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When bee-sting can be deadly
eYESIGHT
Run to develop positive attitude
Health Notes
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When bee-sting can be deadly
The fact is that bee-sting is deadly when massive. Medically speaking, the reaction following the sting is termed as anaphylaxis — an allergic or hyper-sensitivity reaction to a toxin, an allergen, a drug or any such “foreign” agent. The effects of bee-sting depend upon the amount of toxins introduced in the body by the bees. It immediately initiates a cascade of immunological reactions finally resulting in dilatation and hyperpermeability of blood vessels. A single sting is generally mild with local pain, swelling and itching which subsides within a few hours. If the bees involved are many and the amount of toxin is heavy, there may be a drop in blood pressure and accumulation of fluids, particularly in the lungs. In addition, there is an acute airways obstruction in the lungs due to bronchial constriction. All these events may occur within minutes causing an instant death. A sudden drop in blood pressure due to an anaphylactic reaction is commonly termed as anaphylactic shock. It is characterised by breathlessness, vomiting, diarrhoea and collapse. Bite by about 300 or more bees may cause death due to direct effects of the toxins. Anaphylactic shock, such as due to bee-sting, may also occur following the injection of a drug or occasionally after taking food. Sudden death following penicillin injection is one of the most commonly known examples. Some other drugs may similarly result in such a reaction. This type of drug reaction is generally seen with a few antibiotics, protein-based drugs and sometimes vaccines. Unfortunately, there is no way to predict an abnormal (or anaphylactic) reaction. Even very small and insignificant amounts are known to cause anaphylaxis. The more common honeybees and bumble bees found in India attack only when a colony is disturbed. After a bite, the bees lose their stings and subsequently die. Many other species of bees are known to behave differently. Importantly, the bees demonstrate a collective behaviour typically of a well coordinated army. The best way to prevent bee-sting anaphylaxis is to avoid the bee-sting. This, however, may occur as an accident with an individual getting caught entirely as an innocent bystander. Individuals involved in work with or in areas with beehives need to wear protective clothing, including on the face, arms and feet. Others attacked accidentally should take steps to minimise the effects. It is better to sit with the head inside the knees and the arms covering the sides. Minimise the exposed areas as far as possible. Panic running in an open space must be avoided. As stated earlier, the bees, like an army, follow the running individual and try to pin him down. Immediately after the attack is over, the stinging apparatus left embedded on the body should be scalped down. This can be achieved with a blunt knife, any other blade or a card with a sharp edge. Stings can also be removed with the help of finger nails or forceps when the help becomes available. But is important not to rub or squeeze the stings on the body. Application of ice-packs on the skin causes a soothing effect and minimises the absorption of venom. It is most important to treat the anaphylactic reaction. There are a few emergency drugs which need to be administered by injection. Blood pressure is required to be restored and maintained. Some patients may not respond to the standard treatment. This is usually attributable to a massive attack and a delay in the availability of treatment. Unresponsive anaphylaxis responsible for death remains an enigma. It strikes like a bolt from the blue. Death from drug anaphylaxis is known to occur when the syringe is still in the body, even before the injection is complete. Similarly, bee-sting anaphylaxis can sometimes be fatal at the site of bee-attack itself. The writer is Professor and Head, Department of Pulmonary Medicine,
PGI, Chandigarh.
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eYESIGHT
Holi is round the corner. Everybody is gearing up to enjoy the riot of colours and water and pure fun. But one must remember that these colours, which are bright and attractive, have a high chemical content and can do a lot of damage, especially to our eyes and skin.
Natural colours made from home-based stuff are a much better and healthier option. These can be easily made, and offer a safer option to the synthetic colours. Haldi mixed with besan or flour can give a yellow colour and work as a face-mask at the same time! White petals of tesu/palash can be used to obtain a saffron colour. Beetroot soaked in water provides a bright magenta colour. Henna powder, gulmohar, hibiscus flowers, etc, can also be used to make different colours. Artificial colours available as powder or paste or water colours are made of chemicals which can be extremely harmful. Apart from causing irritation, they can also lead to toxicity if used in higher doses. The commonly used chemicals include copper sulphite for green colour, lead oxide in black colour, mica granules in gulal and various other heavy metals. These can cause skin allergies, dermatitis, rhinitis, asthma and allergic pneumonitis. It is indeed unfortunate that a festival of goodwill and celebration can turn into one of grievous injury and pain if we are not careful. After Holi a lot of people have to rush to hospitals with significant damage not only to their eyes and skin but other organs too. The eye injuries include:
If these colours enter the eye while playing, they cause mild redness and irritation which usually subsides after washing copiously with water. However, if there is intense pain and burning sensation, one must get an opinion from an ophthalmologist. Also, if the clarity of vision is affected, a eye doctor must be consulted. The granular particles which make the colours shine brightly are quite toxic and can cause damage to the cornea in the form of a corneal abrasion. A person who gets a corneal abrasion will have severe pain and watering and, if not treated by an en expert, may develop an ulcer or infection. Water balloons can be most dangerous and cause blunt trauma to the eyes which may lead to bleeding, lens subluxation or dislocation, macular edema or retinal detachment. This may result in a loss of vision or even loss of an eye. These are all eye emergencies and need to be looked into immediately. Points to remember:
The writer is Chairman and Medical Director, Centre for Sight, New Delhi. Email:
msachdev@bol.net.in
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Run to develop positive attitude
Running tends to release endorphins (indigenous morphine produced by the body). Sounds great, right? It takes you on a trip and it’s free! Running outdoors in particular has been known to cause this runner’s high — which can last for long periods, even days. I have felt unbelievably “high” for a few days after a marathon, on several occasions. Running has also been used by many, over the years, to treat clinical depression.
