Disease

Epidemic Prevention?

This entry was posted on by

There currently is substantial contradictory info about the Coronavirus outbreak starting in China. Should we be worried and how best to prepare for the eventuality of an epidemic here? First, we have yearly outbreaks termed flu season which for the past decade has resulted in an average of 34,000 deaths a year in the US. WOW! This is an estimate by CDC because death certificates often are vague as to cause of death and the flu frequently results in pneumonia which may be listed and is not specific for flu.

Infectious disease experts opine that the coronavirus outbreak may…READ MORE

What Info Should One Know About Chemo?

This entry was posted on by

Today a friend brought forth a topic that needs some understanding; precisely, whether to accept or reject Chemotherapy treatment for cancer when recommended by a doctor. Chemo is its moniker. As always, deciding what you will do before becoming properly informed about important matters is unsound and can be… READ MORE

Blood Clots – Don’t Avoid the Symptoms

This entry was posted on by

I was asked by a friend to explain how an acquaintance had died suddenly from a blood clot. This is overwhelmingly due to blood clots in veins below the waist forming a clot which breaks loose and lodges in the lungs. The name is venous thromboembolism (venous thrombo=clotting, embolism=traveling). It is an important and deadly condition.

The number of people having clots form in their legs is estimated at 900,000 per year and the pulmonary embolism results in estimates of up to 100,000 deaths yearly. The causes were described by one of the most famous physicians of the 19th century; he was Rudolph Virchow (1821 to 1902), a German pathologist. He described the three predisposing factors: Slowed circulation, increased clotting…