Insomnia

Insomnia is most often defined by an individual's report of sleeping difficulties. While the term is sometimes used in sleep literature to describe a disorder demonstrated by polysomnographic evidence of disturbed sleep, insomnia is often defined as a positive response to either of two questions: "Do you experience difficulty sleeping?" or "Do you have difficulty falling or staying asleep?

Thus, insomnia is most often thought of as both a sign and a symptom that can accompany several sleep, medical, and psychiatric disorders, characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep or sleep of poor quality. Insomnia is typically followed by functional impairment while awake. One definition of insomnia is "difficulties initiating and/or maintaining sleep, or nonrestorative sleep, associated with impairments of daytime functioning or marked distress for more than 1 month.

Insomnia can be grouped into primary and secondary, or comorbid, insomnia.Primary insomnia is a sleep disorder not attributable to a medical, psychiatric, or environmental cause. A diagnosis will usually differentiate between:

* insomnia as secondary to another condition,
* primary insomnia co-morbid with one or more conditions, or
* free-standing primary insomnia.[citation needed]


Types of insomnia

Insomnia can be classified as transient, acute, or chronic.

1. Transient insomnia lasts for less than a week. It can be caused by another disorder, by changes in the sleep environment, by the timing of sleep, severe depression, or by stress. Its consequences - sleepiness and impaired psychomotor performance - are similar to those of sleep deprivation.
2. Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of less than a month.
3. Chronic insomnia lasts for longer than a month. It can be caused by another disorder, or it can be a primary disorder. Its effects can vary according to its causes. They might include muscular fatigue, hallucinations, and/or mental fatigue; but people with chronic insomnia often show increased alertness.[citation needed] Some people that live with this disorder see things as if they are happening in slow motion, wherein moving objects seem to blend together. Can cause double vision.

Patterns of insomnia

Sleep-onset insomnia is difficulty falling asleep at the beginning of the night, often a symptom of anxiety disorders or the delayed sleep phase disorder.

Nocturnal awakenings are characterized by difficulty returning to sleep after awakening in the middle of the night or waking too early in the morning: middle-of-the-night insomnia and terminal insomnia. The former may be a symptom of pain disorders or medical illness; the latter is often a characteristic of clinical depression.


Causes of Insomnia

Causes of acute insomnia can include:

* Significant life stress (job loss or change, death of a loved one, divorce, moving).
* Illness.
* Emotional or physical discomfort.
* Environmental factors like noise, light, or extreme temperatures (hot or cold) that interfere with sleep.
* Some medications (for example those used to treat colds, allergies, depression, high blood pressure, and asthma) may interfere with sleep.
* Interferences in normal sleep schedule (jet lag or switching from a day to night shift, for example).

Causes of chronic insomnia include:

* Depression and/or anxiety.
* Chronic stress.
* Pain or discomfort at night.

Treatment for Insomnia

Acute insomnia may not require treatment. Mild insomnia often can be prevented or cured by practicing good sleep habits (see below). If your insomnia makes it hard for you to function during the day because you are sleepy and tired, your health care provider may prescribe sleeping pills for a limited time. Rapid onset, short-acting drugs can help you avoid effects such as drowsiness the following day. Avoid using over-the-counter sleeping pills for insomnia since they may have undesired side effects and tend to lose their effectiveness over time.

Treatment for chronic insomnia includes first treating any underlying conditions or health problems that are causing the insomnia. If insomnia continues, your health care provider may suggest behavioral therapy. Behavioral approaches help you to change behaviors that may worsen insomnia and to learn new behaviors to promote sleep. Techniques such as relaxation exercises, sleep restriction therapy, and reconditioning may be useful.

Diarrhoea or Dysentery

Diarrhoea ia also called loose motions. Diarrhoea is not itself a disease, but can be a symptom of several disease. Diarrhoea means there are frequent, loose or liquid stools. There may abdominal pain, which may reduce after a stool is passed. Acute diarrhoea may come on suddenly for a short time. Chronic diarrhoea may affect someone for a long period of time. If you have diarrhoea for long periods of time, it may very troubling and you may feel very weak and tired.
Diarrhoea causes dehydration. Children are more likely than adults to die from diarrhoea because they become dehydrated more quickly. Diarrhoea is also a major cause of child malnutrition.

symptoms of diarrhoea


• Frequent, loose, watery stools.
• Loss of appetite.
• Nausea
• vomiting.
• Stomach pains.
• Fever.
• Abdominal pain.
• Abdominal cramps
• Dehydration.
• Pricking sensation.
• Sometimes bacterial or parasitic infections sometimes cause bloody stools.


