Leukemia is a type of cancer. Cancer is a group of many related diseases. All cancers begin in cells, which make up blood and other tissues. Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old, they die, and new cells take their place. Sometimes this orderly process goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old cells do not die when they should. Leukemia is cancer that begins in blood cells. In people with leukemia, the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells. The abnormal cells are leukemia cells. At first, leukemia cells function almost normally. In time, they may crowd out normal white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets. This makes it hard for blood to do its work.

Types of leukemia
The types of leukemia are grouped by how quickly the disease develops and gets worse. Leukemia is either chronic (gets worse slowly) or acute (gets worse quickly):

Common symptoms of leukemia: are fevers or night sweats, frequent infections, feeling weak or tired, headache, bleeding and bruising easily (bleeding gums, purplish patches in the skin, or tiny red spots under the skin) pain in the bones or joints, swelling or discomfort in the abdomen (from an enlarged spleen) swollen lymph nodes, especially in the neck or armpit, weight loss etc. : Such symptoms are not sure signs of leukemia. An infection or another problem also could cause these symptoms. Anyone with these symptoms should see a doctor as soon as possible. Only a doctor can diagnose and treat the problem.
Diagnosis of Leukemia
If a person has symptoms that suggest leukemia, the doctor may do a physical exam and ask about the patient’s personal and family medical history. The doctor also may order laboratory tests, especially blood tests.
Advances in Treatment of Blood Cancer
Many advances have been made in the treatment of blood cancers in the past 30 years. Today, most types of lymphomas, leukemias and multiple myeloma can be effectively treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Stem cell transplants are being done with increasing frequency across the country, and newer treatments, such as biological therapies, are being tested.
Stem cell transplant
Used more frequently to treat lymphoma and leukemia, this procedure gives very high doses of chemotherapy and/or irradiation and then “rescues” the patient with an infusion of stem cells from the bone marrow or peripheral blood. This procedure has tremendous risks, including death, and tends to be more successful in younger patients and when the disease is in an early stage. Because stem cell transplant for blood cancers is a specialized procedure, a transplant candidate should look for a hospital that has extensive experience treating his or her specific type of cancer and that performs stem cell transplants regularly.
There are three possibilities: autologous transplant, allogeneic transplant and syngeneic transplant. In an autologous transplant, the cancer patient donates his or her own stem cells for the transplant.
An allogeneic transplant is one in which the stem cells are donated by another person whose genetic make-up matches the patient as closely as possible-usually a close relative such as a sibling or parent. Allogeneic transplants using matched unrelated donors are more commonly being performed now, although the transplant has significant risks. In a syngeneic transplant, the marrow is contributed by an identical twin, who is the perfect genetic match for the patient.
Biological therapy
Biological therapy uses special immune system cells and proteins to stimulate the body’s immune system to kill cancer cells. Biological agents such as interferons, interleukins, monoclonal antibodies, tumor necrosis factors and colony-stimulating factors are natural substances found in the body that help alter the way the immune system reacts to cancer. Researchers are now able to create reproductions of some of these biological agents in laboratories, imitating the natural immune agents. These agents are used to augment the anti-tumor immune response of the patient.
This type of treatment may be administered in a hospital and requires extensive follow-up. Side effects can be severe. The most common reactions include severe flu-like symptoms, fatigue, confusion, problems with heart rhythms, rashes and depression.
Long term and Late effects of treatment:
Long term effects, such as fertility outcomes, are medical problems that may occur in people following certain cancer treatment. Late effects are secondary conditions that arise following certain cancer treatments, such as leukemia secondary to certain chemoradiotherapies for lymphoma or myeloma.

“Fruits and vegetables (F&V) are important components of a healthy diet, and their sufficient daily consumption could help prevent major diseases.” A recently published WHO/FAO report addresses the need for increased fruit and vegetable consumption, particularly in developing countries where there is a dislocation between potential supply and the reality of daily diets. In these countries, where demographic growth in urban areas is tremendously high, with a strong effect on diet, chronic diseases including diabetes, obesity, heart diseases and cancer, are emerging in addition to nutrient deficiency linked problems. There is an urgent need for understanding the relations between diet and health in order to promote F&V supply and good food practices in developing countries. Indigenous knowledge and practises are rich inputs to consider. Special attention should be paid to local industries targeted at producing healthy and safely stored or processed food available for consumers, particularly in urban areas. Emerging initiatives, including one supported by CIRAD, are focusing on an integrated approach involving horticultural research teams on one side, and health and nutrition research teams on the other, as a key component of the Global Horticulture Initiative supported by AVRDC. Three main goals are addressed in a “from fork to farm” approach: • horticultural productions for healthier diet with induced effects such as reduction of post-harvest losses, promotion of added-value crops which could be based on the development of underutilized F&V; • preservation of the nutritional value throughout the food chain, including the enhancement of local practices and innovative processes, paying regard to safety and environmental issues; • bioavailability and health effects of a diet correctly enriched with F&V.

Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps it around the body. If the pressure in the blood vessels is too high, it forces the heart to pump harder to push blood through the body. High blood pressure can damage vital organs such as the heart, brain, kidneys, and arteries in other parts of the body. High blood pressure and kidney disease are closely related. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to kidney damage and is an important cause of kidney failure in Australia. On the other hand, many kidney problems can cause high blood pressure. Sometimes, correcting the kidney problem may eliminate high blood pressure. High blood pressure also speeds up the formation of cholesterol deposits in blood vessels. This causes them to become blocked. Blocked vessels in the heart can lead to a heart attack, in the brain to a stroke, and in the legs, to gangrene.

