Gastrointestinal Disease

Due to space constraint, we can only hold a brief discussion on the more common type of gastrointestinal diseases.

Gastrointestinal diseases otherwise referred to as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is often the cause of many health problems and sicknesses. Look after your Gastrointestinal health and many of your health problems will diminish.

At Beyond Medicine, we put great emphasis on Gastrointestinal health. As part of the examination, we routinely palpate the abdominal cavity for any signs of tenderness, discomfort or pain. It goes without saying that if there is any tenderness, discomfort or pain during palpation, there is invariably a problem with your Gastrointestinal health. Yet a scan will often produce a negative finding. Until and unless there are scar tissues or unless the problem is very acute, conventional scans will produce a negative finding. This can be very misleading and create false hope in a patient who knows that his/her abdominal health is in question. Considering the daily intake of processed foods, the preservatives that are added to our foods and the life style, no wonder there are many out there who suffer from one form of abdominal disorder to another.

Simply put, Gastrointestinal disorder is the cause of many types of pain. In our practice, we quickly learn that middle back pain can be a crossover of stomach problems, lower back pain can come from a problem with either kidneys or the bladder. Gall stones can cause pain to the right side of the back and so on. Therefore when a client comes in to see us complaining of back pain, our initial approach is to determine if there is a problem with the Gastrointestinal tract or the abdomen. No doubt, we will also examine the spine carefully for any symptoms of misalignment, muscles spasms and so on but abdominal health is top of the list!

When it comes to abdominal disorders, a patient would usually have experienced some sort of pain in the abdominal cavity. The abdominal pain can be stomach cramps, stomach ache, abdominal discomfort, heartburn, upper abdominal pain, kidney pain, liver pain or other related types of pain. In addition, there are discomforts caused by reflux, bloating and fluid retention.

Abdominal pain can range from severe life threatening conditions, for example aortic aneurysm, acute appendicitis to much less serious conditions such as heart burn, reflux and gastroenteritis. We would recommend prompt medical attention for any types of abdominal pain.

Abdominal pain is a very common symptom and many are not serious. Because they are not serious many cases of appendicitis in children are wrongly diagnosed as gastroenteritis. We have a way of distinguishing between appendicitis and gastroenteritis. On the other hand, certain types of Gastrointestinal problems such as helicobacter pylori, crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis could lead to cancer. For this reason therefore, we would specifically make reference to them.

Abdominal pain can be classified into more specified types such as lower abdominal pain, upper abdominal pain, left abdominal pain, right abdominal pain and epigastric pain (pain behind the breastbone such as in heartburn, reflux or GERD or pain on the right side as caused by gallstones.



The following are some of the possible causes of abdominal pain. There could be other accompanying or possible causes so it is best to consult your doctor if in doubt. The list below is not exhaustive.

1. Gas
   
2. Gallbladder disease
   
3. Colon cancer
   
4. Diverticulitis
   
5. Diverticulitis
   
6. Appendicitis
   
7. Gastroenteritis
   
8. Food poisoning
   
9. Peptic ulcer
   
10. Kidney stones
    
11. Ovarian cysts
    
12. Stomach cancer
    
13. Acute pancreatitis
14. Intestinal obstruction
    

Helicobacter Pylori Infection:  This organism causes a spectrum of disease in humans including gastritis, ulcer disease (both gastric and duodenal) and in all probability, gastric cancer and gastric lymphoma. In all likelihood, helicobacter Pyloric Infection is one of the main causes of stomach cancer. Indigestion (dyspepsia) is a very common symptom and a very high proportion of people with indigestion will have helicobacter pylori infection causing gastritis. Up to 10% of the population will develop peptic ulcer disease at some time in their lives and most duodenal ulcers and many gastric ulcers are due to helicobacter pylori infection.


Conventional medicine will diagnose helicobacter pylori by biopsy with urea breath test. At Beyond medicine, we would palpate the abdominal cavity, especially, the right and left upper quadrants and the central midline posterior to the rib cage for any signs of discomfort, tenderness and pain to determine the presence of ulcers. If ulcers are suspected, the possibility of helicobacter pylori infection cannot be ruled out.

