Alcohol! How it Affects Us?

Alcohol is known as a good chemical man ever found. Small amount of ethanol alcohol from wine, beer or vodka will do magic in raising the HDL or the high density lipoprotein which is known as the good cholesterol which cleanse the body’s nerves and arteries with the bad cholesterol. But prolong absorption or drinking of large amount of these alcohol rich beverages is well established to be fatal.

As the glass of wine or strong alcoholic drink was raised the magic happens; the alcohol quickly kick in, irritating every surrounding tissue within the mouth and of the esophagus giving it a burning sensation as someone made a good gulp of this alcohol. This liquid passes through the stomach and quickly moves toward the small intestines and right to the bloodstreams. The alcohol rich blood passes to the liver towards the brain and within minutes the mind bends from continues surges of alcohol. The alcohol numbs the neuronal cells disrupting the electrical signals that send a message to the body. In the heart, the cardiac muscles moves fast, raising the blood pressure and pulses, straining the heart to cope with the alcohol depressive effect.

As alcohol drinking continues, alcohol concentrations in the blood builds up, storming the brain and its nerve affecting the central nervous system. Sudden changes occurs in the speech, blurring visions, inability for the body to get balance, reflexes comes late and judgment became haywire resulting to some serious accidents and some alcohol related incidents. With prolonged indulgence and ingestion of alcohol, a drinker would eventually lose consciousness and might suffer of die from respiratory failures and other similar alcohol related ailments.

Alcoholism increases the risk of heart diseases and form of cancers, especially the liver cancers common to drinkers. As the alcohol rich blood passes in the liver, the liver reacts as the body filter and chemical neutralizers. The alcohol was being metabolize by the liver into carbon dioxides and water which could be eliminated and push out naturally to balance the harmful chemical residues found in the body. This process strain the liver, leaving great amount of unmetabolize alcohol to stay in the liver which preempts the abnormal breakdown of fats which accumulates into the liver cells. This development is called as fatty liver which poses a considerable threat to our body filter – the liver. These fatty cells get enlarge in time and they eventually ruptured or burst leaving fibrous scar liver tissues known as cirrhosis which is a liver disease that blocks, disrupts and impedes the normal flow of blood in the arterial and veins of the liver. Also these fatty cells could grow into cysts which replace normal liver cells and this is known as liver tumor cancers.

Alcoholism is by far as one of the most potent and harmful chemical along with cigarette smoking and illegal drugs. And it is one of the great problems among all nations around the world because of its destructive effect on human lives and safety as well on the properties.

Alcoholism ranks as number one reason of the fatal highway accidents worldwide. Drunk drivers with impaired vision, slow reflexes, numbing mind to process judgment poses great danger in human lives among the public both motorist and pedestrians. In United States more than 45,000 died each year from fatal highway accidents, worldwide this number will reach nearly a million a year.

Most crimes like rapes, murders, massacres and numbers of heinous crimes are all alcohol related development. As alcohol reaches the brain it quickly affects our central nervous system, depressing the inhibitory and excitatory neurons that control our senses; speech, mood, impulses, which give us a kick. It creates in us the macho feeling which create lust and desire, the push as a fighter to inflict harm to others and the lost of rational to our inordinate actions. And this is what and where alcoholism is taking us and our kids.

Upon writing this article, a grandson of a political figure jump from the 30^th floor of a hotel killing him instantly, if you will turn on your t.v set the news will tell you of daily crimes committed by scrupulous drunkards, raping a 9 years old and strangling her with a barbed wire, more than 50 were killed and ambushed by lawless and mind distorted groups, riders dead in direct collision with other drunk drivers and so forth and so on. And until we realized how alcohol is doing in us then we will continue to witness all of these.

The Importance Of Knowing the Symptoms Of Dengue

They were happy getting out of the hospital that day, the test result is negative so the fear of leukemia is over and this might be an allergy or whatever. They were given a discharge order because as far as the test result is concern, this girl, of about 6 years of age is not having leukemia or cancer of the blood as suspected. Furthermore her health condition is quite fair enough comparing when she was admitted three days before. What puzzled everybody are the rashes and marks on her body which seems to bother everyone even the doctors. These rashes and marks were used to identify those who were suffering from anemia or the worse is leukemia. So the parents were advice to let their little girl undergo a marrow test as the best medical solution to the unknown medical condition of their child.

They were back in their usual daily routine as things seems to get normal with their kid, they took every care possible to make her recover fast enough, her mother knowing her little girl seems to have some kind of anemia and blood related problem sort to local found iron rich vegetables believe by the old folks to be good for such situation. But things did not come out right because after two days the little girl complain about having a severe stomach pain and again she was rushed to the hospital. It only takes few hours and the girl passed away. They found out that the girls blood platelets dropped down to its lowest level, this triggers internal bleeding which greatly affects vital organs resulting to fatalities.

