What are the Wonders of X-Rays?

            X-rays are invisible electromagnetic radiations. Their wavelengths are smaller than those of the visible light. They are high-energy rays, have high penetrating power and travel at the speed of light. They can also pass through the flesh of human beings and animals.

X-Ray Tube Diagram

            A German scientist, Professor Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen in 1895, discovered x-rays. They are sometimes referred to as ‘roentgen x-rays. They were called x-rays x means unknown because not much was known about them earlier. Professor Roentgen was awarded the first Nobel Prize for physics in 1901 for the discovery of x-rays.

Broken Leg Bone Shown on X-Ray Film

            The apparatus used for producing x-rays is called x-ray tube. This tube is made up of hard glass and is fitted with two electrodes, which are connected to high voltage power supply. The electrode connected to the negative terminal is called cathode and the one connected to the positive terminal is called anode. Low pressure is created inside the tube by pumping out air from it. When high voltage is applied to the electrodes, electrons emerge form the cathode and strike the anode or the target which produces x-rays.

            X-rays are very useful to us. They can pass through substances like wood, paper, skin and flesh but are absorbed by bones, iron, lead etc. doctors make use of x-rays to detect the dislocations and fractures of bones, examine the diseases of various organs and presence of stones in kidney and gall bladder. The part of the body to be x-rayed is placed between the x-ray machine and the x-ray film. When the machine is switched on, the rays produce an image on the film, which is then developed like a negative. From the x-ray film, the areas affected by the disease or with defects are located easily.

            X-rays are also used to treat cancer. Airports use x-rays on the baggage of the travelers because with the help of these rays, gold and other valuable germs as well as firearms hidden in the clothes can be detected easily. They are also used to detect cracks and bubbles in metals used for constructing bridges and building purposes.

            X-rays have a damaging effect on body’s cells, and it is for this reason that a person should not be exposed to x-rays quite often and for long durations. Today, using soft x-rays instruments like CAT (computerized auxiliary tomography) scanners are used to detect body abnormalities.

Why do We Get Fever?

            Fever is one of the most common health disorders that afflict humans. Have you give thoughts to why this ailment is so common? The normal body temperature of a healthy person is 98.4 degree Fahrenheit 37 degrees Centigrade. Fever is a condition in which the body temperature raises above the norm. It is common symptom of some disease.

A Man is in Fever Condition

            The heat energy produced by the chemical reactions taking place inside the body is controlled by brain and skin. As long as there is no disease or malfunctioning in the body, the temperature remains at 98.4 degree Fahrenheit. When germs of any specific disease attack the body, certain reactions take place in the body cells. As a result, the centers controlling the body temperature are affected and, the body temperature starts rising. This rise in temperature is called fever. The first signs of fever are chills, loss of appetite and a feeling of weakness. The body temperature is measured with the help of clinical thermometer.

            Fever is a body mechanism that helps us in destroying the germs of diseases. During fever, some of the body organs start working fast and some physiological processes get accelerated. The rate of production of hormones, enzymes and blood cells increases considerably. These hormones, enzymes and blood cells start fighting the germs, causing the body temperature to rise. During fever, blood circulation and respiration become faster. Both these processes help the body in getting rid of the poisonous germs present inside. Fever is often the symptoms of infection.

            Persistence of any fever for a long period is not good. During fever, the internal parts get heated and there is deficiency of water causing the contraction of the capillaries of blood and urinary tract. Protein accumulated in the body gets depleted. Disorder sets in the brain due to high temperature. It is, therefore, a big mistake to ignore fever and wait for it to pass. Though fever is a physiological activity aimed at fighting any disease, it is absolutely essential to seek immediate medical help once you get it.

What is Electroshock Therapy?

            Electroshock therapy is used to treat certain psychiatric disorders through the use of electric current to induce shock. This therapy is generally used in treating severe endogenous depressions and some forms of schizophrenia. The working of this therapy is not clearly understood as yet.