Hiatus Hernia:  The presence of a hiatus hernia is usually noted when a patient is in the process of lying down on our examination table face up. There is usually a bulge
between the oesophagus and the stomach. This bulge is very noticeable in severe cases. The junction of the oesophagus and stomach stays down within the abdomen and the top part of the stomach (the fundus) bulges up into the chest cavity.  Prolonged use of prescribed medication, excessive junk foods and extreme stress can cause it.

Hiatus hernia may cause or contribute to pain in the abdominal area, heartburns and pains in the chest area. However, there can also be symptoms of a number of other conditions such as peptic ulcers and even symptom of heart problems. Whenever there is a severe case of hiatus hernia, reflux, heartburn and symptoms of bloating are invariably present.

With enzyme therapy and certain exercises, we are able to help with the gradual reduction of the hiatus hernia and make it go away completely without surgical intervention.

Cirrhosis of the liver:  The term refers to advanced liver damage and which is characterised by dense scarring where the lobes are covered with fibrous tissues. Once cirrhosis develops, it is usually irreversible but further damage may be stabilised if the cause is removed or remedial actions taken. Cirrhosis are caused in the main by excessive alcohol consumption, iron overload, chronic viral hepatitis, autoimmune diseases, chronic bile duct obstruction. The symptoms would usually include yellowing of the skin, circulatory changes occasioned by reddening of the palms, spider veins in the chests, loss of libido and hair loss. In men, there could be breasts enlargement, testicular atrophy and impotence. In females, the symptoms may include irregular menses, absences of periods, breast atrophy. Bruising is also a symptom of cirrhosis, enlarged spleen and bleedings in the veins are common.

Hepatitis:  The term refers to an inflammatory process within the liver from whatever cause. The cause may be a virus, prolonged use of certain prescribed medication, a toxin, autoimmune related diseases which allows the immune system to attack one’s tissues. Hepatitis B & c can be chronic whilst hepatitis A is not of a chronic nature.

People with chronic hepatitis may feel quite unwell with symptoms of tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea, easy bruising and fluid retention. Clinical examination may reveal dilated blood vessels in the skin, redness in the palms, easy bruising, enlargement of the liver and spleen and fluid retention in the ankles. One must be well advised that hepatitis is highly contagious.

Crohn’s Disease:  The term refers to a chronic inflammatory process of the intestinal tract. The disease can be anywhere within one of the four parts of the intestinal tract which can be the oesophagus, the stomach, the colon and the rectum. However the two main primary sites for crohn’s disease are the ileum which is the last portion of the small bowel and the colon. The lining of the bowel can become ulcerated and thickened.
 

Symptoms of crohn’s depend on the position of its occurrence. Where the ileum is involved, there is usually pain in the right lower quadrant or where the colon is involved, there is usually pain posterior to the naval (belly button) But some sort of pain is usually felt during palpation. When the colon is the site of the infection, diarrhoea sometimes with bloody stool may occur with fever and weight loss. Crohn’s disease often affects the anal area where there may be a draining sinus tract called a fistula. When the disease is fully active, the patient may experience fatigue and feeling of lethargy may appear.

In conventional medicine, there is no once conclusive diagnostic test for Crohn’s disease. Patient’s medical history and physical examination are always helpful. Certain blood and stool tests along with colonoscopy are performed to arrive at a diagnosis. In addition, a sigmoidoscopy of the lining of the rectum and lower bowel is often required. At Beyond Medicine, the whole of the abdominal cavity is routinely palpated for symptoms of crohn’s. We find that we are by far more accurate because if there is tenderness, discomfort or pain during palpation, common sense suggests something is not quite right!  Outside the bowel, other problems can develop. These can include arthritis, eye and skin problems. Open sores outside and in the vicinity of the anus can develop and these are often painful. A fistula can also be formed.  Conventional medicine resorts to cortisone, anti-inflammatory drugs and pain killers to control the disease; surgical intervention to remove the infected part of the bowel is often the treatment of choice!

Ulcerative Colitis:  In the early stage, it is extremely difficult to distinguish between crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. The treatment for both remains the same. Ulcerative colitis involves the inner lining of the large intestine (colon or bowel) and rectum with a chronic inflammatory process. The small intestines are not involved.
The most common symptoms are abdominal pain and diarrhoea which may contain blood, mucus and pus. Patients may suffer fatigue, weight loss, dehydration and malnutrition. Colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy is the preferred method of diagnosis. Palpation of the lower abdomen would give us an indication as to whether or not the patient has ulcerative colitis.