You may recover complete from diarrhea within three to seven days. One out of every ten people with cancer may suffer from diarrhoea at some time during their illness. If the diarrhoea lasts more than three weeks, it is considered chronic.

causes of diarrhoea


There are many causes of diarrhoea, including food poisoning, infection, malnutrition. Diarrhoea may also be caused due to a chronic problem like viral stomach flu. Diarrhoea occurs when the lining of the small or large intestine is irritated. It leads to increased water being passed in the stools.
The causes of diarrhoea are many. Out of which the main causes are listed below:
• Bacterial Infections: Several types of bacteria which get into our body through contaminated food or water, are the main causes of diarrhea.
• Viral infections . Many viruses are also responsible for the cause diarrhea, including rotavirus, Norwalk virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, and viral hepatitis.
• Parasitic infections are also a cause for diarrhoea.
• Food Intolerance - Some people are not able to digest some component of food properly, such as lactose, the sugar found in milk - which ultimately leads to diarrhea.
• Some medicines also react wrong way and cause diarrhoea.
• Intestinal diseases.
• Functional bowel disorders.
• Sometimes too much swimming also causes diarrhoea.


Treatment for diarrhea


Diarrhoea often goes away without treatment after a few days, because your immune system will automatically fight the infection.
In the meantime, you can ease your symptoms by following the steps below.
Drink fluids
You can avoid becoming dehydrated by drinking lots of fluids. You are more likely to be dehydrated if you are also vomiting.
Take small, frequent sips of water or diluted fruit juice. It is especially important that babies and small children do not become dehydrated. Even if your child vomits, still give them frequent sips of water. A small amount of fluid is better than none.
If your child shows signs of dehydration (drowsiness, passing little urine, few or no wet nappies, a dry mouth and tongue, unresponsiveness or glazed eyes) you should contact your GP immediately.
Rehydration drinks
If you are worried that you are becoming dehydrated, your doctor or pharmacist may advise you to take rehydration drinks. You can buy sachets of rehydration salts from your pharmacy and add them to water. They provide the correct balance of water, salt and sugar.
Rehydration drinks do not help to cure diarrhoea, but can prevent or treat dehydration.
Your doctor or pharmacist may also recommend rehydration drinks for your child, if you are worried they may become dehydrated. Do not use homemade salt or sugar drinks. Always consult your pharmacist.
Eat as soon as you can
The old advice was to not eat anything for a day or two, but now it is recommended that you eat foods high in carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice or potatoes) and other foods as soon as you feel like it. Salty foods such as soup can help replace salt lost from your system.
If you feel you cannot eat, it shouldn't do you any harm, but make sure you continue drinking fluids and eat as soon as you are able.
If your child wants to eat, offer soups and foods high in carbohydrates at first. Your child can eat normally as soon as possible. If your child refuses to eat, continue to offer drinks and wait until their appetite returns.
Anti-diarrhoea medicines
Anti-diarrhoea drugs such as loperamide can relieve symptoms by slowing down the movement of bowel contents, and sometimes by increasing water absorption from the gut.
Loperamide can be taken once or twice a day, over a long period. However:
• Do not take anti-diarrhoea drugs if there is blood in your stools or if you have a high temperature (check with your pharmacist).
• Do not give anti-diarrhoea drugs to your child.
Continue breastfeeding or bottle-feeding
If you are breastfeeding or bottle-feeding your child and they have diarrhoea, continue if they will still feed (use their normal-strength feed if they are bottle-fed). Rehydration drinks should also be given if necessary.
Painkillers
You can take recommended doses of paracetamol or ibuprofen if you have a fever or headache. Do not take ibuprofen if you are asthmatic, or if you have stomach, liver or kidney problems.
Liquid paracetamol or ibuprofen can also be given to your child if necessary. Children aged under 16 should not take aspirin.



Medicine for diarrhea


Jawarish Tabasheer, Safuf Muqliasa, Habbe Pechish (Hamdard - A unani Product).

Paralysis or Chorea

Paralysis is the complete loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area, if there is sensory damage as well as motor.


