Learn about the blood cells that all healthy humans have and know their function!

Feb21

 

 

 

Your blood carries oxygen and nutrients to all of the cells in your body. Blood cells also fight infection and control bleeding.

Most blood cells are made in your bone marrow. They are constantly being made and replaced. How long a blood cell lasts before being replaced is called its lifespan.

Your blood is made up of 4 parts: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma.

This information explains the different parts of your blood and their functions.

Your blood carries oxygen and nutrients to all of the cells in your body. Blood cells also fight infection and control bleeding.

Most blood cells are made in your bone marrow. They are constantly being made and replaced. How long a blood cell lasts before being replaced is called its lifespan.

Your blood is made up these 4 types of cells, lets review:

Parts of Your Blood

1-Red blood cells (erythrocytes)

Red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to your tissues. They also bring carbon dioxide back to your lungs.

Red blood cells make up almost half of your blood. The lifespan of a red blood cell is around 120 days.

2-White blood cells (leukocytes)

White blood cells fight infection and are an important part of your immune system. They make up a very small part of your total blood (less than 1%).

There are 3 types of white blood cells: I granulocytes, II monocytes, & III lymphocytes. Each type has an important role.

  • I There are 3 types of granulocytes: A.Neutrophils help fight bacterial and fungal infections. B. Basophils are part of your body’s immune response/responses to allergens. Basophils are implicated in multiple human diseases including autoimmune disorders, inflammatory disorders, cancer and allergies and asthma. However, the contributions of basophils to the development of human disease states remain poorly defined. Their exact function isn’t well known.  C.Eosinophils their main action is to help fight infections caused by parasites.  A high number of eosinophils (eosinophilia) are often linked to a variety of disorders. A high eosinophil count may be due to: Adrenal gland deficiency. Also it could mean allergic disease, including hay fever.
  • II Monocytes break down and remove foreign organisms and dying cells from your body. Main action against bacterial infection.  They have subsets no Types (too much for this topic).  Clevaland Clinic states “Monocytes are a type of white blood cell (leukocytes) that reside in your blood and tissues to find and destroy germs (viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa) and eliminate infected cells. Monocytes call on other white blood cells to help treat injury and prevent infection.
  • III Lymphocytes make up your immune system.  Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell. They help your body’s immune system fight cancer and foreign viruses and bacteria. Your lymphocyte count can be taken during a normal blood test at your healthcare provider’s office. Lymphocyte levels vary depending on your age, race, sex, altitude and lifestyle.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Center in NYC states “White blood cells have a wide range of lifespans, from hours to years.”.

3-Platelets (thrombocytes)

Platelets are small parts of cells. Their main function is to control bleeding. They make up a very small part of your blood (less than 1%). The lifespan of platelets is about 9 to 12 days.

4-Plasma

Plasma is the pale-yellow liquid part of your blood that holds all of your blood cells. It makes up a little over half of your total blood.

Plasma helps move water, nutrients, minerals, medications, and hormones throughout your body. It also carries waste products to your kidneys. Then your kidneys filter out the waste products from your blood. Plasma is made up of water, protein, lipids (fats). It carries water, fat-soluble nutrients, and other substances to and from the different organs.

Resources

Johns Hopkins Medicine
www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/facts-about-blood
This website has facts about blood, blood cells, and blood cell count.

American Red Cross
www.redcrossblood.org
The American Red Cross offers a variety of information about the different parts of blood and what blood cells do.

Stanford Children’s Health
www.stanfordchildrens.org
Stanford Children’s Health offers a variety of information about the different parts of blood and what blood cells do.

QUOTE FOR TUESDAY:

Feb20

“Everyone deserves the opportunity to lead a full and healthy life. Sadly, systemic issues contribute to health disparities, including for those facing lung cancer. Individuals of color who are diagnosed with lung cancer face worse outcomes compared to white individuals living in America because they are less likely to be diagnosed early, less likely to receive surgical treatment, and more likely to not receive any treatment. Close to two-thirds of the 28 million uninsured people living in America are people of color, and research is clear that having health coverage impacts people’s medical care and ultimately their health outcomes. Addressing racial disparities in healthcare coverage is critical to addressing racial disparities in lung cancer care. Black individuals with lung cancer were 15% less likely to be diagnosed early, 19% less likely to receive surgical treatment, 11% more likely to not receive any treatment, and 16% less likely to survive five years compared to white individuals.”                                                                                        American Lung Association (https://www.lung.org/research/state-of-lung-cancer/racial-and-ethnic-disparities)

Unemployment insurance is a joint state-federal program that provides cash benefits to eligible workers. Each state administers a separate unemployment insurance program, but all states follow the same guidelines established by federal law.”  The U.S. Dept. of Labor (https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/unemployment-insurance)

Part II Black History Month — Read about common diseases in this ethnic group compared to others.

