Health

Bacterial Conjunctivitis

Bacterial Conjunctivitis is a common disease that affects the eye. It results in the inflammation of parts of the eyes and dilation of the blood vessels in the eyes making it appear red in color. In most cases, it is easily treated and does not result in any serious health implications. Bacterial conjunctivitis is also called a pink eye.

Symptoms of Bacterial Conjunctivitis

There are several symptoms of Bacterial Conjunctivitis that are clearly visible while other may not be so. Some of the symptoms are:

• There is a uniform enlargement of the blood vessels in the eyes making them appear red in color.
• There may be a thick watery discharge from the eyes that is yellow-white in color. Also, the eyelids may get glued together especially in the morning after sleep due to this liquid discharge.
• The hair follicles in the eyelids may be swollen.
• There may be some temporary and mild blindness at the time of mucus discharge, which will go away once it is cleaned with a tissue paper and water.
• There may be a burning feeling in the eyes resulting in discomfort.
• There may be minimal pain on the eyes which is not sharp or intense.
• The vision remains unaffected and one can carry on the daily activities

Causes of Bacterial Conjunctivitis

There are no known causes that may definitely result in Bacterial Conjunctivitis, but a there are risk factors that may lead to the condition. Some of them are listed below:

• Constant exposure to other victims of Bacterial Conjunctivitis may increase the risk of an individual contacting the disease.
• Any kind of prevailing or current sinusitis increases the vulnerability to the condition.
• A lowered state of the immune system or deficiencies in it may result in contacting Bacterial Conjunctivitis
• Babies who are exposed or come into contact with individuals who are carriers of sexually transmitted diseases are at increased risk to contact Bacterial Conjunctivitis.
• Anyone can contact the disease. There are no differences as far as race, gender and age are concerned
• If an individual has had a positive history of getting afflicted by the disease, then he/she is more likely to get the condition once again than others.

Treatment

Treatment involves a number of steps. Some of them are as follows:

• An infected individual has to maintain a high standard of good personal hygiene.
• If an individual uses contact lenses then their further usage should be stopped.
• Antibiotics like chloramphenicol or fusidic acid may be prescribed by a doctor to treat Bacterial Conjunctivitis

Also see: Pink eye symptoms & treatment

 

 

What are the signs of pregnancy?

 

The conception of a child in a women’s womb is called pregnancy. When the sperms from a man fertilize the eggs in a woman’s uterus it results in pregnancy. The sperms may be transferred during sexual intercourse or through manual insertion by a doctor. Many women aren’t aware of the early pregnancy symptoms so we are listing a few of them.

Symptoms of pregnancy

Some of the symptoms of pregnancy are as follows:

• A missed period is a sure sign of pregnancy. Some women may experience slight bleeding even during pregnancy, but this period is lighter and shorter than normal periods.
• A pregnant woman may also feel sickness, usually in the morning. Morning sickness may be accompanied by queasiness or vomiting.
• The breasts tend to become tender or have increased sensitivity. There will also be soreness of the breasts and their size increases.
• A pregnant woman will undergo a number of hormonal changes, as her body adapts to the presence of a child inside her. The hormonal changes may cause headaches, nausea, sadness and exhaustion.
• There may be bloating of the body, face hands and legs. However, women may not start bloating immediately but over a period of time as the pregnancy stages increase. Also, some women do not tend to bloat at all.
• There may be vaginal discharge without smell or odor. This is because the cervix develops a mucus plug in the opening of the cervix to obstruct any infections from reaching the baby.  This process of mucus production results in increased vaginal secretions.
• There are other symptoms as well which may include changes in libido, frequent urination, strange cravings, fatigue, changes in skin complexion, stretch marks, enlarging uterus and abdomen and increased appetite.

Causes of Pregnancy

The successful fertilization of a woman’s eggs is the only way a she can get pregnant. There are several causes to pregnancy which may include:

• Sexual promiscuity:  If a woman has multiple partners, there are chances that the anti pregnancy methods that she may use may fail at some point in time.
• Inappropriate and no use of contraceptives:  If the contraceptives used like condoms, diaphragms, etc. are faulty or there are no contraceptives used (in case of sexual practices that involve removal of the penis from the vagina at the time of ejaculation) then it may result in pregnancy.
• Voluntary Pregnancy: Couples may voluntary want a child and that may cause pregnancy.
• Inadequate knowledge: Men/ Women who are illiterate or socioeconomically backward may not have sufficient knowledge of pregnancy and results in birth of a child.

Also see : Pregnancy symptoms week by week and more health tips on howshealth.com