Causes

Paralysis is most often caused by damage in the nervous system, especially the spinal cord. Other major causes are stroke, trauma with nerve injury, poliomyelitis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), botulism, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Temporary paralysis occurs during REM sleep, and dysregulation of this system can lead to episodes of waking paralysis. Drugs that interfere with nerve function, such as curare, can also cause paralysis. There are many known causes for paralysis, and perhaps more yet to be discovered.
Pseudoparalysis (pseudo- meaning false, not genuine) is voluntary restriction or inhibition of motion because of pain, incoordination, or other cause, and is not due to actual muscular paralysis. In an infant, it may be a symptom of congenital syphilis.

Signs and Symptoms of Paralysis


The signs and symptoms of paralysis will depend upon what caused the paralysis, as well as what parts of the body are affected. Loss of movement and feeling can be sudden and immediate, such as with trauma or stroke, or it can begin with muscle weakness and gradually progress, particularly when it is caused by certain diseases or illnesses.

Effects of Paralysis

The effects of paralysis will depend upon its severity, as well as what parts of the body it affects. Depending upon the severity of the paralysis as well as its underlying causes, it can affect the arms, legs, arms and legs, or trunk. Paralysis can present on the right side or the left side of the body, or it can present unilaterally. Paralysis caused by damage to the nervous system can affect the nerves carrying sensory information, as well as the nerves which control the heart, lungs, glands, and intestines. When paralysis is caused by damage to the brain, speech, behavior, and cognitive ability can also be affected.

Indirect Effects of Paralysis


Because paralysis causes immobility, it has a rather significant effect on the other systems in the body. These include:
• Changes to circulation and respiration
• Changes to the kidneys and gastrointestinal system
• Changes to muscles, joints, and bones
• Spasticity of the limbs
• Muscle spasms
• Pressure sores
• Edema
• Blood clots in the lower limbs
• Feelings of numbness or pain
• Skin injury
• Bacterial infection
• Disruption of the normal working of the tissues, glands, and organs
• Constipation
• Loss of control of urination
• Sexual difficulties
• Abnormal sweating
• Abnormal breathing or heart rate
• Balance problems
• Difficulty thinking
• Behavioral issues
• Difficulty speaking or swallowing
• Vision problems


Treatment for Paralysis


The treatment for paralysis is to treat its underlying cause. The loss of function caused by long-term paralysis can be treated through a comprehensive rehabilitation program. Rehabilitation includes:
• Physical therapy. The physical therapist focuses on mobility. Physical therapy helps develop strategies to compensate for paralysis by using those muscles that still have normal function, helps maintain and build any strength and control that remain in the affected muscles, and helps maintain range of motion in the affected limbs to prevent muscles from shortening (contracture) and becoming deformed. If nerve regrowth is expected, physical therapy is used to retrain affected limbs during recovery. A physical therapist also suggests adaptive equipment such as braces, canes, or wheelchairs.
• Occupational therapy. The occupational therapist focuses on daily activities such as eating and bathing. Occupational therapy develops special tools and techniques that permit self-care and suggests ways to modify the home and workplace so that a patient with an impairment may live a normal life.
• Other specialties. The nature of the impairment may mean that the patient needs the services of a respiratory therapist, vocational rehabilitation counselor, social worker, speech-language pathologist, nutritionist, special education teacher, recreation therapist, or clinical psychologist.



Medicine for Paralysis


Qurs Aksir Falij-o-Laqwa, Majun Azaraqi, Majun Jograj Gogal etc,.

Enlargement of Spleen: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments and Medicine

What is the spleen and what causes an enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)? The spleen sits under your rib cage in the upper left part of your abdomen toward your back. It is an organ that is part of the lymph system and works as a drainage network that defends your body against infection.
White blood cells produced in the spleen engulf bacteria, dead tissue, and foreign matter, removing them from the blood as blood passes through it. The spleen also maintains healthy red and white blood cells and platelets; platelets help your blood clot. The spleen filters blood, removing abnormal blood cells from the bloodstream.
A spleen is normally about the size of your fist. A doctor usually can't feel it during an exam. But diseases can cause it to swell and become many times its normal size. Because the spleen is involved in many functions, many conditions may affect it.
An enlarged spleen is not always a sign of a problem. When a spleen becomes enlarged, though, it often means it has been doing its job but has become overactive. For example, sometimes the spleen is overactive in removing and destroying blood cells. This is called hypersplenism. It can happen for many reasons, including problems with too many platelets and other disorders of the blood.