Feb20

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The rates of death by diabetes for each race and ethnicity in the United States in 2005.

Heart disease and stroke disproportionately affect African-Americans.   Why?  One this race is highiest in B/P&high in stroke(one main cause of stoke=high b/p).

Black Americans and High Blood Pressure Heart Disease & Stroke

“What sets the stage for the more aggressive and higher incidence of heart disease in African-Americans is a very high incidence of high blood pressure,” Yancy says. “This predisposes African-Americans to more heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke. This makes us focus on high blood pressure as it forces heart failure.”

Know the facts of how to get High B/P.  Factors are:  Obesity, High Sodium intake, Lack of Exercise, and Genetic History in the family.

Clinical Trials show blacks and whites respond differently to treatments for high blood pressure. Indeed, treatment guidelines suggest that doctors should consider different drugs based on a patient’s race.

But Yancey says that a closer look at the data shows that race tends to be a marker for more complicated high blood pressure treatment.

This ethnic group has factors for complicated B/P.  Non-compliance with the Rx they should be doing and not going to follow up visits.  Ignoring symptoms till they have to go to the ER.  In America if you go to an ER of hospital government assisted they can’t say No we can’t take you for no insurance.   Lack of having medical insurance is another factor.

Unfortunately if no insurance due to inability to afford it and can’t go to doctors for a office visit.  There is help.  What is available is free clinics to provide medical service to any person who can’t afford a bill due to lack of insurance with no fee.  Check out freeclinics.com to find where your free clinics are available in the area you live.

Health care differences between African-Americans and white Americans.

Clinical Trials show blacks and whites respond differently to treatments for high blood pressure. Indeed, treatment guidelines suggest that doctors should consider different drugs based on a patient’s race.

But Yancey says that a closer look at the data shows that race tends to be a marker for more complicated high blood pressure treatment.

“Data suggests that all therapies do equally well — but patients at higher risk need more intensive therapy,” he says.

A similar situation exists for heart failure. A promising treatment for heart failure didn’t seem to be working — until researchers noticed that it worked much better for black patients than for white patients. A study of black patients confirmed this finding — and provided tantalizing evidence that the drug will help patients of all races with certain disease characteristics.

Clinical trials show blacks and whites respond differently to treatments for high blood pressure. Indeed, treatment guidelines suggest that doctors should consider different drugs based on a patient’s race.But Yancey says that a closer look at the data shows that race tends to be a marker for more complicated high blood pressure treatment.”Data suggests that all therapies do equally well — but patients at higher risk need more intensive therapy,” he says.A similar situation exists for heart failure. A promising treatment for heart failure didn’t seem to be working — until researchers noticed that it worked much better for black patients than for white patients. A study of black patients confirmed this finding — and provided tantalizing evidence that the drug will help patients of all races with certain disease characteristics.“The way this discussion of race differences has been helpful for the whole field of cardiology, is it is exposing new treatment options for all people with heart failure for African-American and Caucasian,” Yancy says.

Black Americans and Lung Disease

A 2005 report from the American Lung Association shows that black Americans suffer far more lung disease than white Americans do.

Some of the findings:

-Black Americans have more asthma than any racial or ethnic group in America. And blacks are 3 times more likely to die of asthma than the white race.

-Black Americans are 3 times more likely to suffer sarcoidosis than white Americans. The lung-scarring disease is 16 times more deadly for blacks than for whites.  Black men are leading ethnic sex as smokers.

-Black American children are 3 times as likely as white American children to have sleep apnea.

-Black American babies die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) 2.5 times as often as white American babies.

-Black American men are 50% more likely to get lung cancer than white American men.  Lets know some facts, in particular Smoking:

See the image below for the percentage of black men versus white men who smoke in the USA that definitely puts you health at risk for problems.