It suffices to add that both crohn’s and ulcerative colitis would lead to bowel cancer.

Heart Diseases

Introduction - Heart disease is the name given to a whole collection of heart conditions that affect people on a daily basis and a term that people across the world are most certainly familiar with. To really understand what heart disease is all about, you need to know what each of the conditions are, and what they do to your body if you are unlucky enough to suffer from one of them.
It’s a killer disease that affects a vast portion of the world population, but few people know the facts related to heart disease. Heart disease is actually an umbrella term for many different types of afflictions affecting the heart and below we have listed a few conditions that affect the heart; however, this does not represent the full scope of the many specific medical conditions that make up heart disease.

What is Heart Disease? - Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease is the build up of atheromatous plaque (inflamed tissue) within the arteries that pump blood into the heart; this can build up over time and restrict the flow of blood to the heart causing heart failure. If this does not happen then there is also the possibility that the plaques can rupture causing blood to clot and restrict blood flowing to the heart. The disease progresses over time, and symptoms are often non-existent until the condition manifests itself in the form of a heart attack.
When the plaque builds up to a point where the blood flow to the heart is reduced or cut off, serious consequences can result. Those with an advanced case of coronary heart disease may experience frequent and painful chest pains, due to a symptom known as ‘angina’. The best way of preventing a case of coronary heart disease involves engaging in an active lifestyle, watching what you eat and avoid smoking.
What is Heart Disease?- Ischemic (or ischaemic) heart disease
Those who suffer from Ischemic heart disease experience a decreased flow of blood to the heart. Angina may also occur when a case of Ischemic heart disease is present. Just like Coronary Heart Disease this type of heart disease is very serious and can be prevented by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
‘Ischaemia’   means an "inadequate blood supply". The only supply of blood to the heart muscle is through the coronary arteries, so any obstruction in the coronary arteries will reduce the supply of blood to the heart muscle.
Atherosclerosis is one of the most common cause of ischemic heart disease and may even exist when the artery lumens appear normal by angiography.
Possible consequences of Ischemic heart disease can be:
v Temporary damage and pain (ischemia)
v Permanent heart muscle damage, heart muscle does not grow back (acute myocardial infarction /infarct)
v Loss of muscle activity (acute heart failure)
v Long term loss of heart muscle activity (chronic heart failure)
v Cardiac arrhythmias: irregular heartbeat which can be fatal. Most death is due to arrhythmias, usually tachyarrhythmias.
v Other structural damage to the heart including damaged heart valves, actual perforation of the heart and a thin walled fibrous floppy heart.

What is Heart Disease? - Cardiovascular Heart Disease

Cardiovascular disease - is a term that represents a number of different types of heart disease. These types of heart disease often affect the blood vessels of the heart. With over 71.3 million citizens of the United States alone affected by a form of cardiovascular disease, it is a common type of illness that can also be avoided by staying healthy.
Pulmonary heart disease - is a very serious form of heart disease. If there is a change in the structure of the right ventricle located in the heart, due to respiratory problems. The affect this has on the right ventricle is great; it can cause increased pressure in the right ventricle, which will eventually lead to the right ventricle stretching through dilation or additional muscle growth in the ventricle to help add strength to the contractions needed for the increase in pressure.
This will add a lot of strain to the heart and will eventually lead to heart failure, and in some cases swelling in the legs.

What is Heart Disease? - Hypertensive Heart Disease

Hypertensive heart disease is related to hypertension, which is commonly known as high blood pressure and affects a large group of people worldwide.
High blood pressure means the heart has produced an elevated amount of pressure to pump the blood around the body, this can, overtime cause a strain on the heart leading to heart failure or an aortic arterial aneurysm.
An aortic arterial aneurysm is the bulging of a blood vessel in the artery, which will increase to the point that it bursts causing severe pain, and without immediate medical assistance, death.
If found early then surgical intervention can take place and an artificial tube sewn into the aorta and the aneurysm closed so it wont rupture causing a massive internal hemorrhage. This surgery is very invasive so the medical profession will not carry out the surgery unless it is deemed necessary. When arterial hypertension is occurring within the heart, the disease takes over, causing fatigue, an irregular pulse, and a swelling of the feet. The condition can lead to cases of congestive heart failure, and it is a leading cause of death in western society. 