What causes high blood pressure?
Many different diseases may cause high blood pressure. However, 90 per cent of the time, no cause is identified. Some, or a combination of the following factors, can affect blood pressure.
• Increasing age
• A family history of high blood pressure
• Obesity
• Lack of exercise
• Smoking
• Taking the oral contraceptive pill
• Certain medications (ask your doctor)
• Stress
Precaution to be taken:
1. Talk with your health care professional. Ask what your blood pressure numbers are and ask what they mean.Take medication as prescribed. If you need medication, make sure you understand what it’s for and how and when to take it, then take it as your doctor recommends.
3. Lose weight if you are overweight and maintain a healthy weight. Limit portion sizes, especially of high calorie foods, and try to eat only as many calories as you burn each day—or less if you want to lose weight.
4. Eat heart healthfully. Follow an eating plan that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and lowfat dairy products and is moderate in total fat and low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
5. Reduce salt and sodium intake. Read food labels to choose canned, processed, and convenience foods that are lower in sodium. Limit sodium intake to no more than 2,400 mg, or about 1 teaspoon’s worth, of salt each day. Avoid fast foods that are high in salt and sodium.
6. If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation. For men, that means a maximum of 2 drinks a day, for women, a maximum of 1.
7. Become more physically active.
8. Quit smoking. Smoking increases your chances of developing a stroke, heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, and several forms of cancer.

Conjunctivitis is usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection or by an allergic reaction. The most common bacterial causes of conjunctivitis are Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Staphylococcus aureus. Symptoms of bacterial infections are mucopurulent or purulent discharge. Gonococcal, chlamydia and herpes infections can also cause conjunctivitis. Viral conjunctivitis is common and most often caused by enteroviruses. A common symptom of viral infection is serous discharge. Allergic conjunctivitis is more often found in both eyes simultaneously and itching is common. Chemicals such as those in chlorine and soaps or air pollutants can cause irritant conjunctivitis. The incubation period is 1 – 12 days. Bacterial conjunctivitis usually lasts 1 week and viral about 2 weeks.

Symptoms of conjunctivitis
• Mostly both eyes are affected, but often one starts before the other.
• The eye is red, with the blood vessels over the white of the eye more visible and swollen. • The lining of the eyelids also looks redder or pinker than usual.
• The eye is sticky, with a discharge, which is worse when you wake up.
• The eye is itchy or painful.
• Sometimes people do not like to be in bright light (photophobia).

Precautions:
• Since it is communicable hence wash hands often and well and always after touching the
affected eye.
• Keep hands away from the infected eye.
• Must not share eye drops, tissues, washcloths, towels, pillowcases, or handkerchiefs etc.
with others, including family members.
• Use washcloth, towel, and pillowcase only once and wash them thoroughly.
• Must not use other people’s eye cosmetics.
• Apply cool compresses to the infected eye(s) three to four times per day for 10-15
minutes using a
• clean washcloth each time. This should help reduce itching and swelling and provide some
comfort.
• Wash your hands frequently and keep them away from your eyes in order to reduce or
prevent recontamination.
• Avoid rubbing your eyes to decrease irritation of the area.
• Wear sunglasses if your eyes are sensitive to the light.
Treatment:
Treatment varies depending on the cause. Medications in the form of ointments, drops or pills may be recommended to help kill the germ infecting the eye, relieve allergic symptoms and/or decrease discomfort. In the case of conjunctivitis due to a viral cold or flu, the practitioner may recommend that you be patient and let it run its course.

Suicide is the one of the most frequent cause of death in the world. According to a survey in USA their is a death from suicide every 15-16 minutes. Suicidal ideas and attempts to harm oneself arouse when one thinks that his/her problems can’t be fixed. Negative ideas gets mounted over the mind and their goes a grave battle in the mind of the person. Their seems no way out of the problem and hence they start thinking of the importance of their existence. Some of the common symptoms of the person undergoing such mental condition are: Always talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself, trying to get pills, guns, or other ways to harm oneself, feeling hopeless, rage, uncontrolled anger, seeking revenge, acting in a reckless or risky way, feeling trapped, like there’s no way out, saying or feeling there’s no reason for living.

If you ever encounter anyone with any of the above signs of suicide, do inform their family, and try to create an environment which could help him out to keep evil thoughts away. Make him/her feel that how much importance he/she has in your life. We can surely treat such problems on our own, however many times it is mandatory to consult a psychiatrist or a doctor. Hope this article you will help you to someone out.

I can see that most of the people in the modern world are busy and don’t have much free time. Some of them don’t have time to take care of their own health. So, in this world we come to a situation where we are bound by the limit of time. We are so busy that we can’t take special care of our own health as we did years ago. In the business world, we wake up early in the morning, take breakfast and go for our job. Then we come late at night. In fact many don’t have time to visit a doctor to check our health or take regular advice from the doctor. Negligence of our own health has made many of us unhealthy and weaker than before.

So, it’s time for us to realize that we do need care for our health. That is the reason why you should read this blog. In this blog, I’ll be writing about many health topics, first aid measures for most common diseases like Asthma other acute diseases. I’ll be writing about where to find help and how to handle emergency situations. These can even help you in save your beloved ones if you read and follow the rules carefully.

Besides, I’ll be writing about latest equipments for body building and health keeping. Also, there will be regular reviews of various shopping sites where you can buy health related products.

There are many more topics that I’ll write in this blog but I hope you get a rough idea of what you will get when you read this blog. So, If you need any help or information or where to find help, read my blog and post your opinions here.

Thanks.