Electroshock Therapy Machine

            U. Cerletti and L. Bini introduced electro convulsive therapy ECT in Rome in 1938 for treating psychiatric disorders. Since then, it has bee widely used to treat manic depressive psychosis and various other types of depressions. In electroshock therapy, two electrodes are placed in approximate positions on the head of the patient and 50 or 60 hertz alternating current at about 70 volts is passed for about 0.1 seconds. There have been modifications and variations in the basic technique. The passage of the current causes an immediate loss of consciousness, and the induction of a convulsive seizure. The treatment is given three times a week for two to six weeks. In some serious cases, the doctor even resorts to two or three treatments in a single day.

Electroshock Therapy

            This therapy can have serious side effects and complications. Hence it should be given to a few selected patients, and with great skill and proper judgment. Although it is a valuable therapeutic method in psychiatry, in certain cases it is not effective and sometimes may make matters worse.

What are Antibiotics?

            Often when you fall sick, and illness prevails for a long time, the doctor says that it is essential to take antibiotics.

            Do you know what antibiotics are?

            Antibiotics are special kind of medicines that either inhibit the growth of bacteria and some other disease-producing micro organisms, or destroy them completely. They help the body to fight infections; hence they are used in the treatment of many diseases.

Antibiotic Capsules

            The word antibiotics are derived form antibiosis. Anti means against and biosis means life. Antibiotics act only against certain types of micro organisms like bacteria. In fact, antibiotics are chemical substances derived form the bodies of micro organisms such as bacteria, moulds or certain plants.

            The antibiotic era began around 1928 with the accidental discovery of a species of Pencillium by Sir Alexander Fleming. Alexander Fleming named the substance penicillin. This antibiotic was effective in the treatment of pneumonia, cough, inflammation of throat, boils, sores, etc. now most people have become reactive to penicillin, that is why it is to given to patients. Streptomycin is an antibiotic that is used in the treatment of tuberculosis. In addition to streptomycin, many other antibiotics are used for curing various diseases.

            In fact, there are more than 80 known antibiotics today. Some antibiotics are effective against specific micro-organisms, while others are effective against a large range of micro-organisms. Those which cover a large range, are called broad-spectrum antibiotics. When an antibiotic is sent into the body either by injection or capsules. It kills the disease spreading micro organism.

            Do you know how antibiotics are made? Most of the antibiotics are made form bacteria and fungi. Scientists have not yet bee able to figure out the exact process by which antibiotics kill the germs of diseases. Some scientists think that antibiotics prevent oxygen form reaching the germs of disease and they die due to lack of oxygen. Some other scientists say that antibiotics prevent the germs from taking food from the body and they die of starvation. Whatever may be the mechanism by which antibiotics act, it is an established fact that these medicines have proved very useful to mankind.

            Every year, millions of people in the world suffering form various diseases are saved by these medicines. In 1930, 20% to 85% of total deaths in America were due to pneumonia. In 1960, this figure came down to 5%, due to the use of antibiotics. Similarly, the deaths due to typhoid have come down form 10% to 2%. Infectious diseases can also be controlled with the help of antibiotics. They are also useful in preventing disease like throat infection, rheumatic fever, venereal diseases, etc.

            Like all things created, antibiotics also have their pros and cons. Use of antibiotics can led to many side effects, such as skin rashes. Many other symptoms may develop or they may cause other diseases. An extreme reaction may even lead to death. Sometimes, overuse of antibiotics can lead to the body getting used to them, or the germs develop immunity to these medicines, and they become ineffective in curing the diseases. Overuse of antibiotics can cause kidney problem.

What is Plastic Surgery?

            Plastic surgery is branch of surgery devoted to restorations, repair and correction of malformations of tissues. No plastics are used; it simply means to mould or shape the tissues through surgery. It concerns not only return of function of the organ. The field of plastic surgery has several sub-divisions such as cosmetic surgery, management of congenital defects, burns, wound and other acquired defects. Sometimes, the upper lip of a child is slit since birth, a condition known as hare lip. It can be repaired with the help of plastic surgery.