Image result for Statistics on wornen smokers of the USA

Related image

Also your environment plays a role.  Example living in Jersey City as opposed to the country puts you at a highier risk for lung cancer possibly due to the pollution content, especially if you have been living there 20 years or more as opposed to 5 years.  You have to look at factors that could cause smoking (This is a whole another topic by itself).

Black Americans and Diabetes

Black Americans — and Mexican-Americans — have twice the risk of diabetes as white Americans. In addition, blacks with diabetes have more serious complications — such as loss of vision, loss of limbs, and kidney failure — than whites, notes Maudene Nelson, RD, certified diabetes educator at Naomi Barry Diabetes Center at Columbia University.“The theory is that maybe it is access to health care, or maybe a cultural fatalism — thinking, ‘It is God’s will,’ or, ‘My family had it so I have it’ — not a sense of something I can have an impact on so it won’t hurt me,” Nelson tells WebMD. “But more and more there is thinking it is something that makes blacks genetically more susceptible. It is hard to tell how much of it is what.”

Keep in mind besides Hereditary, Obesity and POOR DIET with NO EXERCISE, and controlling your glucose level (between 100-120 but cer all play crucial factors in getting diabetes.

The Forgotten Killer – There is, indeed, evidence that African-Americans may have a genetic susceptibility to diabetes. Even so, Nelson says, the real problem is empowering patients to keep their diabetes under control.

TO CONTROL DIABETES IS BASED ON DISCIPLINE OF THE INDIVIDUAL TO CONTROL THE DISEASE, ESPECIALLY DM TYPE II!  ITS NOT BASED ON JUST BEING BLACK! IT WOULD BE MORE OF A CHALLENGE THE DM TYPE I!  EXERCISE, DIET, WEIGHT ARE THE MAJOR FACTORS TO CONTROLLING WITH TAKING MEDS THAT ARE PRESCRIBED BY THE MD (pills to insulin).

“Patients often have the sense that they are not as much in charge of managing their diabetes as their doctor,” Nelson says. “Where I work, in various settings, there is an emphasis on patients. We say this is what your blood sugar is; this is what influences your blood sugar; you have to remember to take your meds. So as a diabetes educator I know there has to be an emphasis on patients putting out more effort to manage their own health.”

Black Americans and Sickle Cell Anemia

It’s no surprise that sickle cell anemia affects African-Americans far more than it does white Americans.

This, clearly, is a genetic disease that has little to do with the environment. Yet even here — with a killer disease — social and political issues come into play.

LeRoy M. Graham Jr., MD-a pediatric lung expert, serves on the American Lung Association’s board of directors, is associate clinical professor of pediatrics at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, and serves as staff physician for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Graham says, the National Institutes of Health is changing this situation.

One reason for this change — as research into lung disease, heart disease, and diabetes shows — is the growing realization that the health black Americans who dominate this disease primarily and not a caucasian disease is a human health issue that needs to be addressed like all others.   All diseases need to be addressed but obviously the highest number of population regarding diseases are looked into more to decrease the count.

 

 

 

QUOTE FOR MONDAY:

Feb19

“Diabetes offers a perfect model for tackling a major killer within the Black population and demonstrating the role of social determinants of health. More than 37 million Americans (about one in 10) have diabetes, and more than 90 million American adults are prediabetic. In 2018, Black/African American adults were 60% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than whites.”

U.S. News (https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-02-22/black-history-month-battle-health-inequity-by-addressing-social-determinants)

Part I Black History Month — Read about common diseases in this ethnic group.

Feb19

Figure 2: Black Population, by State, 2010-2011

The majority of Americans black or white under 67.5 have to work to have medical coverage (unless under disability), if not the majority of Americans would be rich.

Health care disparities heighten disease differences between African-Americans and white Americans.

