Answer to Case 645
Answer to Parasite Case of the Week 645:Amblyomma americanumadult female tick.TheOracle nicely described what we are seeing here and its implications: " Given the position of the capitulum, we can immediately argue this is a hard tick (family Ixodidae). Even though we don ' t have a ventral picture, the number of legs, the quite long mouthparths and, more importantly, the white spot on the scutum allow us to diagnose an adult female ofAmblyomma americanum, even though Minnesota isn ' t the expected geographic location. This may possibly reflect the tremendous effects of climate change... TheOracle further c...
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - July 4, 2021 Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs
Happy trails: Take a hike, now
While the COVID-19 pandemic is not over by any means, more people are getting vaccinated, and restrictions are gradually lifting. After too much time spent inactive and indoors, what better way to move your body and enjoy nature than by taking a hike? In many ways, hiking is the ideal antidote to a global pandemic, as it can heal both body and soul.
Enjoy the benefits of a hike
Like power walking, hiking offers a moderate-intensity cardio workout, provided your route includes some hills or inclines. Trekking on uneven surfaces engages your core muscles and improves your balance.
Hiking also is a mood booster. Research sho...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - May 4, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Matthew Solan Tags: Exercise and Fitness Health Healthy Aging Heart Health Mental Health Source Type: blogs
Our work as physicians and healers is to see the whole patient
An excerpt from Recovery from Lyme Disease: The Integrative Medicine Guide to Diagnosing and Treating Tick-Borne Illness. As I write this, I am sitting in a hospital room with my wife. She had the sudden onset of severe chest pain and neurological symptoms and was admitted through the emergency room. The tests showed evidence of […]Find jobs at Careers by KevinMD.com. Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now. Learn more. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 12, 2021 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/daniel-kinderlehrer" rel="tag" > Daniel Kinderlehrer, MD < /a > < /span > Tags: Physician Primary Care Source Type: blogs
Lyme Disease and Relapsing Fever Spirochetes
The book on Lyme Disease and Relapsing Fever Spirochetes edited by Justin D. Radolf and D. Scott Samuels has been delivered to our distributors and is available for immediate dispatch read more ... Lyme Disease and Relapsing Fever Spirochetes: Genomics, Molecular Biology, Host Interactions and Disease PathogenesisEdited by: Justin D. Radolf and D. Scott SamuelsIndispensable for anyone involved in Borrelia and Lyme disease research and is highly recommended for microbiologists, immunologists, and physicians with an interest in spirochetes, vector-borne illness, or emerging infectious diseases. read more ...Suggested reading...
Source: Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists. - December 6, 2020 Category: Microbiology Source Type: blogs
Illness-related fatigue: More than just feeling tired
A common refrain during the COVID-19 pandemic is, “I’m so tired.” After months of adjusted living and anxiety, people are understandably weary. Parents who haven’t had a break from their kids are worn out. Those trying to juggle working from home with homeschooling are stretched thin. Between concerns about health, finances, and isolation, everyone is feeling some level of additional stress during this unusual time, and that’s tiring. We all could use a good, long nap — or better yet, a vacation.
But while a break would be nice, most people — except those who are actually sick with COVID-19 or other illnesses...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - October 21, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Jennifer Crystal, MFA Tags: Autoimmune diseases Fatigue Source Type: blogs
The tragedy of the post-COVID “ long haulers ”
Suppose you are suddenly are stricken with COVID-19. You become very ill for several weeks. On awakening every morning, you wonder if this day might be your last.
And then you begin to turn the corner. Every day your worst symptoms — the fever, the terrible cough, the breathlessness — get a little better. You are winning, beating a life-threatening disease, and you no longer wonder if each day might be your last. In another week or two, you’ll be your old self.
But weeks pass, and while the worst symptoms are gone, you’re not your old self — not even close. You can’t meet your responsibilities at home or at wor...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - October 15, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Anthony Komaroff, MD Tags: Brain and cognitive health Coronavirus and COVID-19 Fatigue Source Type: blogs
Lyme Disease and Relapsing Fever Spirochetes
Justin D. Radolf and D. Scott Samuels present a new book on Lyme Disease and Relapsing Fever Spirochetes: Genomics, Molecular Biology, Host Interactions and Disease Pathogenesis Written by renowned scientists who have made seminal contributions to the field, this book contains an expansive treatment of the options to track live spirochetes and evaluate gene expression in ticks and mice, provides insights into the workings of the flagellar motor, presents up-to-date research on the modulation of gene expression, and reviews recent studies on the network of regulatory pathways. The volume highlights and describes in detail t...
Source: Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists. - October 9, 2020 Category: Microbiology Source Type: blogs
Will the CDC ever rise again?