Causes of an Enlarged Spleen
An enlarged spleen can be caused by infections, cirrhosis and other liver diseases, blood diseases characterized by abnormal blood cells, problems with the lymph system, or other conditions.
Here are some common causes of an enlarged spleen:
Infections
• Viral infections, such as mononucleosis
• Parasitic infections, such as toxoplasmosis
• Bacterial infections, such as endocarditis (an infection of your heart's valves)
Cancer
• Leukemia, a cancer in which white blood cells displace normal blood cells
• Lymphoma, a cancer of lymph tissue, such as Hodgkin's disease
Other causes of an enlarged spleen include:
• Inflammatory diseases such as sarcoidosis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Trauma, such as an injury during contact sports
• Cancer that has spread (metastasized) to the spleen
• A cyst, a noncancerous fluid-filled sac
• A large abscess, a pus-filled cavity usually caused by a bacterial infection
• Infiltrative diseases such as Gaucher's disease, amyloidosis, or glycogen storage diseases


Symptoms of an Enlarged Spleen
Most people don't know they have an enlarged spleen because symptoms are rare. People usually find out about it during a physical exam. These are the most common symptoms of an enlarged spleen:
• Being unable to eat a large meal
• Feeling discomfort, fullness, or pain on the upper left side of the abdomen; this pain may spread to your left shoulder
If you have pain that is severe or gets worse when taking a deep breath, see your doctor right away.
If you have an enlarged spleen, you may develop other signs or symptoms, too. These are related to the underlying disease. They may include signs and symptoms such as:
• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• Frequent infections
• Easy bleeding
• Jaundice
• Anemia
Your doctor will ask you questions and do a physical exam to diagnose an enlarged, painful spleen. This involves palpating (examining by touch) your spleen. You will also likely need diagnostic tests to confirm the cause of the swollen spleen. These may include blood tests, an ultrasound, or computerized tomography (CT) scan. In some cases, other tests may be needed.


Treatments for an Enlarged Spleen
Limit any activities that could rupture your spleen, such as contact sports. A ruptured spleen can cause lots of blood loss and be life threatening. It's important to seek treatment for the cause of your enlarged spleen. Left untreated, an enlarged spleen can lead to serious complications. In most cases, treatment of the underlying cause of the enlarged spleen can prevent removal of the spleen. In some cases, the spleen will need to be removed surgically (splenectomy).
If surgery is needed, a surgeon is likely to remove the spleen using laparoscopy rather than open surgery. This means the surgery is performed through small incisions. A laparoscope allows the surgeon to view and remove the spleen.
If your spleen is removed, you cannot effectively clear certain bacteria from your body and will be more vulnerable to certain infections. So vaccines or other medications are needed to prevent infection.

Medicine for an Enlarged Spleen

Zubani (A product of Hamdard)

About Gall Bladder Stones or Kidney Stones

Gallstones Overview
Gallstones (commonly misspelled gall stones) are solid particles that form from bile in the gallbladder.
• The gallbladder is a small saclike organ in the upper right part of the abdomen. It is located under the liver, just below the front rib cage on the right side.
• The gallbladder is part of the biliary system, which includes the liver and the pancreas.
• The biliary system, among other functions, produces bile and digestive enzymes.
Bile is a fluid made by the liver to help in the digestion of fats.
• It contains several different substances, including cholesterol and bilirubin, a waste product of normal breakdown of blood cells in the liver.
• Bile is stored in the gallbladder until needed.
• When we eat a high-fat, high-cholesterol meal, the gallbladder contracts and injects bile into the small intestine via a small tube called the common bile duct. The bile then assists in the digestive process.