Even today, my friend has told me that he was really puzzled what really the little girl’s cause of death was. But when I happen to relate to him what happen to my son who was infected with dengue, he told me that the symptoms is almost similar, then I told him that maybe its dengue which has cause her niece death, which at that point of time this ailments is not common not like today.

That was the days when dengue was not yet fully diagnosed by most of the medical experts. It is a time when everybody, even doctors are not well aware of this new health threat that is being spread widely by the mosquitoes. Today though dengue is prevalent and multiple numbers are being infected, which rises the statistics of fatalities and similar case, people are not well aware or even have a little knowledge about this kind of disease which afflicts populace especially in the tropical areas.

Though it seems that dengue poses a big threat to one’s health, little is known of its symptoms and its cure; and experts are saying that dengue still has no antidote develop for its cure. This shocking truth has left us groping in the dark about this disease, while we watch dengue strikes like a sickle in the hands of the reaper taking lives along with other ailments which are the common cause of death.

There is a saying that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. So it is, but today who can say that we’re doing enough to prevent dengue, even if we sealed our houses with mosquito screens and apply all mosquito repelling lotions, for sure this disease will find its way through. And that what has happened to my son Raniel who was infected lately with dengue, (my article “DON’T PLAY TIME WITH DENGUE” are series of articles about my son’s ordeal about this subject), which in my suspicion has been infected from school, whose doors and window are not well protected with mosquito screens.

That was Wednesday when he arrived early than usual from school, he was supposed to be out from school at exactly 4pm, but he went home that day at past 12 noon complaining about being dizzy and burning hot because of fever. I gave him a paracetamol tablet for his fever but it never subsides. I could see the thermometer reads at 40.5 and 39 plus degree Celsius. So we applies water soaked towel for the fever to subside and it helps a lot. The next day the fever still persists and this calls for a bed rest. What is more aggravating is his frequent vomiting which really weakens him so much, this makes us to be alarmed that’s why we took him to his doctor the following day.

So let me conclude this article on the usual symptoms of dengue, and though it differs sometimes in a case to case basis but the pattern are all similar as per se. These symptoms seen and observed among suspected dengue infected persons were all experiencing some sort of high fever along with a feeling of general weakness, frequent vomiting and stomach pain is felt also. If you or any member of the family was seen and observed with these symptoms then medical attention is very badly needed. I then suggest that consulting a doctor and several blood and dengue test should be done to avoid the critical stage such as severe internal and external bleeding cause by shocked due to sudden dropped of blood platelets which will affect blood pressures and the worse internal complications which could result to fatalities. Dengue is fatal but when it is treated early then this will save a patient from any life threatening situation and from high cost of long period of confinement in the hospital.

Doctors today being aware of dengue are more well equip today with the knowledge on how to counter the common but fatal complications cause by dengue. As for my son case, his liver became inflame which is causing him the sensational pain in the area of the stomach, so they gave him some sort of a very expensive anti inflammatory drug to correct and amend his liver situations. His stool was monitored for possible internal colon bleeding common in critical stage among dengue patients, but thank God they found him negative. But to keep him safe he was administered with some kind of drug that will protect his stomach and colon from the effect of dengue. His blood was monitored and test daily to know its platelets counts, in case of bleeding, especially like in the case of my son who bleeds so much, blood transfusion is needed to replaced he has lost. He was also under rehydration period through the administration of I.V fluid which replaces the lost body liquid and essential nutrients during the ordeal.

Other complication varies too and it depends maybe to the weaker internal organ of a particular patient and this factor is what the doctor’s feared most. In dengue patients as observed and studied, it’s the internal organs that were affected during this dengue attack, due to the viral infected blood that passes through them. The heart, the lungs, the kidneys and other internal vital organ was among the list observed to have been affected by these diseases. And these organs could not be taken for granted for such are vital to one’s survival.

Though dengue has no particular cure, antidote or vaccine, its complications are well taken care of and checked. And no patients could be sent home if their blood platelets counts low, which means those who are below the minimum of 150 are still subject to continues closed monitoring and medications, while those who were above 150 were discharged but were advice to closely monitor the patients and a visit to his doctor for follow up test and health evaluations. This includes the blood test for the platelets and some routine checkup.

