Май 15

FOOD POISONING – TOXINS (DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT)

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This germ may contaminate canned or bottled food, particularly if home-prepared. The toxin is deadly. Fortunately, an antitoxin is available, but early diagnosis and treatment is essential.

Food poisoning due to toxins usually develops within four to six hours but those cases due to infection with bacteria or viruses may take 12 to 24 hours to develop. Food may be contaminated with chemicals, especially the heavy metals and then symptoms come on quickly, usually within one to two hours.

If you want to avoid this unpleasant group of illnesses, some simple precautions may help. You would be wise to avoid food which appears «off», in any way. If the color, smell or taste gives an indication that all is not well, leave it alone. This applies to left-over foods at home as well as those you buy.

Foods which are kept warm for long periods are prone to contamination. Look at the standard of cleanliness in the shop. If it is generally good, the owners probably take care of the food as well as the premises. Sloppy people tend to be sloppy in all things.

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Май 15

ENDOMETRIOSIS – INTRODUCTION

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Why tissues from the womb should sometimes be found elsewhere in the body is a puzzle called endometriosis.

The endometrium is the layer of cells which forms the lining of the uterus or womb. It is this layer which is under hormone control and builds up and becomes thick and spongy, ready to receive the fertilised egg should conception occur.

If it doesn’t this layer of tissue is shed, along with a certain amount of bleeding, and is the menstrual flow which constitutes a woman’s period.

In endometriosis, some of this endometrial tissue is found in other areas. It may be present deep in the muscle layers of the womb itself, in the ovary in the ligaments which hold the womb in place or on any of the abdominal organs. Why this tissue should be present in an unusual position is uncertain.

The problem with this condition is that the ectopic, or «out of place» cells react in the same way to the hormonal changes as the cells in their proper place. They build up, increase their blood supply and then shrivel up and bleeding occurs at the time of the period.

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Май 15

EXPRESSIONS USED TO DESCRIBE AIMS OF TREATMENT – POSSIBLE BENEFITS OF PALLIATIVE TREATMENT

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The possible benefit of palliative anti-cancer treatments is that they may control the cancer temporarily. While the cancer is under control, there will probably be less symptoms from it. The patient may feel better, provided the symptoms due to treatment are not as bad as the symptoms due to the cancer were. Sooner or later the cancer will become active again. It will then grow and eventually result in death in much the same way as it would have earlier, if no anti-cancer treatment had been used. In other words, the possible benefit from palliative cancer treatments is that they may delay the eventual outcome. However, they don’t really alter it. In contrast, potentially curative treatments may prevent a person from dying of cancer. Try not to lose sight of the fact that, of course, there is nothing that can prevent you from eventually dying of something. A lot of people with cancer suffer unnecessarily because they let their doctors treat them as though this was not a basic fact of life.

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