What is Heart Disease? - V alvular Heart Disease
There are valves in the heart which assist the bloods journey through the labyrinth of channels that keep the heart functioning. Sometimes there are problems with these valves thus impeding the flow of blood.
The valves in the heart are the tricuspid valve and pulmonic valve, which are both found in the right side of the heart and the mitral valve and aortic valve, which are found in the left side of the heart.
There are a great number of medical conditions that affect the valves in different ways but they all generally involve one or more of the valves being too narrow, wide or loose causing regurgitation of the blood.

What is Heart Disease? - Summary

Now that you know more about the different types of heart disease, you’ll be better able to draw parallels when it comes to acting in a preventative matter and keeping a healthy heart.
By knowing all that you can about:
v coronary heart disease,
v ischaemic heart disease,
v cardiovascular disease,
v pulmonary heart disease
v valvular heart disease
v hypertensive heart disease,
you’ll be better suited than most when it comes to staying healthy, recognizing symptoms and avoiding a visit to the  A & E of your nearest hospital .
As you can see the causes and affects vary greatly, and it is due to this that we need to be diligent and understand heart disease better, after all it is one of the biggest killers of the present day.

Ecology of Infectious Disease

Human diseases
Many disease organisms that threaten humans worldwide have complex life histories that are affected by both human and non-human attributes of the ecosystems in which they occur. For example,

• Lyme disease is carried by ticks that move about on mammal hosts such as deer and mice - environmental parameters that affect these non-human hosts have implications for human exposure to Lyme disease
• Rabies is a disease that is contracted by wildlife and can be passed on to humans. NCEAS researchers have assembled and analyzed an extensive database documenting rabid raccoons, refining predictions of rabies dynamics
• The bacterium causing the gastrointestinal disease cholera is waterborne and associated with microscopic crustaceans - climatic and environmental factors that affect hydrodynamics and the ecology of aquatic food webs can influence the dynamics of cholera
• The brain parasite that causes toxoplasmosis is passed among rats, cats, and humans; in humans, infection is associated with lifelong personality changes that may influence human culture
• NCEAS ecologists have formulated and applied cutting edge approaches in analysis and synthesis of human disease scenarios in recent years, improving our understanding of human disease risk

Disease and ecosystems
Ecologists have a growing awareness of the importance of pathogens and parasites in the evolution and ecology of natural systems.  Researchers at NCEAS have examined the evolutionary relationships between disease organisms and their hosts, as well as more modern alterations of pathogen and parasite dynamics by humans . For example:

• Introduced species have escaped many of the parasites of their native ranges ;
• The removal of predators that normally select sick individuals from prey groups may increase pathogen transmission among their populations, when diseased individuals continue living within groups ;
• Primate researchers have examined the role of social and feeding behavior in moderating infection by sexually transmitted diseases and parasites in non-human primates ;
• Disease is considered to be among the most significant causes of the modern coral reef decline, and warmer temperatures encourage some of the most common diseases on coral reefs ;
• Environmental warming and human activities, such as fishing, may have complex disease effects as warm temperatures seem to favor some pathogens and parasites, while decreasing the prevalence or severity of others , and human activities alter host abundance, behavior and environment

Weight loss

Weight loss is typically recommended for people who are 20 or more pounds overweight. Being overweight can lead to diabetes, heart attack, stroke, early death, and complicate pregnancy. Those who are significantly overweight complain of joint and foot pain, foot disfigurement from an inability to find proper shoes, and chronic fatigue.

Weight problems can have various contributing factors, most of which has to do with lifestyle and the ability to make healthy choices. Snack foods, preprocessed foods, and candy are all contributors of weight problems. While it is true that thyroid problems can contribute to obesity, thyroid problems can be medicated. Some prescription medications cause significant weight gain such as prednisone, and other medications such as antidepressants.

