Dementia, epilepsy, and Parkinson disease are twice as common in patients with pemphigus than in matched controls, researchers report in JAMA Dermatology.
Modern medicine – dermatology
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Four therapeutic areas to watch in 2018
Atopic dermatitis: Biologics to watch in 2018
5 Eczema Types You Should Watch Out For
Eczema is sort of an umbrella term, much like dermatitis, used to describe a number of ailments that present with similar symptoms. Listed here are the five most common eczema types that arise, and their unique symptoms. Getting familiar with them will help you recognize when it’s time to seek medical care, and why.
1) Atopic Dermatitis
Of all the types of eczema, this by far is the most popular to show up. Symptoms include: itchy skin, red and swollen patches; and is possibly caused by an immune response that is somehow impaired or otherwise not functioning properly. With this type of condition, the eczema can show up and disappear without apparent cause. About one out of every ten infants will contract atopic dermatitis, and three out of every hundred grown-ups will also become affected at one point or other. Atopic dermatitis also seems to be hereditary.
2) Contact Eczema
This is another type that is fairly common, and presents the patient with skin that is inflamed and itchy, as well as burning. It’s caused, as you may have deduced, from contacting an allergen. The skin may also be sensitive to other irritants common to household use, like acids (even lemon juice), cleansers, various chemicals that may be typical in everyday use, and even laundry soaps and hand or body wash. The list is pretty wide, and can change as life goes on. It’s difficult to say since allergies can come and go in the course of one’s life, and since the ingredients to the chemicals we use aren’t necessarily consistent from batch to batch.
3) Seborrheic Eczema
This type of eczema results in yellowish and oily, sometimes even scaly patches on the skin. Often these patches show up on the face and scalp, though there’s no hard and fast rule – eczema appears where it wants to. Common areas that will show this condition are the facial creases, and the chances of contracting it are increased with stress, changing weather patterns or seasons and oily skin.
4) Nummular Eczema
This is another hereditary type of eczema. It produces coin-shaped areas of skin that can be crusted and scaling, and of course: very itchy. The areas commonly affected are the back, lower extremities, arms and the buttocks. This is a chronic condition that needs consistent attention.
5) Neurodermatitis
The final of these five eczema types is called neurodermatitis. This form of eczema is a chronic condition, caused by the cycle of scratching the itchy tissue. If scratching isn’t averted, the condition worsens. Interestingly, females are more susceptible than males, and commonly those between the ages of twenty and fifty. This will present itself on the head and extremities, though may appear elsewhere.
If you want to learn more about the Eczema Cures and Remedies, visit Eczema Free Forever and get all your questions answered while you read your 15 page Special Report. Jeff Yuan has written many more articles on Eczema Cures and they can be found at Free From Eczema.
Top Healthcare Technology Advances to Watch Out
Healthcare organizations are searching for the best tools to improve patient care and, in some cases, reduce healthcare costs. These technology advances may replace obsolete procedures and treatments in the future. However, not all of them are as promising as the following.
Liquid Biopsies to Identify Cancer
Tumor biopsies have long been utilized in the diagnosis of cancer. Biopsies are also used to identify the tumor’s cell type and if it has any genetic alterations that will make a patient a candidate for a specific treatment. However, tumor biopsies require invasive procedures. Not everyone is healthy enough to undergo biopsy. In some cases, the location of the tumor makes it impossible to perform the surgery.
With liquid biopsy, these risks and complications may be eliminated. Liquid biopsies utilize the patient’s blood, plasma, serum, or urine, instead of biopsied tissue. These specimens are easier to obtain and are less risky.
The largest research done on liquid biopsies have produced results that are very similar to traditional tumor biopsies. Also, liquid biopsy can identify mutations associated with resistance to treatment that were not identified by traditional biopsy.
While 2017 is not the year that tumor biopsies will become a thing of the past, these early results of liquid biopsies are promising. It might not be long until cancer can be identified with a simple blood test.
Treating Disease Using the Microbiome
Known to be one of the most exciting innovations of the year, the medical community is finally acknowledging that our health starts largely in the gut.
Bacteria that make up microbiomes, or genetic footprints, help determine a person’s DNA and his or her predisposition to certain diseases. In fact, about 90 percent of diseases can be traced back to a person’s gut and the state of his or her microbiome.
This is why paying attention to gut health is very important. Whenever toxins are stuck in the digestive tract, inflammation occurs. Symptoms like bloating, food allergies, and skin problems then begin to appear. In some people, symptoms of autoimmune diseases appear.
Diabetes Drugs That Can Help Reduce Heart Disease
Millions of people have type 2 diabetes. This year is exciting for those with diabetes as we can see new diabetes medications that can alleviate comorbidities that come along with the condition, such as kidney problems and heart diseases.
Cellular Immunotherapy to Treat Lymphomas and Leukemia
Immunotherapy is becoming a viable option in treating certain kinds of cancers, mainly lymphoma and leukemias. Immunotherapy is a method of stimulating an individual’s own immune system so that strength is restored and the body will have the power needed to attack cancer cells. While immunotherapy also has its own set of challenges, it has proven to be effective in the treatment of lymphoma and leukemia.
Treating Depression with Ketamine
Although natural remedies and prescription medications are available for people with depression, these treatments do not work for some patients. Unfortunately, some end up committing suicide.
The medical community believes that there is hope in ketamine. The drug has been studied over the past few years and has given excellent results. It might become a good option for treatment-resistant depression cases.
3D Visualization and Better Reality for Surgery
Surgeons spend hours with their heads down and backs and necks aching while performing a procedure. They also sometimes have limited vision. Not to mention that a small mistake can be dangerous for the patient.
However, this past year, the fields of neurosurgery and retinal surgery are experimenting new technologies that will allow the surgeon to perform a procedure while his or her is up. 3D visual representations of the subject will also be provided.
This technology makes surgery more comfortable, thereby reducing risks of committing errors. Visual information allows surgeons to be more efficient and gives junior surgeons a better view of what is happening in the operating theatre.
Bioabsorbable Stents for Those with Coronary Heart Disease
Some coronary heart disease patients have metal coronary stents in their chests to prop their arteries open and alleviate blockage in the coronary artery. The stent remains in the patient’s body even after it has done its job. The stent may eventually impede blood flow and make scans and future surgeries hard to do. In some cases, blood clots may form.
Bioabsorbable stents are made of a naturally dissolving polymer, which is much like dissolving sutures. It widens a clogged artery for two years before the body absorbs it.
These advances in the field of healthcare technology are promising. However, it is essential that further studies and trials are made before they are applied and accepted as safe for the population. Let’s wait and see what 2017 has in store for us and whether these innovations in healthcare technology will have a significant impact in the industry.