There are two types of gallstones: 1) cholesterol stones and 2) pigment stones.
1. Patients with cholesterol stones are more common in the United States, making up approximately 80% of all gallstones. They form when there is too much cholesterol in the bile.
2. Pigment stones form when there is excess bilirubin in the bile.
Gallstones can be any size, from tiny as a grain of sand to large as a golf ball.
• Although it is common to have many smaller stones, a single larger stone or any combination of sizes is possible.
• If stones are very small, they may form a sludge.
• Whether gallstones cause symptoms depends partly on their size and their number, although no combination of number and size can predict whether symptoms will occur or the severity of the symptoms.
Gallstones within the gallbladder often cause no problems. If there are many or they are large, they may cause pain when the gallbladder responds to a fatty meal. They also may cause problems if they move out of the gallbladder.
• If their movement leads to blockage of any of the ducts connecting the gallbladder, liver, or pancreas with the intestine, serious complications may result.
• Blockage of a duct can cause bile or digestive enzymes to be trapped in the duct.
• This can cause inflammation and ultimately severe pain, infection, and organ damage.
• If these conditions go untreated, they can even cause death.
Up to 20% of adults in the United States may have gallstones, yet only 1%-3% develop symptoms.
• Hispanics, Native Americans, and Caucasians of Northern European descent are most likely to be at risk for gallstones. African Americans are at lower risk.
• Gallstones are most common among overweight, middle-aged women, but the elderly and men are more likely to experience more serious complications from gallstones.
• Women who have been pregnant are more likely to develop gallstones. The same is true for women taking birth control pills or on hormone/estrogen therapy as this can mimic pregnancy in terms of hormone levels.

Gallstones Causes
Gallstones occur when bile forms solid particles (stones) in the gallbladder.
• The stones form when the amount of cholesterol or bilirubin in the bile is high.
• Other substances in the bile may promote the formation of stones.
• Pigment stones form most often in people with liver disease or blood disease, who have high levels of bilirubin.
• Poor muscle tone may keep the gallbladder from emptying completely. The presence of residual bile may promote the formation of gallstones.
Risk factors for the formation of cholesterol gallstones include the following:
• female gender,
• being overweight,
• losing a lot of weight quickly on a "crash" or starvation diet, or
• taking certain medications such as birth control pills or cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Gallstones are the most common cause of gallbladder disease.
• As the stones mix with liquid bile, they can block the outflow of bile from the gallbladder. They can also block the outflow of digestive enzymes from the pancreas.
• If the blockage persists, these organs can become inflamed. Inflammation of the gallbladder is called cholecystitis. Inflammation of the pancreas is called pancreatitis.
• Contraction of the blocked gallbladder causes increased pressure, swelling, and, at times, infection of the gallbladder.
The role of diet in the formation of gallstones is not clear.
• We do know that anything that increases the level of cholesterol in the blood increases the risk of gallstones.
• It is reasonable to assume that a diet with large amounts of cholesterol and other fats increases the risk of gallstones.
When the gallbladder or gallbladder ducts become inflamed or infected as the result of stones, the pancreas frequently becomes inflamed too.
• This inflammation can cause destruction of the pancreas and severe abdominal pain.
• Untreated gallstone disease can become life-threatening, particularly if the gallbladder becomes infected or if the pancreas becomes severely inflamed.


Gallstones Symptoms
Most people with gallstones (60%-80%) have no symptoms. In fact, they are usually unaware that they have gallstones unless symptoms occur. These "silent gallstones" usually require no treatment.
Symptoms usually occur as complications develop. The most common symptom is pain in the right upper part of the abdomen. Because the pain comes in episodes, it is often referred to as an "attack."
• Attacks may occur every few days, weeks, or months; they may even be separated by years.
• The pain usually starts within 30 minutes after a fatty or greasy meal.
• The pain is usually severe, dull, and constant, and can last from one to five hours.
• It may radiate to the right shoulder or back.
• It occurs frequently at night and may awaken the person from sleep.
• The pain may make the person want to move around to seek relief, but many patients prefer to lay still and wait for the attack to subside.
Other common symptoms of gallstones include the following:
• Nausea and vomiting,
• Fever,
• Belching, indigestion, bloating,
• intolerance for fatty or greasy foods, and
• jaundice (yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes).
Warning signs of a serious problem are fever, jaundice, and persistent pain.