  • African-Americans are three times more likely to die of asthma than white Americans.
  • Diabetes is 60% more common in black Americans than in white Americans. Blacks are up to 2.5 times more likely to suffer a limb amputation and up to 5.6 times more likely to suffer kidney disease than other people with diabetes.
  • Deaths from lung scarring — sarcoidosis — are 16 times more common among blacks than among whites. The disease recently killed former NFL star Reggie White at age 43.
  • Despite lower tobacco exposure, black men are 50% more likely than white men to get lung cancer.
  • Strokes kill 4 times more 35- to 54-year-old black Americans than white Americans. Blacks have nearly twice the first-time stroke risk of whites.
  • Blacks develop high blood pressure earlier in life — and with much higher blood pressure levels — than whites. Nearly 42% of black men and more than 45% of black women aged 20 and older have high blood pressure.
  • Cancer treatment is equally successful for all races. Yet black men have a 40% higher cancer death rate than white men. African-American women have a 20% higher cancer death rate than white women.

Why?

Factor 1 – Genes definitely play a role. So does the environment in which people live, socioeconomic status,  says Clyde W. Yancy, MD, associate dean of clinical affairs and medical director for heart failure/transplantation at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Living in a low socioeconomic environment puts you at risk to eating fast foods or deli food (especially in the cities) and increasing, over long term eating fast foods, causing disease (DM, Obesity, Heart Disease and could go on).

Factor 2 – Another reason is that a higher percentage of black Americans than white Americans live close to toxic waste dumps — and to the factories that produce this waste.

Addressing socioeconomic groups first, Dr. Yancy says that all humans have the same physiology, are vulnerable to the same illnesses, and respond to the same medicines. Naturally, diseases and responses to treatment do vary from person to person. But, he says, there are unique issues that affect black Americans.

Like Yancy, LeRoy M. Graham Jr., MD, says the time is ripe for Americans to come to grips with these issues. Graham, a pediatric lung expert, serves on the American Lung Association’s board of directors, is associate clinical professor of pediatrics at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, and serves as staff physician for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

“I just think we as physicians need to get more impassioned,” Graham tells WebMD. “There are health disparities. There are things that may have more sinister origins in institutionalized racism. But we as doctors need to spend more time recognizing these disparities and addressing them — together with our patients — on a very individual level.”

A 2005 report from the American Lung Association shows that black Americans suffer far more lung disease than white Americans do.

Some of the findings:

  • Black Americans have more asthma than any racial or ethnic group in America. And blacks are 3 times more likely to die of asthma than whites.
  • Black Americans are 3 times more likely to suffer sarcoidosis than white Americans. The lung-scarring disease is 16 times more deadly for blacks than for whites.
  • Black American children are 3 times as likely as white American children to have sleep apnea.
  • Black American babies die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) 2.5 times as often as white American babies.
  • Black American men are 50% more likely to get lung cancer than white American men.  For starters this race is highier overall than caucasians in smoking in the U.S.A.
  • Black Americans are half as likely to get flu and pneumonia vaccinations as white Americans.

“The environment is involved, and there is potential genetic susceptibility — but we also have to talk about the fact that African-Americans’ social and economic status lags behind that of Caucasians,” Graham says. “And low socioeconomic status is linked to more disease.”

Of course these 2 factors put you at risk for disease, but you want to live in a better environment do your research.   Some may say it due to blacks being treated poorly or the word “racism”.  Is this the case, No not at all.  You need the facts why you blacks are highier in living in a toxic or low socioeconomic group.  One, that is where they can afford and decide to live their. Two is because they feel they can not or they decide not to move due to personal reasons like lack to apply self to get in a better environment (whether it be due to fear, lack of knowing their success in the move/challenge so they don’t want to take the chance or not wanting change and decide to stay in that toxic or low socio-economic area.  No one puts a magnum 45 to anyone’s head telling them they have to stay in these areas.  In America you can live where you want.  So its up to the individual with the family having the will to make the move in their life to be less exposed to areas poor for you health.  Its up to them to research areas less expensive or better enviroment exposure areas in America; no one else is going to do that for them or any one else.  Than there are those that simply don’t mind living in areas like toxic or low socioeconomic exposed but many don’t understand that thinking.  The risk is that individual and their family put themselves at risk for a higher chance of getting these diseases like lung cancer, heart disease, etc…   Make the move and get out of those places and live a better quality of life for you and all in your family.  Its all up to you to make the move.  Keep in mind disease is not just environmental related.  You need to look at all factors like genetic, the diet you are on, how active you are; its not just one factor in most cases.  You have to take a holistic approach on seeing what diseases you could be exposed to and why.  Don’t wait till symptoms start finding out its possibly too late.  Think PREVENTION over treatment.  Its your life and up to you!