I hate to say this, but I fear it is over. For our entire relationship, I have looked to the CDC to guide and educate me. I have put my faith in their recommendations. I have defended their stances on everything from obesity to Lyme disease to influenza across decades. I have done so because […]Find jobs at Careers by KevinMD.com. Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now. Learn more. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - September 25, 2020 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/christine-meyer" rel="tag" > Christine Meyer, MD < /a > < /span > Tags: Policy Public Health & Source Type: blogs
Learning to live well with a persistent illness
When we get an acute illness like the flu or a cold, we feel sick for a week or two and then get back to our usual lives. This is how illness is “supposed” to go. But what happens when illness doesn’t fit this bill? What do patients with chronic conditions like diabetes or multiple sclerosis, or with persistent symptoms of Lyme disease or long-haul COVID-19, do when they can’t go back to their normal lives? Having suffered from the latter two — tick-borne illnesses that have plagued me for two decades, and a case of COVID-19 that took four months to shake — I’ve learned a few lessons about living with persist...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - September 14, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Jennifer Crystal, MFA Tags: Fatigue Source Type: blogs
Answer to Case 603
Answer to Case of the Week 603:Borreliasp. spirochetes. The history is most consistent with a relapsing feverBorreliasp., and subsequent PCR showed this to beBorrelia hermsii. As Florida Fan mentioned, this case is a great reminder that when we examine a Giemsa-stained blood film, we may find things other than parasites. In addition to spirochetal bacteria such as in this case, we can find intracellular clusters (morulae) ofAnaplasma phagocytophilumandEhrlichicaspp. bacteria, and intracellular years (e.g.Histoplasma capsulatum, Talaromyces marneffei).Leishmaniaspp. amastigotes can also rarely be seen within phagocytic...
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - August 16, 2020 Category: Parasitology Tags: borrelia Source Type: blogs
What is ME – Myalgic Encephalomyelitis?
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, is a little-understood, female-biased [1] illness. It is estimated that up to 90% of people with the condition go diagnosed [2] and about 25% of sufferers are severely ill [3]. In recognition of the profound physical and psychological impact this disease has on its victims, August 8th has been designated as a Severe ME Awareness Day.
What is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)?
The disease is best known for a state of extreme and unremitting fatigue. A range of additional symptoms may suggest the presence of an infectious disease: myalgia, nausea, cogniti...
Source: GIDEON blog - August 8, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: Identify News Source Type: blogs
Be vigilant about bug spray
Ticks and mosquitoes don’t care about COVID-19 safety protocols. They don’t care that people are trying to squeeze out the last moments of this restrictive summer by getting outdoors, hiking, or just sitting on their decks at night and feeling something that’s close to normal.
COVID-19 has commanded our attention and caused people to adapt their behaviors to prevent one major health concern, but it doesn’t mean others have been eliminated. “Masks and social distancing will do nothing to protect you from what ticks and mosquitoes potentially carry,” says Dr. Todd Ellerin, director of infectious diseases and vice...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - August 7, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Steve Calechman Tags: Autoimmune diseases Prevention Safety Source Type: blogs
The Itchy, Bumpy Blues: How to Treat and Prevent Mosquito Bites and Related Conditions
Mosquito bites may be a nuisance, but fortunately, in the U.S., they tend to amount to nothing more than that. Upon being bitten, most Americans experience a bit of swelling and itchiness, and nothing more. However, there are exceptions to this, including stronger allergic reactions to bites and cases of mosquito-borne illness.
Insect and arachnid bites, including ticks, account for approximately 2,000 cases of malaria and 30,000 cases of Lyme disease in the U.S. annually. In addition, millions of people worldwide die of malaria each year. It is helpful to protect yourself against insect bites, not only to avoid pesk...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - June 7, 2020 Category: Child Development Authors: Alan Greene MD Tags: Dr. Greene's Blog Environmental Health Insect Bites & Stings Insects & Animals Outdoor Safety Source Type: blogs
What do you think of this elderly man with " possible seizure " ?
Written by Pendell Meyers(with really great and thorough explanation of this finding by Ken Grauer).At my hospital, patients with any symptoms which could be vaguely interpreted as a possible stroke during the triage process are brought to the high acuity area and a provider is asked to do a " neuro check " , which involves a quick H and P and exam to determine if we should activate our stroke protocol.A man in his 70s was brought to me for a neuro check, and the triage providers commented that they were worried about a possible seizure as well. The patient was alert and oriented with normal vitals at triage. He stated tha...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - May 23, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Pendell Source Type: blogs
Fight Aging! Newsletter, April 6th 2020
This study delves into the mechanisms by which a short period of fasting can accelerate wound healing. Fasting triggers many of the same cellular stress responses, such as upregulated autophagy, as occur during the practice of calorie restriction. It isn't exactly the same, however, so it is always worth asking whether any specific biochemistry observed in either case does in fact occur in both situations. In particular, the period of refeeding following fasting appears to have beneficial effects that are distinct from those that occur while food is restricted.
Multiple forms of therapeutic fasting have been repor...
Source: Fight Aging! - April 5, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs
