“Insects are cold blooded. This means the hotter it is outside, the more energy they have to search for food which generally leads them into our kitchens, garages and bathrooms. Maryland, Virginia and DC summers are a volatile combination of heat and moisture that bring annoying bugs out like no other.  While there is little you can do about the heat, being aware of increased pest activity can let you nip it in the bud when the six-legged adversaries enter your living areas.  A warm winter preceding a hot summer means that more insects were able to survive the mild temperatures instead of freezing as many normally do. This combination means more bugs in more places.”

American Pest

TICS BEES

ANTS

You may have noticed that when the temperatures begin to rise, so does the chance of an insect encounter. In fact, summer is well known for its many different infestations, from mosquitoes to bees to ants and beyond. So what’s the reason for this apparent insurgence of annoying critters?

For the most part, many bugs and insects go into some form of hibernation during the colder months. Other insects migrate someplace warm to wait out the colder months. Still others decide the best way to stay out of the cold is to camp out in your home. You may see more bugs in your house in the winter months, although many of them make their homes inside walls and attics where you are unlikely to encounter them.

No matter the method, these insects simply pass the time until they can return with a vengeance. The minute it starts warming up, the bugs of summer will begin to flock to your area.

It’s important to be aware of the common bugs that you are sure to see in summer months, as some of them may actually pose a threat to you or your loved ones. Mosquitoes, which are certainly some of the most annoying insects out there, can actually be quite dangerous. These pesky creatures are known to spread diseases, some of which may actually be deadly. West Nile Virus spread by mosquitoes has become a serious threat in the United States in recent years. Other diseases that one may suffer from after a mosquito bite include malaria, dengue fever and chikungunya.

In order to dodge mosquito bites this summer, avoid going outside at dawn and dusk, as this is when you are most likely to run into a mosquito swarm. Anytime you know you will be spending time outdoors, spray yourself down with a mosquito repellent that contains a small percentage of DEET (a brand of diethyltoluamide, a colorless oily liquid with a mild odor, used as an insect repellent.). Avoid areas with standing water, and be aware that after significant rainfall mosquitoes are more likely to be out and about.

Other common summer insects include bees and wasps. While for many people a bee or wasp sting is simply a painful annoyance, for others it can be quite dangerous – or even deadly. Since these flying creatures are sure to be around this summer, there are a few things you can do to avoid an encounter. Skip out on the perfume when you know you will be spending time outdoors, as the scent may attract nectar-seeking bees. Avoid eating sugary food and drinks when you are outdoors, and clean up well anytime you decide to have a quick snack in your backyard. If a bee or wasp happens to fly into your direct proximity, stay still. Swatting at them or running may simply draw attention or agitate them to the point that they will sting. Stay still enough to let them discover that you aren’t a flower, which is what they are hunting for, and then they will be on their way.

Ants are yet another common bug of summer, and these pesky things can be downright hazardous. Fire ants create colonies of hundreds or thousands of ants, and if you happen to encounter one of their large mounds, you may soon regret it. Fire ants latch on and sting, injecting a toxic alkaloid venom into their victim. They have even been known to gang up and attack and kill small animals. While their sting is quite painful, to most it poses no real harm. But if a sensitive individual is stung, the aftereffect of the sting could potentially be deadly.

We also have the tics, worms who are vectors sending infections to even the the rodent family that can further transmit infections to humans putting us at health hazard risks.

“SCD is a genetic disorder. Healthy red blood cells are round, and they move through small blood vessels to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. In someone who has SCD, the red blood cells become hard and sticky and look like a C-shaped farm tool called a “sickle”. The sickle cells die early, which causes a constant shortage of red blood cells. Also, when they travel through small blood vessels, they get stuck and clog the blood flow. This can cause pain and other serious problems such infection, acute chest syndrome and stroke.”

CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

SCD is the most commonly inherited blood disorder in the United States, affecting 100,000 people, and millions more worldwide. The disease primarily affects people of African, Hispanic, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and South Asian ancestry.