Gallstones Treatment
There is no permanent medical cure for gallstones. Although there are medical measures that can be taken to remove stones or relieve symptoms, they are only temporary. If a patient has symptoms from gallstones, surgical removal of the gallbladder is the best treatment. Asymptomatic gallstones usually do not require treatment.
Medical Treatment
There are medical treatments for gallstones, but none is effective as surgery.
Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL): A device that generates shock waves is used to break gallstones up into tiny pieces.
• These tiny pieces can pass through the biliary system without causing blockages.
• This is usually done in conjunction with ERCP to remove some stones.
• Many people who undergo this treatment suffer attacks of intense pain in the right upper part of the abdomen after treatment.
• The effectiveness of ESWL in treating gallstones has not been fully established.
Dissolving stones: Drugs made from bile acids are used to dissolve the gallstones.
• It may take months or even years for the gallstones to all dissolve.
• The stones often come back after this treatment.
• These drugs work best for cholesterol stones.
• They cause mild diarrhea in many people.
• This treatment is usually offered only to people who are not able to have surgery.
If an individual goes to an emergency department, an IV line may be started, and pain medication and antibiotics may be given through the IV.
If the patient's health permits it, the health care practitioner will probably recommend surgery to remove the gallbladder and the stones. Surgical removal helps prevent future episodes of abdominal pain and more dangerous complications such as inflammation of the pancreas and infection of the gallbladder and liver.
• If there is no infection or inflammation of the pancreas, the operation to remove the gallbladder can be performed immediately or within the next several days.
• If there is inflammation of the pancreas or infection of the gallbladder, the patient will most likely be admitted to the hospital to receive IV fluid and possibly IV antibiotics for several days prior to the operation.

Unani Medicine For Gall Bladder Stones:

Khusta Hajrul Yahood, Dawaye Sang, Majun Hajrul Yahood and Sikangbeen Bazoori.

Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Medicine of Hepatitis

Symptoms of Hepatitis
The most common symptoms of hepatitis are:
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue
• Mild fever
• Muscle or joint aches
• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal pain
Less common symptoms include:
• Dark urine
• Light-colored stools
• Jaundice
• Generalized itching
• Altered mental state, stupor or coma


Causes for Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is caused by a virus (hepatitis A virus, or HAV) that multiplies in liver cells and is shed in stool.

How HAV is spread
Hepatitis A virus is found in the stool (feces) of a person who has hepatitis A. The virus is spread most commonly when people put food or objects contaminated with stool containing HAV into their mouths.
Large numbers of people get the virus after drinking contaminated water because, in many parts of the world, drinking water is contaminated with raw sewage. The virus also may be spread by eating uncooked food (such as raw shellfish) and unpeeled fruits and vegetables washed in contaminated water. Hepatitis A outbreaks caused by contaminated drinking water are rare in the United States because water supplies are treated to destroy the virus and other harmful organisms.
In the U.S., HAV is spread mainly among people who have close contact with someone who has the virus. You can become infected with HAV if you:
• Eat food prepared by someone who does not wash his or her hands well after using the bathroom or changing a diaper.
• Don't wash your hands after changing a diaper.
• Eat raw or undercooked shellfish that was harvested from waters contaminated with raw sewage.
• Are a man and have sex with men.
Outbreaks of hepatitis A among children in day care facilities occur because children, especially those who wear diapers, may get stool on their hands and then touch objects that other children put into their mouths. Caregivers in day care centers can spread the virus if they do not wash their hands thoroughly after changing a child's diaper.
It is very rare for hepatitis A virus to be spread by infected blood or blood products. It is not known to be spread through saliva or urine.
Some people fear that hepatitis A infection is related to or increases the risk of contracting acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS). This is not true. The hepatitis A virus is not related to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS, nor does it increase your risk of HIV infection. A person can be infected with both hepatitis A and HIV, but the two infections have nothing to do with each other.
Incubation and contagious periods
After the hepatitis A virus enters your body, the amount of virus grows for 2 to 7 weeks. The average incubation period is about 4 weeks.
Your stools and body fluids contain the highest levels of the virus 2 weeks before symptoms start. This is the time when you are most contagious, but you still may spread the virus after symptoms appear.


Causes for Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Hepatitis B is one of the most common forms of viral hepatitis, which includes hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. But hepatitis has many other causes, including some medicines, long-term alcohol use, fatty deposits in the liver, and exposure to certain industrial chemicals.

