not enough of it the body gets overwhelmed with excess glucose causing high blood sugar. ·          What is the differen...

  Hypertension is a situation that causes pressure on global health but isn’t addressed as well as it should be; 46% of people affected by High blood pressure aren’t even aware they have it, which is why this short post aims to shed some light on the topic, and so What is blood pressure? ·          Pressure in a mathematical sense is the force exerted per unit area, and it's not different in a medical sense. Blood pressure is the force your blood exerts over your artery walls. The normal blood pressure is 120/80mmHg for a person; anything above 140 systolic (heart contraction when it pumps blood) pressure and 90 diastolic(heart relaxation when it doesn’t pump blood) pressure is considered to be in the high range. What causes high blood pressure? ·          Many risk factors are associated with hypertension, including age, lifestyle choices, and genetic factors. Age: Old age in individuals caus...