What is sickle cell disease actually?

The term sickle cell disease (SCD) describes a group of inherited red blood cell disorders. People with SCD have abnormal hemoglobin, called hemoglobin S or sickle hemoglobin, in their red blood cells.

Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body.

“Inherited” means that the disease is passed by genes from parents to their children. SCD is not contagious. A person cannot catch it, like a cold or infection, from someone else.

People who have SCD inherit two abnormal hemoglobin genes, one from each parent. In all forms of SCD, at least one of the two abnormal genes causes a person’s body to make hemoglobin S. When a person has two hemoglobin S genes, Hemoglobin SS, the disease is called sickle cell anemia. This is the most common and often most severe kind of SCD.

Hemoglobin SC disease and hemoglobin Sβ thalassemia (thal-uh-SEE-me-uh) are two other common forms of SCD.

Cells in tissues need a steady supply of oxygen to work well. Normally, hemoglobin in red blood cells takes up oxygen in the lungs and carries it to all the tissues of the body.

Red blood cells that contain normal hemoglobin are disc shaped (like a doughnut without a hole). This shape allows the cells to be flexible so that they can move through large and small blood vessels to deliver oxygen.

Sickle hemoglobin is not like normal hemoglobin. It can form stiff rods within the red cell, changing it into a crescent, or sickle shape.

Sickle-shaped cells are not flexible and can stick to vessel walls, causing a blockage that slows or stops the flow of blood. When this happens, oxygen can’t reach nearby tissues.

The lack of tissue oxygen can cause attacks of sudden, severe pain, called pain crisis. These pain attacks can occur without warning, and a person often needs to go to the hospital for effective treatment.

Most children with SCD are pain free between painful crises, but adolescents and adults may also suffer with chronic ongoing pain.

The red cell sickling and poor oxygen delivery can also cause organ damage. Over a lifetime, SCD can harm a person’s spleen, brain, eyes, lungs, liver, heart, kidneys, penis, joints, bones, or skin.

Sickle cells can’t change shape easily, so they tend to burst apart or hemolyze. Normal red blood cells live about 90 to 120 days, but sickle cells last only 10 to 20 days.

The body is always making new red blood cells to replace the old cells; however, in SCD the body may have trouble keeping up with how fast the cells are being destroyed. Because of this, the number of red blood cells is usually lower than normal. This condition, called anemia, can make a person have less energy.  Anemia ending line is lack of oxygen to the tissue body parts all over.

“Sickle cell disease is devastating for patients and their families,” said Jeffrey Glassberg, MD, MA, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “It’s a chronic disorder causing pain in the extremities and back, infections, organ failure and other tissue damage, skin infections, loss of eyesight, severe blood clots and strokes. Patients learn to function in a constant state of pain and when that pain becomes debilitating, they often end up in the emergency room,” said Dr. Glassberg, also Associate Director of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Program at The Mount Sinai Hospital.

“Patients with SCD are more likely to live full lives if they undergo regular checkups, prevent infections and develop healthy habits,” said Jena Simon, MS, FNP-BC, RN, also of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Program.

Tips to Staying Healthy

• Get regular checkups. Regular health checkups can help prevent some serious problems.
• Prevent infections. Common illnesses, like influenza quickly can become dangerous for both children and adults with SCD. The best defense is to get a flu shot every fall and to stay up-to-date on other immunizations.
• People with SCD should drink 8 to 10 glasses of water every day and eat healthy food. They also should try not to get too hot, too cold, or too tired.
• Look for clinical studies. New clinical research studies are beginning all the time at Mount Sinai and elsewhere, with the goal of finding better treatments for SCD. Study participants gain early access to experimental medicines and treatments.
• Get support. People with SCD should find a patient support group or other organization in the community that can provide information, assistance, and support.

