All About Positive Health

Piles, medically called as hemorrhoid is a very common disease. It occurs more in female than male. It is probably the award to human race for adaption of erect posture, as quadrupeds do not suffer from this disease. Piles, as such occurs due to various local factors, mainly a cushion defect in the vascular bed of rectum and anal canal. But, there are some diseases which present as piles. Common amongst those are:

• Cancer Rectum and Colon
• Portal Hypertension

Cancer of rectum and colon: Many times the clinicians avoid digital rectal examination and presume that the bleeding from anus is from the simple piles. That is why, it is said that” If the clinician has not put his finger inside, he may put his foot in it”. This shows how much vexing it is, if not carried out. Many great surgeons have missed the diagnosis and operated as simple piles leaving the underlying disease intact. Rectal cancer may present as painless bleeding from anus. As the tumor grows there occurs some obstruction to the venous flow resulting in engorged anal veins, apart from it there may be direct bleeding from the tumor itself. Multiple polyposis is a predisposing cause among many others. Non-vegetarian diet, especially meat consumption is associated with colon cancer. Vegetarian diet, fiber in diet, aspirin, metformin and regular exercise may have some protective effect.
Portal Hypertension: This disease is rather a complication of cirrhosis of liver. Here, there is obstruction to free flow of blood from lower extremities through the liver; and alternative channels open up for the flow of blood to the heart. In that way an alternative channel opens up in the rectum and anal canal, in addition to other sites; the veins become engorged resulting in bleeding from the anus. Cirrhosis of liver may result from chronic hepatitis, commonly hepatitis B and C; amongst other causes alcoholic cirrhosis, biliary cirrhosis and aflatoxin poisoning are some of the common causes.

So, for any bleeding from anus a simple examination like digital examination should not be skipped.

Food grains such as groundnuts,maizes and parboiled rice may get infested with fungus.This, if occurs because of Aspergillus Flavus poses a health risk.One toxin called Aflatoxin is produced by it.Aflatoxin B1 is linked to serious diseases and deaths in India .Ingesting these contaminated grains may cause serious liver disease i.e. hepatoma, a cancer of liver or cirrhosis of liver.
Increased moisture and humidity facilitates fungus growth.The food grains must be stored dried and moisture content be below 10%.If contamination is noticed the food should be discarded.

A molecule of aflatoxin.

Aflatoxin B1

Hepatocellular carcinoma

Fever,loss of appetite ,pain in upper abdomen and yellow colourization of eye balls,palms and body point to a disease loosely called jaundice.Actually jaundice is a symptom of an underlying disease.There are a number causes for it and some are age specific.Commonly it occurs due to viral hepatitis.Also there are a number of viruses affecting liver such as hepatitis virus A,B,C and many more.Amongst them most common is hepatitis A followed by hepatitis B.While the former is transmitted through contaminated food and drink the later is through contaminated blood and blood products to the blood of victim.By far the hepatitis A has the easiest mode of transmission especially in the under developed and developing countries.Supply of safe drinking water and safe raw eaten vegetables and fruits are the ways to prevent it which is very difficult to achieve in these countries. A good vaccine is available and can be taken at prescribed intervals to prevent the disease.However hepatitis A usually subsides without much of sequel.
On the other hand hepatitis B usually goes for a protracted course and may go chronic leading to cirrhosis of lever and much dreaded hepatocellular carcinoma.Potent vaccines are available to prevent it .Avoiding contaminated syringes,blood for transfusion and other blood products are also important.However in the face of complicated situation it is better to be vaccine protected .So to say the vaccine can prevent a fraction of hepatocellular carcinoma.

hepatitis A prevalence