A Human Hands Plastic Surgery Before and After

            Cosmetic surgery deals with improving the appearance of tissues or organs such as the nose, face, eyes or breasts. The most common types of cosmetic surgery are face lift to remove wrinkles from the face and neck, and rhinoplasty, to change the shape of the nose.

            Plastic surgeons treat physical defects that exist since birth congenital defects or are caused b injury or disease. Often the body part that is defective or damaged does not work normally. In such cases, the surgeon does reconstructive plastic surgery. This often requires grafting. In grafting, skin, muscle, bone or cartilage is transplanted from a healthy part of the body to the injured or damaged part. Sometimes, reconstructive surgery involves reattaching severed limbs, rebuilding damaged tissues, restoring damage blood vessels and nerves. Plastic surgeons are available in almost all the hospitals and private nursing homes.

            Plastic surgery has been practiced for thousands of years in china and India. Chinese and Indian doctors have been reshaping noses and lips since ancient times.

How do Spectacles Help in Clear Vision?

            We often come across people wearing spectacles. Wherever we go, it is possible to spot a person with spectacles within a moment. Anyone with weak eyesight uses spectacles. These days, there are spectacles available which help in viewing both near and far objects. Nowadays, lenses that fit externally over the cornea of the eyes are often used in place of spectacles. These are known as contact lenses. These lenses can be of different colors and are used by those who do not want to wear spectacles, especially the youngsters.

Lenses help the image to form on the retina

            The use of spectacles started over 700 years ago. In 1266, roger bacon of England used a piece of glass to magnify the words written in a book. This glass piece was cut out of a spherical ball of glass. Salvino D’Armate of Italy is credited with inventing the first wearable eyeglasses, around 1284.

            Cardinal Ugon’s portrait made in 1352 shows him wearing spectacles. This proves that spectacles were developed during the period 1266-1352. By the 16^th century, they had become very common. On 1784, Benjamin Franklin brought about a wonderful development in the field of spectacles by making bifocal lenses- a lens with two halves for both near and distant vision. You must be wondering how spectacles help us to see clearly.

            Our eyes act like a camera. The light rays enter our eyes through cornea. There is a convex lens inside the eye, and behind this les there is a light-sensitive screen, called the retina. The light rays coming from any object form an inverted image of the object on the retina with the help of this lens. This image is carried to the brain by the optic nerve. The brain converts these images as erect. This is how we are able to see an object correctly.

            If the eyes have no defect, the focal length of this lens gets automatically adjusted and the image of the object always fails exactly on the retina. But sometimes, the eyes develop some defects formed in front or behind the retina. Thus, the object appears blurred. Persons with such defects have to use spectacles. There are mainly there defects of vision that can be corrected by the use of suitable eyeglasses or spectacles.

            Myopia: persons suffering form this defect can see nearby objects clearly, but distant objects appear to be blurred. This defect causes the image of an object to form before the retina. This defect is corrected by using concave lenses in the spectacles, so that the image of a distant object is formed on the retina. Usually students suffer from this defect.

            Hypermetropia: people suffering from this defect cannot see nearby objects clearly, but distant objects are clearly visible. Nearby objects make their images behind the retina. This defect is corrected by using convex lenses in the spectacles so that the image of the object is formed on the retina. This defect is common after the age of 50 years.

            Astigmatism: in astigmatism, a person cannot focus simultaneously on both horizontal and vertical lines. This defect can be corrected by the use of cylindrical lenses.

            Sometimes, due to old age, a person may suffer from both myopia and hypermetropia. This defect is known presbyopia. Bifocal lenses, with both concave and convex lenses, are helpful for old people who are suffering form both these defects.

            This is how spectacles can help people to see objects clearly. Spectacles have proved to be a great boon for persons with weak vision. In addition, sunglasses with UV filtering or cooling lenses are used for protecting the eyes from the intense rays of the sun. Special glasses are used in UV sunglasses, which prevent the ultraviolet rays of the sun from entering the eyes. Ultraviolet rays given out by the sun are very injurious to the eyes, because they can damage the tissues due to their high energy content.