Sickle Cell Disease Facts & Figures:

• SCD is an inherited blood disorder that can cause severe pain and permanent damage to the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, bones and spleen.
• SCD is most common in Africans and African-Americans. It is also found in other ethnic and racial groups, including people from South and Central America, the Caribbean, Mediterranean countries, and India.
• More than 2 million people carry the sickle cell gene that allows them potentially to pass the disease on to their children. People of African, Hispanic, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian descent may want to be tested for the gene before having children. You can carry the gene and not have any signs or symptoms of SCD. Both parents have to have the gene to have a child with SCD.

“Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty. While scoliosis can be caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the cause of most scoliosis is unknown.”

MAYO CLINIC

“Safe blood saves lives and improves health. Blood transfusion is needed for:

• women with complications of pregnancy, such as ectopic pregnancies and haemorrhage before, during or after childbirth;
• children with severe anemia often resulting from malaria or malnutrition;
• people with severe trauma following man-made and natural disasters; and
• many complex medical and surgical procedures and cancer patients.”

World Health Organization (WHO)

“Bursitis is most often caused by repetitive motions (i.e., overuse); or direct, minor impact on the area (such as from such activities as repeated bumping or prolonged pressure from kneeling). Less often, bursitis is caused from a sudden, more serious injury.”

Cleveland Clinic

“After a cancer diagnosis, staging provides important information about the extent of cancer in the body and anticipated response to treatment.”

American Cancer Society

“In addition to understanding the condition of your overall health and any symptoms you may have, your treatment team will likely use one of the following tests to diagnose stomach CA; endoscopy and a barium x-ray.”

Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital

Part III Part Treatment to Stomach Cancer:

Many treatments can fight stomach cancer. The one you and your doctor choose will depend on how long you’ve had the disease or how much it has spread in your body, called the stage of your cancer.

Surgery. Your doctor might remove part of your stomach or other tissues nearby that have cancer cells. Surgery gets rid of the tumor and stops cancer from spreading to other parts of your body. If your disease is in a more advanced stage, your doctor might need to remove all of your stomach=Gastrectomy or in some other cases the Surgeon may only have to remove part of the stomach=Partial Gastrectomy.

Some tumors can keep food from moving in and out of your stomach. In that case, you might have surgery to put in a stent, a device that keeps the pathways open.

Chemotherapy. Drugs kill your cancer cells or keep them from growing. You can take them as pills or through an IV at a clinic. Chemo usually takes several weeks. The drugs can cause side effects, but your doctor can help you find ways to feel better during treatment.

Radiation. High-energy waves or particles can kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Your doctor may use an X-ray or other machine to beam radiation at the spot where your tumor is.

Chemoradiation. Your doctor might use this mix of chemotherapy and radiation to shrink your tumor before surgery.

Targeted drugs. These newer drugs are different because they fight only cancer cells. Other treatments, like chemo and radiation, can kill healthy cells along with diseased ones. As a result, targeted therapies have fewer side effects than these other treatments.

How Can I Prevent Stomach Cancer?

Treat stomach infections. If you have ulcers from an H. pylori infection, get treatment. Antibiotics can kill the bacteria, and other drugs will heal the sores in the lining of your stomach to cut your risk of cancer.

Eat healthy. Get more fresh fruits and vegetables on your plate every day. They’re high in fiber and in some vitamins that can lower your cancer risk. Avoid very salty, pickled, cured, or smoked foods like hot dogs, processed lunch meats, or smoked cheeses. Keep your weight at a healthy level, too. Being overweight or obese can also raise your risk of the disease.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:

“After a cancer diagnosis, staging provides important information about the extent of cancer in the body and anticipated response to treatment.”

American Cancer Society

Go to striveforgoodhealth.com and learn more on the types of treatments given to patients with stom

 “Stomach cancer begins when cancer cells form in the inner lining of your stomach. These cells can grow into a tumor. Also called gastric cancer, the disease usually grows slowly over many years.”

National Cancer Institute