MY SCHOOL by Dr .Nilesh Gopal das Joshi (beginner reading books for adults .txt) 📕

indigestion, heartburn or abdominal pain Shortness of breath Cold sweat Fatigue Light headedness or sudden dizziness, fainting

Not all people who have heart attacks have the same symptoms or have the same severity of symptoms. Some people have mild pain; others have more severe pain. Some people have no symptoms; for others, the first sign may be sudden cardiac arrest. However, the more signs and symptoms you have, the greater the likelihood you're having a heart attack.

Some heart attacks strike suddenly, but many people have warning signs and symptoms hours, days or weeks in advance. The earliest warning might be recurrent chest pain or pressure (angina) that's triggered by exertion and relieved by rest. Angina is caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to the heart.

 

CAUSES OF HEART ATTACK

A heart attack occurs when one or more of your coronary arteries become blocked. Over time, a coronary artery can narrow from the build-up of various substances, including cholesterol (atherosclerosis). This condition, known as coronary artery disease, causes most heart attacks.

During a heart attack, one of these plaques can rupture and spill cholesterol and other substances into the bloodstream. A blood clot forms at the site of the rupture. If large enough, the clot can block the flow of blood through the coronary artery, starving the heart muscle of oxygen and nutrients (ischemia).

You might have a complete blockage or partial. A complete blockage means you've had an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). A partial blockage means you've had a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Diagnostic steps and treatment might be different depending on which you've had.

Another cause of a heart attack is a spasm of a coronary artery that shuts down blood flow to part of the heart muscle. Using tobacco and illicit drugs, such as cocaine, can cause a life-threatening spasm.

 

FIRST AID FOR THE PERSON SUFFERING FROM HEART ATTACK

Never neglect a person with chest pain Recognise the symptoms for heart attack Call emergency services Administrate CPR Make the person sit in a slightly reclined position Move the person to a more ventilated area Ask the person to cough Seek immediate medical attention Should receive medical attention in an hour

Risk factors

Certain factors contribute to the unwanted build-up of fatty deposits (atherosclerosis) that narrows arteries throughout your body. You can improve or eliminate many of these risk factors to reduce your chances of having a first or another heart attack.

Heart attack risk factors include:

Age. Men age 45 or older and women age 55 or older are more likely to have a heart attack than are younger men and women. Tobacco. This includes smoking and long-term exposure to second hand smoke. High blood pressure. Over time, high blood pressure can damage arteries that feed your heart. High blood pressure that occurs with other conditions, such as obesity, high cholesterol or diabetes, increases your risk even more. High blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels. A high level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) is most likely to narrow arteries. A high level of triglycerides, a type of blood fat related to your diet, also ups your risk of heart attack. However, a high level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) lowers your risk of heart attack. Obesity. Obesity is associated with high blood cholesterol levels, high triglyceride levels, high blood pressure and diabetes. Losing just 10 percent of your body weight can lower this risk, however. Diabetes. Not producing enough of a hormone secreted by your pancreas (insulin) or not responding to insulin properly causes your body's blood sugar levels to rise, increasing your risk of heart attack. Metabolic syndrome. This occurs when you have obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar. Having metabolic syndrome makes you twice as likely to develop heart disease than if you don't have it. Family history of heart attack. If your siblings, parents or grandparents have had early heart attacks (by age 55 for male relatives and by age 65 for female relatives), you might be at increased risk. Lack of physical activity. Being inactive contributes to high blood cholesterol levels and obesity. People who exercise regularly have better cardiovascular fitness, including lower high blood pressure. Stress. You might respond to stress in ways that can increase your risk of a heart attack. Illicit drug use. Using stimulant drugs, such as cocaine or amphetamines, can trigger a spasm of your coronary arteries that can cause a heart attack. A history of preeclampsia. This condition causes high blood pressure during pregnancy and increases the lifetime risk of heart disease. An autoimmune condition. Having a condition such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus can increase your risk of heart attack.

Prevention

It's never too late to take steps to prevent a heart attack even if you've already had one. Here are ways to prevent a heart attack.

Medications. Taking medications can reduce your risk of a subsequent heart attack and help your damaged heart function better. Continue to take what your doctor prescribes, and ask your doctor how often you need to be monitored. Lifestyle factors. You know the drill: Maintain a healthy weight with a heart-healthy diet, don't smoke, exercise regularly, manage stress and control conditions that can lead to heart attack, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

EPILEPSY

 

 

Epilepsy is a group of neurological disorders characterized by epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures are episodes that can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking. These episodes can result in physical injuries, including occasionally broken bones. In epilepsy, seizures tend to recur and, as a rule, have no immediate underlying cause. Isolated seizures that are provoked by a specific cause such as poisoning are not deemed to represent epilepsy. People with epilepsy may be treated differently in various areas of the world and experience varying degrees of social stigma due to their condition.

 

CAUSES OF EPILEPSY

Epilepsy can have both genetic and acquired causes, with interaction of these factors in many cases. Established acquired causes include serious brain trauma, stroke, tumours and problems in the brain as a result of a previous infection. In about 60% of cases the cause is unknown. Epilepsies caused by genetic, congenital, or developmental conditions are more common among younger people, while brain tumours and strokes are more likely in older people.