The majority of obese people are victims of diet. Eating too much, having little to no education on what the food groups are and how they impact weight, and making chronically poor choices are often issues that are handed down from one generation to another. Children who come from obese households run a very high risk of becoming obese themselves. Often doctors will encourage overweight patients to lose weight. Weight indicator charts allow both physicians and patients see exactly where a patient’s body weight should be by figuring in their age and height. Overweight people are at risk for complications regarding their overall health. Heart attacks and strokes lead the list, but other complications exist such as kidney problems, joint problems, breathing problems, and breast problems in women. Underweight people are at risk for serious health issues as well, including osteoporosis, the inability to fight infection, the inability to regulate body temperature, and even death. Obese treatments vary, and most doctors still insist that the absolute best way to fight obesity is to reduce caloric intake and increase caloric output. Burning more calories than a person puts in invariably leads to weight loss. While the media has barraged television and magazine viewers with magic diet pills that will peel the pounds off for you, the Mayo Clinic studies have found no conclusive evidence that these pills do anything. Weight loss supplements, drinks, prepackaged foods, workout DVDs, surgically reducing the size of the stomach, and weight loss programs are all weight loss ideas that have become part of Americana. Some work reasonably well while others have not been proven to enhance permanent weight loss. Anything that promotes the burning of energy such as exercise DVDs has potential. Prepackaged weight loss meals teach people how to make better choices, and group programs help people stay in the program. Unintentional weight loss may be the result of an illness or depression. Diagnosing the problem is the key to stopping the weight loss and encouraging healthy body weight. Unintentional weight loss that can be attributed to lack of appetite may be caused by medication. Many people who have lost weight unintentionally do not wish to gain the weight back. Losing weight is a struggle, and patients need to be motivated in order to be successful. They need to stop believing the media hype that promises weight loss of unreasonable weight in very short amounts of time. Dropping too much weight in a short time is not healthy. Real weight loss comes from a dedicated effort to chronically make healthy food choices and exercising regularly. Patients need to set reasonable goals for themselves and ask for their physician’s assistance in the best weight loss program for them. Underweight individuals need to recognize that they are unhealthy and learn to manage their weight issues with more care, without just eating high calorie, high fat foods. Coping with weight issues can be a chronic lifetime struggle. Every time the patient exercises and makes good choices, they are winning the battle. Every time they can see the results on a scale or when they put their clothes on, they receive positive feedback. Positive feedback reinforces the positive behavior.

WORLD ON ALERT AS URBAN TAPEWORMS GROW IN POWER

There are perhaps no animals more frightening to humanity than a tapeworm. Combining the creepy crawly nature of common earthworms and the almost primordial fear of snakes, living in the human body and ever growing, the tapeworm is an embodiment of some of our worst fears. Most commonly borne from
tainted beef or fish, some species of tapeworm can grow up to 100 feet long inside the body of a mammal, causing various types of sometimes fatal diseases.

Most common in tropical third world countries, tapeworm and flatworm infections have recently started to migrate into the human population in first world urban centres such as Chicago and Tokyo. Concerns have been raised across Asia, North America, and Europe as incidents of urban tapeworm sightings have become more and more common. Experts are as yet hesitant to issue global warnings about the increased incidents but are carefully watching outbreaks and beginning to monitor borders for any sign of illegal crossings by worm shaped animals.

“The increasing popularity of dishes such as sushi and sashimi as well as decreasing standards of cleanliness at restaurants across the United States has led to the phenomenon we are seeing. The most common source of transmission is from fish to humans when the food is either uncooked or undercooked. It also occurs when a person preparing food has become infected by say coming in contact with animal feces,” said Dr. Edward Ghent of the CDC. “That it part is the reason for the move into urban areas where food like sushi is common and dog owners are reticent to pick up after their pets. Those two circumstances have led to a perfect storm that is the perfect environment for tapeworms to thrive and they are taking full advantage of the opportunities with which we are presenting.”

Doctors recommend eating sushi and other uncooked fish from reputable establishments and asking before ordering if the chefs have been handling animal feces and not washing. In cases of the latter officials are recommending that if people receive even remotely suspicious answers they should go to another restaurant.

“Like many other diseases our modern indulgences like sushi and dog feces have become our undoing. Similar to our desire to efficient movement through airport security led to the events of 9/11, our apathy in asking simple questions in order to expedite delivery of food into our
mouths has put at risk and potentially created a situation that may never be fully resolved,” said Scrape TV Health analyst Rebecca Phelps. “There’s really no way of telling how far tapeworms have penetrated into our culture and society. Much like Al Qaeda Tapeworms have no real central organization and each cell operates more or less independently leaving us with no clear idea of where and when they might strike next. That makes them at least as dangerous as terror cells if not more due to the fact that everyone needs to eat.”