Part II tomorrow

QUOTE FOR THE WEEKEND:

Feb17

“February is dedicated to the work of perianesthesia nurses. Perianesthesia nurses specialize in helping or caring for patients who are entering or recovering from anesthesia. These nurses help many patients and families all the time and deal with normal and adverse reactions to sedation multiple times a day. They are extremely passionate about the work they do, which is why, this week, the American Association of Perianesthesia Nurses, is stressing the importance of celebrating the exceptional work practiced by these nurses.”

Legacy Health Services (https://lhshealth.com/2019/02/perianesthesia-nurse-awareness-week/)

Peri-anesthesia Nurse Awareness in February!

Feb17

The nation’s 60,000 perianesthesia nurses will highlight and celebrate their work during PeriAnesthesia Nurse Awareness Week (PANAW), which is observed throughout the United States the first full week of February.

Perianesthesia Nurses care for patients before and after procedures requiring anesthesia, sedation, and analgesia. Approximately 40 million surgical procedures take place in the U.S. each year.

What Does a Perianesthesia Nurse Do? The main responsibility of a perianesthesia nurse is to monitor patients who are recovering from anesthesia and medical procedures. To do this, they will regularly monitor and record patients’ vital signs, including heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, and respiration rate.
The core ideology of the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (ASPAN) is to serve nurses “practicing in all phases of preanesthesia and postanesthesia care, ambulatory surgery, and pain management.  The National Association of PeriAnesthesia Nurses of Canada (NAPAN©) promotes leadership to PeriAnesthesia nurses (from the PreAdmission/PreOperative Phase through to the Anesthesia Phase and all of the PostAnesthesia phases) in education, research and adapting to evolving practices in client and health services needs within the Canadian health care system.
This type of nursing usually includes at lease a associate degree or in certain hospitals a BSN degree in Nursing plus certifications for this area that has to be renewed q 2 years.  The certifications start with getting certified in Basic Care Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Care Life Support (ACLS).  In the United States, RNs can receive specialty certification through the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (ASPAN) as either Certified PostAnesthesia Nurses (CPAN) or Certified Ambulatory PeriAnesthesia Nurses (CAPA).
n Canada, the Canadian Nurses Association has recently added peri- or post-anesthesia nursing as a certified specialty with the first Certification qualification examination currently being offered (registration fall, 2013 with exam date April 5, 2014). The Canadian certification is PeriAnesthesia Nurse Certified (Canada), or PANC(C).

The work environments these nurses work in consists of  a few areas that are critical:

1. Pre-operative  –  Nurses are responsible for a large amount of the assessment done in pre-operative clinics, where patients (pts or pt)are evaluated for the ability to tolerate anesthetic and screened for factors which may affect the course of the anesthetic experience.  The nurses set up up from IV’s started, vital signs, assessment of the pt from head to toe, making sure the pt did not eat for the amount of hours prior to going into surgery.  It is doing whatever is necessary prior to a patient having surgery is done from physically and that all paperwork is done in the chart from consents to even labs done within 24 hours or a few days depending on the type of surgery being done if its in a ambulatory day clinic but as a hospital pt labs are usually done that morning 2a or 6a if not further than the day before depending on the reason the pt is in the hospital.
2. Post – operative – Nurses provide extensive care to patients in the early stages of emergence from anesthetic and in the immediate post-operative period until they are deemed stable enough to safely transfer to other areas; which vary from returning back to the room on the unit they are on in the hospital or to the ambulatory room they came from in the hospital where in the end the pt leaves from their and goes home or in some cases leave from straight from the recovery room to home.  Nurses in the post – op or recovery room are assessing pts around the clock till cleared stable and cleared by the MD to go home, usually with a driver with them or back to their room.
3. Ambulatory – There is a large number of procedures that are performed on an outpatient basis where the patient is not expected to require hospitalization after the procedure. Examples include dental, gynecological, back surgery where a MD inserts steroid injections in a pt, and diagnostic imaging clinics.  Ambulatory surgery usually is micro surgeries.
4 – Pain Management – Pain management nurses are sometimes considered to be perianesthesia nurses, given the collaborative nature of their work with anesthetists and the fact that a large proportion of acute pain issues are surgery related. However, distinct pain management certifications exist through the American Society for Pain Management Nurses.
Peri-anesthesia nursing encompasses several sub-specialty practice areas and represents a diverse number of practice environments and skill sets.  Thank you to all the nurses in America and in other countries for your service in caring for patients in this specialty area.

