The calf muscle in the leg tapers down and forms the Achilles’ tendon. This is the strongest tendon in the body and comes into use when we run, jump or balance our body weight on one leg. The main function of this tendon is to raise our heel when we are on our toes.
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Candidiasis or thrush is an infection caused by the fungus Candida albicans. The fungus which is normally found in the human body can overgrow and cause the disease when the immune system is compromised or the skin or mucosal barriers are disrupted. The disease can be a localized infection of the skin or mucosa, or a potentially lethal systemic disease. It can affect oral cavity, pharynx, genitalia, gastrointestinal tract, nails, etc. It may enter into the bloodstream and cause systemic candida infection (candidemia). Some of the predisposing factors are use of antibiotics and oral contraceptives, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, stress, cancer therapy, steroids and pregnancy. Superficial infections of skin and mucosa cause redness and discomfort. Oral candidiasis is the most common opportunistic infection occurring in the mouth. It may cause sore throat and difficulty in swallowing. Use of detergents or douches, hormonal disturbances, taking antibiotics or immunosuppressive drugs, etc. can cause overgrowth of Candida and cause vulvo-vaginal candidiasis. It causes itching, soreness, and thick, curdy-white discharge. The infection is diagnosed by examining the specimen from affected area under microscope or by culture test. Treatment is through anti-fungal medication like fluconazole or clotrimazole in the form of tablets, gels or creams. A vaginal device containing probiotic bacteria for the treatment of vaginal thrush is being developed by scientists.
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Chikungunya is a disease caused by mosquitoes. It is most prevalent in Asian and African countries. However, incidences of this mosquito-borne disease have been found in some parts of Europe and America. The name “Chikungunya” originates from the Kimakonde language spoken by an ethnic group in southeast Tanzania and northern Mozambique. Meaning ‘contortion’, this word refers to the stooped posture of people experiencing severe joint or muscle pain. This is one of the major manifestations of Chikungunya. This is a virus that you catch from the bite of infected female mosquitoes: Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The transmission of Chikungunya generally occurs outdoors during the day, especially in the early morning and late afternoon hours, when these mosquitoes are most active. This viral infection is characterised by an abrupt onset of fever accompanied by severe muscle and joint pain. Other symptoms could be headache, nausea, fatigue and rash. The onset of Chikungunya occurs within 3-7 days of a mosquito bite. Though the condition mostly resolves on its own, this infection can be fatal for the elderly population and people with comorbid conditions. There is currently no cure or vaccine for the condition. The treatment is aimed at relief from symptoms like pain, swelling and fever. Chikungunya fever may lead to rheumatoid arthritis in a small percentage of patients.
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Our liver performs some of the most crucial functions of the body. Starting from helping us absorb nutrients and getting rid of toxins to filtering blood, this organ, located at the right-hand side of the abdomen, does it all for us, However, it is extremely vulnerable to damages triggered by a combination of factors and complications. One such complication is scarring of the liver. It is known as cirrhosis.
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It is also known as HCV and is mostly also transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This may happen through transfusions of HCV-contaminated blood and blood products, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injection drug use. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common. There is no vaccine for HCV.
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Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial disease that spreads from person to person through various means. The primary organs affected by TB are the lungs, followed by kidneys, brain and spine. Usually, when TB is not properly treated, TB is curable and the patient dies in rare cases. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is caused by a bacteria called mycobacteria, which is resistant to at least two of the most effective first-line TB medicines, i.e., isoniazid and rifampin. When bacteria develop resistance to specific TB medicines, it confirms that the drugs are no longer effective. Commonly, these medicines are used as a first-line treatment to treat people who have TB. Consequently, second-line medicines must be used to treat MDR-TB. Second-line treatment is more tedious, expensive, and challenging. Mycobacteria, such as other bacteria, can undergo genetic alterations (called mutations), making them inherently resistant to anti-TB drugs. Treatment therapy with three or four combination medicines can prevent resistant mycobacteria from proliferating and replacing sensitive mycobacteria that can be removed using standard TB treatment. If resistant mycobacteria develop medication resistance to the second-line treatment, the whole mycobacterial population might be replaced with mycobacteria that have mutated twice and are resistant to two lines of treatment. Resistant mycobacteria can be passed onto others, making them instantly resistant to standard TB therapy.[1-3]
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