COPD - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

COPD - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - COPD is almost always caused by smoking. Over time, breathing tobacco smoke irritates the airways and destroys the stretchy fibers in the lungs.Other things that may put you at risk include breathing chemical fumes, dust, or air pollution over a long period of time. It usually takes many years for the lung damage to start causing symptoms, so COPD is most common in people who are older than 60.

The main symptoms are:

• A long-lasting cough
• Mucus that comes up when you cough
• Shortness of breath that gets worse when you exercise.

COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe. "Progressive" means the disease gets worse over time. COPD can cause coughing that produces large amounts of mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other symptoms. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of obstructive lung disease characterized by long term poor airflow. The main symptoms include shortness of breath and cough with sputum production. COPD typically worsens over time. Eventually walking up stairs or carrying things will be difficult.

 Other causes of COPD can include:

• genetic reasons (alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency)
• occupational dusts and chemicals
• second hand smoke
• frequent lung infections as a child
• wood smoke and other biomass (animal dung, crop residues) fuel used for cooking.

COLLES FRACTURE

COLLES FRACTURE - A colles' fracture a fracture of the distal radius in the forearm with dorsal and radial displacement of the wrist and hand. The fracture is sometimes referred to as a "dinner fork" or "bayonet" deformity due to the shape of the resultant forearm. Colles' fractures are often seen in people with Osteoporosis. Colles fracture are very common extra-articular fractures of the distal radius that occur as the result of a fall onto an outstretched hand. They consist of a fracture of the distal radial metaphyseal region with dorsal angulation and impaction, but without involvement of the articular surface.

 

    CAUSES, if you:

• have osteoporosis.
• have low muscle mass, poor muscle strength, or lack agility
• walk or do other activities in snow, on ice, or that require a lot of forward momentum, such as in-line skating and skiing
• have an inadequate intake of calcium or vitamin D

Make sure you are getting enough calcium by eating dark, leafy green vegetables, and low-fat dairy products fortified with calcium. If your diet isn’t giving you enough calcium, you can make up for it by taking calcium supplements. A broken wrist usually causes immediate pain, tenderness, bruising, and swelling. In many cases, the wrist hangs in an odd or bent way.

COCCYDYNIA

COCCYDYNIA - Coccydynia is often caused by an injury, but it may occur seemingly spontaneously. There are many causes of tailbone pain that can mimic coccydynia, including sciatica, infection, pilonidal cysts, sacroiliitis, and fractured bone.Inflammation of the tailbone is referred to as coccydynia. Coccydynia is associated with pain and tenderness at the tip of the tailbone between the buttocks. The pain is often worsened by sitting.
 
One way of classifying coccydynia is whether the onset was traumatic versus non-traumatic. In many cases the exact cause is unknown and is referred to as idiopathic coccydynia. Coccydynia is a fairly common injury which can often result from falls, particularly in leisure activities such as cycling. Coccydynia is often reported following a fall or after childbirth. In some cases, persistent pressure from activities like bicycling may cause the onset of coccyx pain. Coccydynia due to these causes usually is not permanent, but it may become very persistent and chronic if not controlled. Coccydynia may also be caused by sitting improperly thereby straining the coccyx.

The main symptom is pain and tenderness in the area just above the buttocks.
The pain may:

• be dull and achy most of the time, with occasional sharp pains
• be worse when sitting down, moving from sitting to standing, standing for long periods, having sex and going for a poo
• make it very difficult to sleep and carry out everyday activities, such as driving or bending over

Some people also have back pain, shooting leg pains (sciatica) and painful buttocks and hips.

CERVICAL SPONDYLOSIS

CERVICAL SPONDYLOSIS - Cervical spondylosis is a general term for age-related wear and tear affecting the spinal disks in your neck. As the disks dehydrate and shrink, signs of osteoarthritis develop, including bony projections along the edges of bone. Cervical spondylosis is a common degenerative condition of the cervical spine. It is most likely caused by age-related changes in the intervertebral disks. These include neck and shoulder pain, suboccipital pain and headache, radicular symptoms, and cervical spondylotic myelopathy. As disk degeneration occurs, mechanical stresses result in osteophytic bars, which form along the ventral aspect of the spinal canal.

Sometimes, cervical spondylosis results in a narrowing of the space needed by the spinal cord and the nerve roots that pass through the spine to the rest of your body. If the spinal cord or nerve roots become pinched, you might experience:

• Tingling, numbness and weakness in your arms, hands, legs or feet
• Lack of coordination and difficulty walking
• Loss of bladder or bowel control

Cervical spondylosis is caused by aging and chronic wear on the cervical spine. This includes the disks or cushions between the neck vertebrae and the joints between the bones of the cervical spine. There may be abnormal growths or spurs on the bones of the spine-vertebrae. Over time, these changes can compress one or more of the nerve roots. In advanced cases, the spinal cord becomes involved. This can affect not just the arms, but the legs as well.


The pain may get worse:

• After standing or sitting
• At night
• When you sneeze, cough, or laugh
• When you bend the neck backwards or walk more than a few yards