Governments across the world are starting to develop contingency plans should a massive tapeworm infection break out amongst the urban population. The World Health Organization, fresh off its Phase 6 Swine Flu success, is flirting with the idea of adding tapeworms to their watch list.

“The really horrible thing about this enemy is that it can live inside us for years, decades even, without us knowing. We handle our feces and then cook dinner for our family and all of a sudden you have infections in every neighbourhood in every city in the civilized world,” continued Phelps. “There is a real danger here of mass infection and though it’s unlikely that a tapeworm infection will undo human society as we know it there is always the distinct possibility especially if we completely ignore the threat.”

Health officials are also recommending people not ingest animal or human feces unless it is properly cooked.

Health in Somalia

The average Somali is struggling hard to receive a human treatment in the African Horn. Life in this part of the world has not been easy over the last decade. War, internal rebellion and economic breakdowns have left many thousands displaced. Children and women have come to bear the maximum brunt of these unsolicited evils. Malnutrition, disablement and fatal diseases are all too, very common. With the current war scene showing no signs of ending early, there are serious doubts raised over the sustenance of human life here.

[Undernourished children everywhere in Somalia]

Meanwhile, the UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) has announced plans to immunize about 100,000 internally displaced people, comprising women and children.

Why Being Obese Is Such A Health Risk!

Some people can be very overweight and not suffer any major medical problems. You may be one of them. However, the truth is that being overweight dramatically increases your chances of suffering a serious health problem in the near future (sometimes referred to as an obesity related disease). Here are some scary statistics for you: If you are obese you are:

• 6 times more likely to develop gallbladder disease
• 5.6 times more likely to develop high blood pressure
• 3.8 times more likely to develop diabetes
• Twice as likely to develop arthritis
• More likely to develop some cancers, including prostate, and breast
• More likely to have a stroke
• More likely to suffer back problems
• More likely to be infertile
• More likely to suffer depression
• More likely to snore and suffer sleep disorders

Probably most important of all, your life expectancy is much shorter than that of a normal sized person. The more obese you are, the more risk you have of dying at an earlier age.

With all this data, it is amazing that, until very recently, it was very difficult to find doctors who were willing to treat people with a weight problem. Fortunately the World Health Organization has now classified obesity as a disease in its own right, and this has led to governments and health professionals around the world improving the services provided to help treat obesity.

Water Borne diseases

Water-borne diseases are any illness caused by drinking water contaminated by human or animal faeces, which contain pathogenic microorganisms.
The full picture of water-associated diseases is complex for a number of reasons. Over the past decades, the picture of water-related human health issues has become increasingly comprehensive, with the emergence of new water-related infection diseases and the re-emergence of ones already known. Data are available for some water-, sanitation- and hygiene-related diseases (which include salmonellosis, cholera, shigellosis), but for others such malaria, schistosomiasis or the most modern infections such legionellosis or SARS CoV the analyses remain to be done.
The burden of several disease groups can only partly be attributed to water determinants. Even where water plays an essential role in the ecology of diseases, it may be hard to pinpoint the relative importance of aquatic components of the local ecosystems.

Dimension of the problem

In developing countries four-fifths of all the illnesses are caused by water-borne diseases, with diarrhoea being the leading cause of childhood death.

The global picture of water and health has a strong local dimension with some 1.1 billion people still lacking access to improved drinking water sources and some 2.4 billion to adequate sanitation. Today we have strong evidence that water-, sanitation and hygiene-related diseases account for some 2,213,000 deaths annually and an annual loss of 82,196,000 Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) (R. Bos, Dec. 2004).

WHO estimates indicate that worldwide over 2 billion people are infected with schistosomes and soil transmitted helminthes and 300 million of these suffer serious illness as a result.
Malaria kills over a million people every year, and a large percentage of them are under five as well, mainly in Africa South of the Sahara. In 2001 the estimated global burden of malaria amounted to 42.3 million DALYs, constituting 10 % of Africa’s overall disease burden. Malaria causes at least 396.8 million cases of acute illness each year. Pregnant women are the main adult risk group. As one of the major public health problems in tropical countries, it has been claimed that malaria has reduced economic growth in African countries by 1.3 % each year over the past 30 years (*).