QUOTE FOR FRIDAY:

Feb16

“Millions of people in the United States are living with a visual impairment. A visual impairment can make it hard to do everyday activities, like getting around, reading, or cooking. And it can’t be fixed with glasses, contacts, or other standard treatments, like medicine or surgery.

The good news is that vision rehabilitation services can help people with a visual impairment make the most of the vision they have — and keep doing the things they love. Take some time this Low Vision Awareness Month to learn about vision rehabilitation.”

NIH – National Eye Institute (https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/outreach-resources/vision-rehabilitation-resources/low-vision-awareness-month)

AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month

Feb16

Prevent Blindness has declared February as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Low Vision Awareness Month. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in people 50 years or older, and more than 2.9 million Americans age 40 and older have low vision. Low vision is defined as a visual impairment that is not correctable through surgery, medicine, eye glasses or contact lenses.

According to the National Eye Institute, currently 4.2 million Americans ages 40 and older are visually impaired. Of these, 3 million have low vision. By 2030, when the last baby boomers turn 65, the number of Americans who have visual impairments is projected to reach 7.2 million, with 5 million having low vision.

For the millions of people who currently live or will live with low vision, the good news is that there is help.

But first, what is low vision? Low vision is when even with regular glasses, contact lenses, medicine, or surgery, people have difficulty seeing, which makes everyday tasks difficult to do. Activities that used to be simple like reading the mail, shopping, cooking, and writing can become challenging.

Most people with low vision are age 65 or older. The leading causes of vision loss in older adults are age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataract, and glaucoma. Among younger people, vision loss is most often caused by inherited eye conditions, infectious and autoimmune eye diseases, or trauma. For people with low vision, maximizing their remaining sight is key to helping them continue to live safe, productive, and rewarding lives.

The first step is to seek help.

What is a low vision specialist? A low vision specialist is an ophthalmologist or optometrist who works with people who have low vision. A low vision specialist can develop a vision rehabilitation plan that identifies strategies and assistive devices appropriate for the person’s particular needs.

A low vision examination is quite different from the basic examination routinely performed by primary care optometrists and ophthalmologists.

A low vision examination includes a review of your visual and medical history, and places an emphasis on the vision needed to read, cook, work, study, travel, and perform and enjoy other common activities. The goals of a low vision exam include assessing the functional needs, capabilities, and limitations of your vision, assessing ocular and systemic diseases, and evaluating and prescribing low vision therapies.

Education and counseling of family and other care providers; providing an understanding of your visual functioning to aid educators, vocational counselors, employers and care givers; directing further evaluations and treatments by other vision rehabilitation professionals; and making appropriate referrals for medical intervention are all a part of a low vision evaluation.

Vision rehabilitation can include the following:

  • Training to use magnifying and adaptive devices
  • Teaching new daily living skills to remain safe and live independently
  • Developing strategies to navigate around the home and in public
  • Providing resources and support

The good news is that vision rehabilitation services can help people with vision impairment learn how to stay independent and make the most of their sight. Low Vision Awareness Month is a great time to spread the word about vision rehabilitation — and make sure that people with vision impairment know about the services available to them.

Magnification devices, electronic devices, computer-access software, and other access and mainstream technologies are used to help people with low vision maximize their remaining vision or learn alternative ways to do things, such as using their sense of touch or their sense of hearing.

QUOTE FOR THURSDAY:

Feb15

“Darier’s disease is a dominantly inherited condition affecting skin, nails and mucosae.   Prevalence is estimated at 1 in 36 000 (in North-East England). Skin signs generally develop between 6 and 20 years of age, although lesions may be overlooked until aggravated by heat, sweating or sunlight.

Clinically, the distinctive lesion is a warty plaque formed by coalescing firm, greasy, skin-coloured papules. The seborrhoeic areas of the trunk and face are predominantly affected. Pruritus is common, occurring in 80% of patients, and may be intractable; pain is unusual. When flexures are involved, the lesions may be hypertrophic, fissured and malodorous.”

National Library of Medicine (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC539598/)