A scientist after a study in 2007 said, “Exercise clearly has effects on the brain” and they are both direct and indirect. It’s possible, he explained, that the current findings reflect a direct effect of exercise on the nerve cells in the hippocampus, or more general changes in the brain, like better blood flow or increased hormonal activity. (Very technical and sounds solid, right?). Now read on — A natural compound (epicatechin)and exercise boost memory in mice and may help protect against cognitive decline in aging, says a newly published research. “This effect increased further when mice also exercised regularly. The compound, epicatechin, is one of a group of chemicals known as flavonols and has been shown previously to improve cardiovascular function in people and increase blood flow in the brain. Flavonols are found in some chocolate”. “Okay, so eat chocolate and exercise”. I am sure this is now finally beginning to sound more palatable to you. Run to manage jet-lag: Now that may sound far-fetched to you, but it isn’t. Believe me, in my last assignment at Motorola I had to travel a lot — 200,000 miles a year — so managing jet-lag was important for me. I found that maintaining a regular regimen of running even a short distance, starting the day or morning after landing in a new time zone helped me remain energised and perky, even without generous doses of coffee. Most importantly, running is a great way to make yourself so incredibly positive and optimistic — as you measure your progress, and see yourself achieve something that you never thought possible of yourself. Go on, unleash your potential. At 40, I could barely run 1 km without being exhausted and out of breath. Over a six-month spell of winter in Chicago, I found I could run 5 km without stopping, and then I felt I could achieve anything — it gave me that supreme sense of confidence. I then went on to run my first marathon that year, and have done 22 more since! And I am no athlete. Teaming up to run: While you run you make new acquaintances — in the park, in a gym, on the road. And as you greet them, they over time tend to reciprocate, and then all of a sudden you have a few more friends. Or if you are running with people you know, you find soon enough that you are starting to bond on a different plane too. It’s a great way to build teams in companies, being the most egalitarian sport, as CEOs rub shoulders with new recruits and so on. Try it! Talking about running getting you to bond with others on a different plane brings me to Warren Kay, who is the chair of the Department of Religious Studies in Andover, Massachusetts, USA, where he teaches a class on the spirituality of running and has written a book on sweating yourself to enlightenment — “Running — The Sacred Art”. So, whether you want to get younger by nine years or attain Nirvana, all you have to do is run, run!
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Health Notes
University scientists evaluated 37 diet studies that involved nearly two million people across the world, and analysed the effect of eating foods with high glycemic index (GI), a measure of how different foods affect blood glucose levels. —
ANI
New screening method
in fruit flies
London: By using a new drug screening method in Drosophila (fruit flies), researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have identified several drugs and small molecules that reverse the features of fragile X syndrome — a frequent form of mental retardation and one of the leading known causes of autism. According to the research team, led by Stephen Warren, chair of the Department of Human Genetics at Emory University School of Medicine, the finding sets the stage for developing new treatments for fragile X syndrome. — ANI
Genetic variation linked with increased danger of gout
London: Gout has long been believed to be caused by unhealthy lifestyles, but now researchers at the MRC Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh have found that a gene variant may also raise the risk of this painful joint condition. The researcher team, led by Professor Alan Wright, analysed more than 12,000 cases and said that new gout drugs may one day target the gene, called SLC2A, and the protein it controls. — ANI
Jockeys dieting to reach ‘riding’ weights risk eating disorders
In a new expert study, led by a sports psychology expert, Dr Costas Karageorghis, a reader in sports psychology at Brunel University, the psychological effects of rapid weight loss was observed on a sample of almost 41 professional jockeys, with an average age of 31, who were recruited to determine the link between low weight and mood among the sportsmen. — ANI
Studies linking obesity and
erectile dysfunction
Sydney: An Adelaide University expert says that fat men must take note of studies that have suggested that obesity increases the risk of erectile dysfunction. Professor Gary Wittert, head of the university’s medical school, said that Australian men care a lot about their sexual health. Men might benefit themselves by keeping their weight under check. “Australian men care about erection problems, perhaps more so than possible cardiovascular disease,” news.co.au quoted Professor Wittert as saying. “This may present an opportunity to improve communication about the benefits of weight loss,” he added. —
ANI
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London
Recent reports of deaths following bee-stings have caused a lot of concern among people. This is especially so since the bee is such a useful insect that it is widely promoted for farming.
London