I hope this series of article about dengue will help you and someone you know. If you have read my articles and are interested for some good advices in dealing with dengue, please feel free to post your comments found in my articles bottom section, you can post them also in my facebook account by typing Arnold Maglalang in the search tab and add me as a friend or free to contact me on my email add, arnoldream@yahoo.com or arnoldream@gmail.com

don't play time with dengue

don't play time with dengue 2

the secret antidote for dengue

The Secret Antidote for Dengue

I took a glass and pour water in it. I want to hide from my wife what I am going to do, she’ll surely confront me if she’ll see me mixing medicine in the water which I am going to give to my son who is recuperating due to dengue. His platelets still hanging low at 41 and we’re already 3 days confined in the hospital, our bills are soaring high because of the medicines they are administering for my son as well as the laboratory test they are doing to monitor his blood. We took a private room also which cost us much higher than that of the ward we have been in our first day in the hospital. I know for sure that the doctor’s fee is higher as expected. I have to do something to hasten the blood platelets to jump higher to reach the minimum level so we can go home and minimize our rising hospital bill.

That morning I have to go to work, it’s been days of absent, so I have to attend some responsibilities to make up with my absences. I’m doing my usual things when a co worker approached me about my son’s condition. He shared some secrets which they’ve learned when his brother happens to have dengue too. He told me about some kind of common and cheap vitamins which he said, makes his brother to get out of hospital for just very few days. His brother like my son has blood platelets that dropped below down the minimum level and actually bleeds. My friend advice is to give it also to my son to evade further hospitalization cost and speed up the recuperation as well as for the platelets to rise.

My wife has this eagle eyes and high in discerning secrets. So she obviously look at me with suspicion the moment I gave my son the prepared mixture, so I told her about the thing and what my friend had told me. Eager and caught on the corner of rising bills and the desperation to see our child get well soon enough she let me give it to my son when I have explain the mixture is nothing but a common vitamins. I also told my son about the mixture and he understands about the vitamins and he took and drinks it. Later after dinner when there’s nothing to hide anymore about the vitamin, then I simply gave two capsules for my son to drink. It’s hard sometimes to act like a doctor when you’re not.

We notice some unusual things like my son did sweat when he’s sleeping which did not happen before. And since he didn’t complain of anything, we then slept the night hoping for tomorrow promise of platelets rise. The next day, and that is Friday, when we found out that it rose from 41 to as high as 91 and there we see things are getting well and alright. So we continue giving our son the vitamins and he took 5 capsules the whole day. The next morning we are awaken as usual at 6 a.m by the medtech to take blood sample from my son for platelets counting, we all prayed silently and hope that it will finally reach the minimum level this time. My son appetite in eating has return since Wednesday and I’m very hopeful that the food intake will also help raise the platelet level along with the vitamins. At 10 a.m I simply walk at the corridor passing the nurse station when out of curiosity I ask the nurse of the blood test. She looks at my son’s medical records new files and there we saw the platelet number in bold number of 158, she smiled at me and said “sir congratulation”. I walk the way to our room and happily tell my wife the good news. Then we all thank God about the good news and surely we are hours only for home.

The attending physician of my son is a good doctor, upon knowing the good news that afternoon, she happily sign our release order for us to go home, our bills were computed in the billing section and in a matter of minute the most painful thing in our pocket happened. After paying a gruesome 30 thousand Pesos we made our way to the exit and went home.

Dengue is a viral infection cause by mosquito, it attacks the blood so it loses the blood ability to coagulate which triggers bleeding either externally and the worse is internal bleeding which affects internal organs like the liver and the kidney, in the intestines it made the potassium to rise which is very fatal, it affects the blood pressure which will lead to shock and the worse death. Dengue should be given enough medical attention for this infection has killed thousands of lives especially among the young ones whose immune system was not yet fully develop. Sad to say there is no known antidote to combat dengue virus and up to this point of time medical authorities are still on the experiment process of making the best antidote for this dreadful dengue, and as for us and other dengue patients what our doctor does, is only countering the immediate and fatal effect of dengue.

As for me and my son the worse is over and though dengue has cost us a great amount of money due to hospital bills, we have other reason to be happy and that is health and life. We can earn money, but life if lost, who can earn it back?

I would like to thank several people who became a blessing to us from God who greatly help us through this ordeal. The Madapdap Church members headed by Pastor Arman Daquis, Dichie, who is my sister in law, and Mr. and Mrs. Lee and Anjanette Escalante and others, thank you!

further reading related to this article:

don't play time with dengue

don't play time with dengue 2

the secret antidote for dengue

Do Not Play Time With Dengue 2

I was at home when Raniel arrived home early from school that Wednesday noon; he’s early because their usual time for their last subject is 4p.m. so I ask him why he went home so early and skip afternoon classes and my son told me about that he is not feeling well. The moment he arrived home I have notice that he is not really feeling good and I guess maybe his asthma flares up again. But when I reached for him and feel his skin temperature I know for sure that he has a fever. I let him to rest and lie down by the couch and took my digital thermometer and it register to 40.5 centigrade, so I hurriedly made him to drink a paracetamol tablet.