An estimated 246.7 million people worldwide are infected by schistomiasis, and of these 20 million suffer severe consequences of the infection, while 120 million suffer milder symptoms. An estimated 80% of transmission takes place in Africa south of the Sahara (*).

Diarrhoea occurs worldwide and causes 4% of all deaths and 5% of the health loss to disability.

In Bangladesh alone, some 35 million people are exposed, on a daily basis, to elevated levels of arsenic in their drinking water, which will ultimately threaten their health and shorten their life expectancy.

After the Tsunami attack in Asia on Sunday the 26^th of December 2004 people faced the threat of water borne diseases linked to flooding, like Shigellosis, Cholera, Hepatitis A, Leptospirosis, Typhoid Fever, Malaria and Dengue fever.

Source 'Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment 2000 Report', section 2.2, WHO 2000

Transmission

Water borne diseases spread by contamination of drinking water systems with the urine and faeces of infected animal or people.

This is likely to occur where public and private drinking water systems get their water from surface waters (rain, creeks, rivers, lakes etc.), which can be contaminated by infected animals or people. Runoff from landfills, septic fields, sewer pipes, residential or industrial developments can also sometimes contaminate surface water.

This has been the cause of many dramatic outbreaks of faecal-oral diseases such as cholera and typhoid. However, there are many other ways in which faecal material can reach the mouth, for instance on the hands or on contaminated food. In general, contaminated food is the single most common way in which people become infected.

The germs in the faeces can cause the diseases by even slight contact and transfer. This contamination may occur due to floodwaters, water runoff from landfills, septic fields, and sewer pipes.

The following picture shows the faecal-oral routes of diseases transmission.

The only way to break the continued transmission is to improve the people’s hygienic behaviour and to provide them with certain basic needs: drinking water, washing and bathing facilities and sanitation. Malaria transmission is facilitated when large numbers of people sleep outdoors during hot weather, or sleep in houses that have no protection against invading mosquitoes. Malaria mosquitoes, tropical black flies, and bilharzias snails can all be controlled with efficient drainage because they all depend on water to complete their life cycles.

Prevention

Clean water is a pre-requisite for reducing the spread of water-borne diseases. It is well recognised that the prevalence of water-borne diseases can be greatly reduced by provision of clean drinking water and safe disposal of faeces.
Water is disinfected to kill any pathogens that may be present in the water supply and to prevent them from growing again in the distribution systems. Disinfection is then used to prevent the growth of pathogenic organisms and to protect public health and the choice of the disinfect depends upon the individual water quality and water supply system.
Without disinfection, the risk from waterborne disease is increased.
The two most common methods to kill microorganisms in the water supply are: oxidation with chemicals such as chlorine, chlorine dioxide or ozone and irradiation with Ultra-Violet (UV) radiation.

Digestive diseases

Patients are checks for colon cancer with a process called comfortable SIGMOIDOSCOPY show no important decrease in risk in excess of seven existences and the show did appear to inferior risk of disappearing from the disease and this disease is affected on your personality and health. And in this Screening are used for various methods just like colonoscopy, cancerous polyps and many more.

“Flexible sigmoidoscopy screening looks promising, but the effect on a population level appears less than expected and further follow-up is required,” said lead researcher Dr. Geir Hoff.

“The results suggest that flexible sigmoidoscopy screening may be a very efficient way of screening with an aim of reducing mortality and the risk of getting colorectal cancer, but the effect may be less than anticipated and certainly occurs later than expected in the follow-up period,” Hoff added.

“Still, colonoscopy is recommended in several European countries and the U.S.,” he added.

“A major reason for non-compliance to screening is that people are not convinced that there is ‘anything in it for them,’” Hoff said. “Being able to quantify an effect to present potential screening participants requires randomized trials like this one. The study illustrates the need for randomized population screening trials before recommending widespread use of screening.”

“These are early results. They show some promising findings,” Imperiale said, but “we would not yet expect to see a reduction in colorectal cancer.”

“There are options, which is good,” Imperiale said. “The bottom line is that people should do something. What they do depends on their preferences and their risk, but they should do something — do a test.”

“One of the questions is, is seven years too short a window? If they look at this again in another four or five years will the difference be statistically significant?”

“because it is lot more available and less expensive than trying to screen everyone with colonoscopy. Flexible sigmoidoscopy is one of the methods recommended for screening by all of the major organizations.”