How HBV is spread
HBV is spread when blood, semen, or vaginal fluids (including menstrual blood) from an infected person enter another person's body, usually in one of the following ways:
• Sexual contact. The hepatitis B virus can enter the body through a break in the lining of the rectum, vagina, urethra, or mouth. Sexual contact is the most important risk factor for the spread of HBV in North America.
• Sharing needles. People who share needles and other equipment (such as cotton, spoons, and water) used for injecting illegal drugs may inject HBV-infected blood into their veins.
• Work-related exposure. People who handle blood or instruments used to draw blood may become infected with the virus. Health care workers are at risk of becoming infected with the virus if they are accidentally stuck with a used needle or other sharp instrument contaminated with an infected person's blood. Infection also can occur if blood splashes onto an exposed surface, such as the eyes, mouth, or a cut in the skin.
• Childbirth. A newborn baby can get the virus from his or her mother during delivery when the baby comes in contact with the mother's body fluids in the birth canal (perinatal transmission). But breast-feeding does not transmit the virus from a woman with HBV to her child.
• Body piercings and tattoos. HBV may be spread when needles used for body piercing or tattooing are not properly cleaned (sterilized) and HBV-infected blood enters a person's skin.
• Toiletries. Grooming items such as razors and toothbrushes can spread HBV if they carry blood from a person who is infected with the virus.
In the past, blood transfusions were a common means of spreading HBV. Organ transplants could also spread the disease. Today, all donated blood and organs in the United States are screened for the virus, so it is extremely unlikely that you could become infected with the virus from a blood transfusion or organ transplant.
Contagious and incubation periods
Symptoms appear an average of 60 to 90 days (although they can appear 45 to 180 days) after you have contact with the hepatitis B virus (incubation period). Blood, semen, and vaginal fluids (including menstrual blood), whether fresh or dried, are highly contagious (HBV can be easily spread) during this period and for several weeks after the onset of symptoms.
• Blood contains the highest quantities of the hepatitis B virus.
• Blood and other body fluids that contain the virus can remain contagious for at least a week and possibly much longer, even if they are dried.
If you have a short-term HBV (acute) infection, you usually cannot spread the virus after antibodies against the surface antigen of HBV appear. This generally takes several weeks. If you have a long-term (chronic) HBV infection, you are able to spread the virus as long as you have an active infection.


Causes for Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a liver disease that is caused by infection with the hepatitis C virus, a virus that lives in your liver cells.
How it spreads
You cannot get hepatitis C from casual contact such as hugging, kissing, sneezing, coughing, or sharing food or water with someone. You can get hepatitis C if you come into contact with the blood of someone who has hepatitis C.
The most common way to get hepatitis C is by sharing needles and other equipment (such as cotton, spoons, and water) used to inject illegal drugs. If you are injecting drugs, the best way to protect yourself is by not sharing needles or other equipment with others. Many cities have needle exchange programs that provide free, sterile needles so that you do not have to share needles. If you want to stop using drugs, ask your doctor or someone you trust to help you get into a drug treatment program.
Before 1992, people could get hepatitis C through blood transfusions and organ transplants. Since 1992, all donated blood and organs are screened for hepatitis C, so it is now rare to get the virus this way.
In rare cases, a mother with hepatitis C spreads the virus to her baby at birth, or a health care worker is accidentally exposed to blood that is infected with hepatitis C.
Experts are not sure whether you can get hepatitis C through sexual contact. If there is a risk of getting the virus through sexual contact, it is very small. Your risk is especially low if you are in a long-term, monogamous relationship.
If you live with someone who has hepatitis C or you know someone with hepatitis C, you generally do not need to worry about getting the disease. You can help protect yourself by not sharing anything that may have blood on it, such as razors, toothbrushes, and nail clippers.
Contagious and incubation periods
The incubation period is the time it takes for symptoms to appear after the hepatitis C virus has entered your body, and it is any time from 2 weeks to 6 months.
Anyone who has hepatitis C can spread the virus to someone else. If testing shows you have hepatitis C, do not share needles. And keep cuts, scrapes, and blisters covered.