I thought it’s just a common or usual fever that comes and go every now and then but my sons fever persist for two days and I know within myself that this symptoms is very much alarming so me and my wife decided to take him to a doctor. A couple of test were made to diagnose the cause of his high fever and they were found negative, his blood register to 200platelets which is above minimum level so we discard the possibility of dengue by then. The doctor advice us to continue giving him paracetamol and a week of antibiotics for a possible bacterial infections, and it does away his fever. I thought his health will be restored now that his fever was gone, what is alarming is that he is now having stomach pain and continuously suffers frequent vomiting on intakes, whether medicines, food or water.

We have him be examined again the next day and the result really made a shock on us. His blood platelets dropped to only 21 and dengue rashes begin to show up. We rushed home to get things we have prepared before, in anticipation of hospital confinement when we observed that things are getting worse for our son.

We made our way to the hospital and this make us more feel the shocked. The first private hospital we inquired wont admit us for the reason that the hospital is full of patients and no room is available. The second hospital nearby is government hospital and they also did not want to admit us for lack of medical supplies, they refer us to the provincial hospital whom they say could attend to our medical needs. At this moment of desperation for immediate medical attention for my son, I really felt that we are losing so much precious time to save and mitigate the serious condition of my son. Then the awaited worse happen, my son bleeds and it’s gushing out from his nose like a leak on the faucet and we feel so scared. We rushed to the third hospital and thank God they admit my son. As we enter the emergency room the blood from the face towel was all soak in blood coming out from my son’s nose. The nurses and the doctor came to the rescue and apply the necessary medical aid needed in such emergency situation. It takes for the bleeding to last for more than half an hour and surely everybody knows well that he lose so much blood, (my detailed story on this is in my article, “DO NOT PLAY TIME WITH DENGUE”) upon giving my son the IV fluid to restore loses, he was taken to his room and there the doctor told us how critical is my son condition. The doctor explain to us the health condition of Raniel and its apparent complication if he will not be treated well, she mention that my son needed some blood transfusion that is not available in that hospital. So to make the story short we were told that she will transfer us to the city hospital and refer us to her doctor cousin who is an internal medicine practitioner.

So we’re off again but by this time we know for sure that we have somehow passed the most critical moment in my son’s critical condition. As we took our way to the city hospital we were assisted by two nurses and aided us along the way to make sure things will be well for my son. So it goes well for my son did not bleed anymore on our way and we are well received to the emergency room as expected through the advanced notification and reservation done by the attending doctor whom I may say took care of my son in the critical time of his life. We were allotted a bed in the male ward temporarily because there was no available private room due to overwhelming incoming patients. So I made an advance reservation for private room to be made available when occupants were discharged. So the next day my request was granted and they transfer us to a private room and Oh! What a big comfort.

The night we were in the male ward is quite uncomfortable; the little room was packed with 4 patients along with their watchers, 2 at the most. We are at the end corner and to go there we have to pass by them and as expected you can see everything which I didn’t like on ward rooms. Three of the patients including my son are all dengue case and it is really surprising that October which is not normally high in dengue cases is now taking a high records of dengue cases all over the country, the provincial hospital to which we were referred before were also packed with dengue patients as a nurse from that hospital happens to tell us when she went there, she have told us that patients were placed along the hallways and corridors because the regular rooms are already filled. Thank God we didn’t end up in that crowded hospital.

My son spends 6 days hospital confinement, and truly God is amazing. Each night we pray for his speedy recovery and I know He did answer our prayers. The problem with dengue is for the blood platelets to rise in and above minimum level of 150. On our first day Raniel platelets are only 21, the 2^nd day it rose to 28, which promised no good result. The doctor administers some expensive medicine which cost us 2,300 pesos every vials given twice a day including the IV fluid to restore body fluid. This makes my son to stop vomiting and treat liver complications which have swelled as diagnosed through xray. But the issue of the platelets gives us more concern because they will not discharge us of low blood platelets. Thursday I went to work and there my co worker who happens to have a brother that became a dengue victim also shared his secret about my concern, so I tried it. I bought some of these medicines they say is good to address dengue and made my son to drink a couple and then I waited the next day for the result.

I am really excited when his platelets jump from 41 to 99 which the doctor said was a good sign. So we’re now sure that this medicine is doing fine for my son so we continue giving him. The next day we all jump for joy upon knowing we all hit the mark and it’s more than the minimum. We get 158 which the doctor assured of letting us go home - and sure she did. We paid a great sum of money and all I can do is to sigh. Well these are all what it takes especially in the hospital. What is making us happy now is the fact that our son is alive and well and that is the thing which no amount of money could buy…and that is life…

continuations:

don't play time with dengue

symptoms of dengue

secret antidote for dengue