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Thalidomide Uses

Thalidomide is a drug that used to be given to pregnant women to alleviate morning sickness. However, it was withdrawn from the market in 1961 after it was found to cause severe birth defects in children born to mothers who took it.

25 Feb 2010

History of Thalidomide

Thalidomide was first developed by a German pharmaceutical company called Grünenthal in Stolberg near Aachen. The company secured its patent for the drug in 1954, which lasted twenty years.

25 Feb 2010

What is Thalidomide?

Thalidomide is a sedative that used to be prescribed to treat anxiety, tension, gastritis and insomnia. It was also used to relieve morning sickness in pregnant women. However, thalidomide was found to cause deformity in children born to mothers who took the drug and it was withdrawn in the UK during the early 1960s.

25 Feb 2010

Pandemic Biological Warfare

Pandemic biological warfare refers to the use of toxins and contagious agents such as viruses or bacteria, to cause the death or incapacitation of populations across wide regions such as continents or even worldwide.

25 Feb 2010

Future Pandemics

Pandemics are infectious diseases that spread uncontrollably across populations, killing people over vast areas such as continents and even worldwide. Examples of recent pandemics include influenza and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Some examples of potential pandemics in the future are described below.

25 Feb 2010

Current Pandemics

Throughout history, pandemics have posed some of the greatest threats to mankind, claiming more lives than all wars and accidents put together.

25 Feb 2010

What is a Pandemic?

A pandemic is an epidemic disease that has spread across populations over vast areas such as continents or even globally.

25 Feb 2010

Probiotic Research

Probiotics has been a popular area of research during the past century, owing to the health benefits thought to be associated with their use. However, solid evidence to support the benefits of these “friendly” bacteria and yeasts is still lacking.

21 Feb 2010

Probiotic Strains

Live probiotic bacteria can be found in yoghurts and other foods fortified with probiotics. These “friendly” bacteria are also available in the freeze-dried form as tablets, sachets and powders, for example.

21 Feb 2010

Probiotic Side Effects

Probiotics are live yeasts and bacteria that are thought to confer several health benefits by restoring the natural balance of the gut flora when it has been disrupted. However, there is little scientific evidence to support this claim and research is still ongoing into the actual benefits of these “friendly” bacteria.

21 Feb 2010

Probiotic Benefits

Probiotics are live yeasts and bacteria that are thought to confer several health benefits by restoring the natural balance of the gut flora when it has been disrupted. However, there is little scientific evidence to support these claims and research is still ongoing into the actual benefits of these “friendly” bacteria.

21 Feb 2010

Probiotics History

Probiotics have been a subject of interest among the scientific community since the beginning of the twentieth century. More than a century ago, Russian scientist and Nobel laureate Elie Metchnikoff first introduced the concept that the gut flora can be modified and harmful microbes replaced with beneficial ones to confer health benefits.

21 Feb 2010

What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are thought to be beneficial in preventing several health conditions. They are usually consumed as supplements or yoghurts and are also referred to as “good bacteria.”

21 Feb 2010

Pre-eclampsia Treatment

Pre-eclampsia can be successfully treated if it is diagnosed early and the patient is closely monitored for symptoms, complications and deterioration. Diagnosis is commonly made during the routine checkups that are carried out while a woman is pregnant called antenatal checks. In the case of pre-eclampsia, high blood pressure is usually identified and urine is found to contain protein.

21 Feb 2010

Pre-eclampsia Complications

Pre-eclampsia can cause several complications that may lead to life threatening conditions for the mother as well as the developing baby. These complications can develop if preeclampsia is not diagnosed early and monitored closely.

21 Feb 2010

Pre-eclampsia Causes

Pre-eclampsia is a condition that affects around 5% of all pregnant women. The exact cause of this condition is not fully understood. However, there are several hypotheses concerning the development of the condition, which is thought to involve a problem with the placenta.

21 Feb 2010

Pre-eclampsia Pathogenesis

The exact pathology behind pre-eclampsia is unknown but is thought to involve abnormal development of the placenta due to problems with the blood vessels that supply it. Studies have shown that inadequate blood supply to the placenta may also lead to the release of certain hormones and chemicals that damage the endothelium, the layer of cells that line blood and lymph vessels, leading to changes in inflammation, metabolism and possibly other reactions.

21 Feb 2010

What is Pre-eclampsia?

Pre-eclampsia is a condition that affects around 5% of all pregnant women and can cause harm to both the mother and the unborn baby. This rapidly progressing condition is characterized by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine. Affected women may also develop other symptoms such as sudden weight gain, headaches, swelling, abdominal pain, nausea, heartburn, fatigue and visual disturbances.

21 Feb 2010

What are the Symptoms Eclampsia?

Eclampsia is a dangerous and life-threatening complication of pregnancy that occurs when women are not adequately treated for the condition pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia refers to the onset of high blood pressure and proteinuria that occurs around 20 weeks into a pregnancy. Eclampsia is essentially pre-eclampsia accompanied by a form of generalized seizure called tonic–clonic seizure.

21 Feb 2010

What is Eclampsia?

Eclampsia is a seizure that can occur as a complication of pregnancy, following pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia describes the high blood pressure and rapid weight gain that can occur in pregnancy. Eclampsia seizures are tonic-clonic in nature and can become life-threatening unless quickly and properly treated. Together, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are referred to as hypertensive disorder of pregnancy.

21 Feb 2010