Treatment of Hepatitis
The treatment for viral hepatitis depends on the type and stage of the infection. Over the last several years treatments for both Hepatitis B and C have become available. More treatments are being evaluated all the time.
Conventional Medicine
If your hepatitis, either viral or nonviral, is in the acute stage, avoid alcoholic beverages, as the body's efforts to process alcohol put an added strain on the already injured liver. Also be aware that the sexual partner of an infected person, particularly if he or she has hepatitis B, may run the risk of contracting the disease.
A primary care physician can usually provide adequate care for patients with all types of hepatitis. However, severe cases may require treatment by a hepatologist or gastroenterologist -- specialists in diseases of the liver. Hospitalization is normally unnecessary unless the patient cannot eat or drink or is vomiting.
Most people recover completely from acute hepatitis. Mild flare-ups may occur over a period of several months as the disease is subsiding, but each flare-up is usually less severe than the one before it, and a relapse doesn't mean you won't make a full recovery.
Hepatitis in pregnant women usually does not increase the risk of birth defects or other pregnancy problems, and infection of the baby in the uterus is rare. However, hepatitis E can be fatal to a pregnant woman during her third trimester, and if the mother has hepatitis B, the baby is likely to contract the disease at birth. If you are pregnant, your doctor will test you for hepatitis B; if you are infected with the virus, your baby will be given immune globulin shots and a hepatitis vaccination. This will help protect your baby from contracting the virus.
Doctors sometimes recommend drug therapy for patients with certain types of hepatitis. Antiviral medication for hepatitis B includes peginterferon lamivudine, adefovir dipivoxil, entecavir, telbivudine, and tenofovir.The standard treatment for chronic hepatitis C is a course of peginterferon plus ribavirin. The latest evidence shows that peginterferon and ribavirin is more effective than standard interferon and ribavirin, curing 50% to 80% of those infected with hepatitis C.
Almost every known drug has at one time or another been implicated as a cause of liver damage. If you currently have hepatitis, or if you have a history of liver disease or other liver problems, tell your doctor before taking any medication.
Regardless of what kind of hepatitis you have or what treatment you receive, you should continue seeing your doctor for checkups until blood tests indicate the virus is gone. A person can remain a carrier of hepatitis B or hepatitis C as long as the virus is present in the blood, even if all symptoms have disappeared.



Medicine for Hepatitis

Arq Kasni, Arq Afsanteen, Arq Biranjasaf, Arq Makoh, Sharbat Kasni, Majun Dabidulward, Sharbat Dinar, Habbe Kabid Naushadri. (Hamdard Unani Medicines)

Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Medicine for Sluggish Liver

Sluggish Liver Symptoms
Here are some signs or indications that may help to identify if the liver is sluggish or not functioning properly.
• For an average person approximately 80% of the cholesterol is generated by the liver. Therefore, if the liver is not functioning well there will be abnormalities in the level of fats in the blood stream like elevated LDL cholesterol and reduced HDL cholesterol.
• A sluggish liver lead to poor digestion which causes elevated triglycerides (lipids containing three individual fatty acids bounded together in a single large molecule). The person may also experience bloating or gassiness and flatulence (a state of excessive gas in the alimentary canal), especially after the meals.
• Since the liver plays an important role in eliminating toxins from the body and maintaining the efficiency of the body's immune system, skin irritation skin allergies is also considered as the first sign of liver damage. A person can be prone to develop rashes, psoriasis, eczema, boils or acne if the liver is removing the toxins out through the skin.
• The liver also helps regulate blood sugar levels, hence signs that the liver is not maintaining blood sugar levels may include, loss of appetite, weakness or dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
• The liver filters out mutated hormones, therefore sluggish liver symptoms in women may include heavy or clotted menstruation, irregular periods, fibroids in breast or uterus, hot flashes, cysts on ovaries, mood swings or any menopausal problems.

Causes for Sluggish Liver
Causes for sluggish liver can be due to different types of liver pathologies like:
• Excessive accumulation of fat within the liver cells due to alcoholism, diabetes, obesity drugs (like corticosteroids, tetracycline and aspirin) or elevated serum triglyceride levels can lead to impeding liver function.
• Other cause for sluggish liver function is intrahepatic problems which occur due to over exposure to food additives, solvents (cleaning materials, formaldehyde, toluene, benzene, etc.), heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, and aluminum), and other toxins.
• Viral infections of liver like hepatitis, inherited disorders like Gilbert's syndrome, hyperthyroidism, consumption of anabolic steroids/estrogens/oral contraceptives are some other factors that can restrict the bile flow in the liver and cause impaired
• Lack of physical activities, poor nutritious diet, aging, etc, are some other common causes for sluggish liver function.

Treatment for Sluggish Liver
However, the best ways to avoid impairment or sluggishness of the liver is to clean it up with a detox, and eating diet low in fat and high in fiber and water. Avoiding alcohol and processed or junk foods and incorporating plenty of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet along with lean protein foods like fish, tofu, legumes, etc., will surely minimize the risks of having any kind of liver infection/disorder.

Medicine for Sluggish Liver

Jawarish Jalinus, Jawarish Bisbasa, Jawarish shehr yaran, Jawarish Mastagi & Sharbat Bazuri are highly effective in improving functioning of the liver.