Seizures may also occur as a consequence of other health problems; if they occur right around a specific cause, such as a stroke, head injury, toxic ingestion or metabolic problem, they are known as acute symptomatic seizures and are in the broader classification of seizure-related disorders rather than epilepsy itself.

Genetics

Genetics is believed to be involved in the majority of cases, either directly or indirectly. Some epilepsies are due to a single gene defect (1–2%); most are due to the interaction of multiple genes and environmental factors. Each of the single gene defects is rare, with more than 200 in all described. Most genes involved affect ion channels, either directly or indirectly. These include genes for ion channels themselves, enzymes, GABA, and G protein-coupled receptors.

In identical twins, if one is affected there is a 50–60% chance that the other will also be affected. In non-identical twins the risk is 15%. These risks are greater in those with generalized rather than focal seizures. If both twins are affected, most of the time they have the same epileptic syndrome (70–90%).Other close relatives of a person with epilepsy have a risk five times that of the general population. Between 1 and 10% of those with Down syndrome and 90% of those with Angel man syndrome have epilepsy.

Acquired

Epilepsy may occur as a result of a number of other conditions including tumours, strokes, head trauma, previous infections of the central nervous system, genetic abnormalities, and as a result of brain damage around the time of birth. Of those with brain tumours, almost 30% have epilepsy, making them the cause of about 4% of cases. The risk is greatest for tumours in the temporal lobe and those that grow slowly. Other mass lesions such as cerebral cavernous malformations and arteriovenous malformations have risks as high as 40–60%.of those who have had a stroke, 2–4% develop epilepsy. In the United Kingdom strokes account for 15% of cases and it is believed to be the cause in 30% of the elderly. Between 6 and 20% of epilepsy is believed to be due to head trauma. Mild brain injury increases the risk about two-fold while severe brain injury increases the risk seven-fold. 

SYMPTOMS OF EPILEPSY

Symptoms include:

Alterations to sense of taste, smell, sight, hearing, or touch. Dizziness Tingling and twitching of limbs Staring blankly Un responsiveness Performing repetitive movements

FIRST AID FOR EPILEPSY

Stay calm. Look around- is the person in a dangerous place? If not, don't move them. Move objects like furniture away from them. Note the timethe seizure starts. Stay with them. If they don't collapse but seem blank or confused, gently guide them away from any danger. Speak quietly and calmly. Cushion their headwith something soft if they have collapsed to the ground. Don't hold them down. Don't put anything in their mouth. Check the time again. If a seizure doesn't stop after 5 minutes, call for an ambulance. After the seizure has stopped, gently put them into the recovery position and check that their breathing is returning to normal. Gently check their mouth to see that nothing is blocking their airway such as food or false teeth. If their breathing sounds difficult after the seizure has stopped, call for an ambulance. Stay with them until they are fully recovered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter: 34 FIRST AID FOR COMMON INJURIES

FIRST AID FOR COMMON INJURIES

HEAD INJURIES

A head injury is any sort of injury to your brain, skull, or scalp. This can range from a mild bump or bruise to a traumatic brain injury. Common head injuries include concussions, skull fractures, and scalp wounds. The consequences and treatments vary greatly, depending on what caused your head injury and how severe it is.

Head injuries may be either closed or open. A closed head injury is any injury that doesn’t break your skull. An open (penetrating) head injury is one in which something breaks your scalp and skull and enters your brain.

It can be hard to assess how serious a head injury is just by looking. Some minor head injuries bleed a lot, while some major injuries don’t bleed at all. It’s important to treat all head injuries seriously and get them assessed by a doctor.

 

CAUSES OF HEAD INJURIES

 

In general, head injuries can be divided into two categories based on what causes them. They can either be head injuries due to blows to the head or head injuries due to shaking.

Head injuries caused by shaking are most common in infants and small children, but they can occur any time you experience violent shaking.

Head injuries caused by a blow to the head are usually associated with:

motor vehicle accidents falls physical assaults sports-related accidents

In most cases, your skull will protect your brain from serious harm. However, injuries severe enough to cause head injury can also be associated with injuries to the spine.

 

TYPES OF HEAD INJURIES

Hematoma

A hematoma is a collection, or clotting, of blood outside the blood vessels. It can be very serious if a hematoma occurs in the brain. The clotting can lead to pressure building up inside your skull. This can cause you to lose consciousness or result in permanent brain damage.

Haemorrhage

A haemorrhage is uncontrolled bleeding. There can be bleeding in the space around your brain, called subarachnoid haemorrhage, or bleeding within your brain tissue, called intracerebral haemorrhage.

Subarachnoid haemorrhages often cause headaches and vomiting. The severity of intracerebral haemorrhages depends on how much bleeding there is, but over time any amount of blood can cause pressure build-up.

Concussion

A concussion occurs when the impact on the head is severe enough to cause brain injury. It’s thought to be the result of the brain hitting against the hard walls of your skull or the forces of sudden acceleration and deceleration. Generally speaking, the loss of function associated with a concussion is temporary. However, repeated concussions can eventually lead to permanent damage.

Skull fracture

Unlike most bones in your body, your skull doesn’t have bone