Health: have you been coughing for three weeks?

12:51pm Wednesday 9th may 2012 in North of England news

throughout may and June the Lancashire and South Cumbria Cancer Network is supporting the national Be Clear on Cancer campaign to raise awareness of the symptoms of lung cancer across the region.

The key message is that finding lung cancer early makes it more treatable and it encourages people who have symptoms to go to their doctor straight away.

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in England. There are some 33,000 new cases every year and it kills more men and women than any other form of cancer. It affects people of all ages but is most common in those who are over 50. One in eight people with lung cancer has never smoked but it is more common in smokers and in those who smoke sheesha through a hookah. Many hookah smokers may consider this practice less harmful than smoking cigarettes; however hookah smoking carries many of the same health risks as cigarettes. The risk of lung cancer gets worse as you get older, but finding it early improves the chances of successful treatment. So if you have had a cough for three weeks or more, it’s worth visiting your doctor to be on the safe side.

You need to see a doctor straight away if you have been coughing for the past three weeks or more. other symptoms of lung cancer include: A cough that has got worse or changes;Repeated chest infections; Coughing up blood; Breathlessness; Feeling more tired than usual for some time; Losing weight for no obvious reason; an ache or pain in your chest or shoulder that has lasted some time.

if you notice any of these symptoms, tell your doctor right away. Detecting lung cancer early makes it easier to treat, so seeing your doctor quickly may save your life. It’s probably nothing serious but it could also be a sign of something else that needs treatment.

Please don’t ignore the symptoms or put off a trip to the doctor. It can make the world of difference and you won’t be wasting anyone’s time. And if you know anyone who has any of these symptoms, insist they see their doctor. Again, it’s probably nothing serious, but they should get it checked out.

Ernie Burton, Aged 62 from Blackburn was diagnosed with lung cancer in June 2010 after he noticed he had been coughing for over three weeks. Following chemotherapy and surgery Ernie has now given up smoking and is living each day to the full. he said ‘I would urge anyone experiencing any of the symptoms of lung cancer to go and see their doctor straight away, do not think you are wasting their time and try not to be scared. I thank my wife for making me go to my doctor when I did as I know I would have probably put it off for a bit longer otherwise’.

Doctor Fawad Zaman Lead Lung Cancer Clinician at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust commented on the campaign: “I thoroughly support the Be Clear on Lung Cancer campaign as it will play a vital role in raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of lung cancer and will ultimately save lives. I would urge anyone who has been coughing for three weeks or more or is experiencing any of the other symptoms described to speak to their GP straight away. The message is clear – the earlier cancer is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat. Your symptoms may be nothing serious, but it is better to have them checked out early to be sure.”

if you need to find your doctor’s contact details or need more information on lung cancer please visit: nhs.uk/lungcancer.

For more local support and guidance please visit the Lancashire and South Cumbria website: cancerlancashire.org.uk or cancercumbria.org.uk.

A pupil at a primary school in Manchester has been diagnosed with a form of typhoid.

The youngster, who attends Abbott Community Primary in Collyhurst, is said to be recovering well after being struck down by the rare illness.

It is understood that the child goes to the school’s nursery, on Livesey Street, and doctors are investigating whether the pupil became unwell after an overseas visit.

Health officials said all parents of pupils at the school had been told of the outbreak by letter – and warned to look out for symptoms.

The child is suffering from paratyphoid, a milder form of typhoid, which is usually picked up abroad.

It is caused by salmonella bacteria and it is often contracted by drinking water, which has been contaminated by sewage.

Paratyphoid can be spread by eating food or drinking beverages which have been handled by an infected person.

Headteacher Heather Riley said: “We’ve followed health advice throughout on this. Our thoughts now are with the pupil who we understand is continuing to make a good, speedy recovery.”

A spokesman for the Health Protection Agency North West said the illness was rare in Britain, with just six cases in Greater Manchester this year and 18 last year. all were travel-related.

He added: “We can confirm that a child who attends Abbott Community Primary School in the Collyhurst district of Manchester has been diagnosed with paratyphoid. the child is not in school and will stay off until fully recovered.

“It is extremely unlikely that anyone else in the school will be affected, but as a precautionary measure all pupils and staff have been given information on the infection and symptoms to look out for. most cases of paratyphoid in the UK are associated with overseas travel.”

THE DANGER SIGNS AND HOW TO STAY SAFE:

Each year there are about 300 cases of typhoid in Britain, mainly among people who have visited friends and family in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The illness usually lasts for three weeks, but may be longer in a small number of cases.

Most patients with paratyphoid recover completely after being treated with antibiotics but intestinal complications can result in death.

Symptoms include fever, headache, rash, stomach pains, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, severe constipation, nausea and cough.

The Health Protection Agency advice for avoiding paratyphoid is:

• Wash your hands carefully using soap, hot water and clean towels. This is most important after going to the toilet and before preparing a meal or eating.
• If you have an infection, you should avoid cooking for others while you are on treatment. if it is unavoidable that you have to cook, it is important that you wash your hands before preparing the meal or a drink and before eating.
• Hand-washing is especially important when travelling abroad.

Tweet

Doctors have observed an alarming number of viral infections uncharacteristic of a typical summer even as the city reels under a scorching summer heat.

?There has been a daily rush of patients who have been coming with flu-like symptoms in the past couple of weeks. Cases of cold, cough, fever, body ache and general fatigue are also coming in. this is unlike the usual summer ailments we see every year,? said Dr Hemant Thacker, consultant at Jaslok Hospital and Breach Candy Hospital.

Dr Neesha Gaala, general physician in Dadar, has also observed a similar trend. ?Apart from expected cases of dehydration and heat stroke, which are seen in this weather, there have been many complaints of common cold, cough and respiratory problems. Asthmatics, who are usually stable in this kind of weather, have also been been complaining of viral attacks.?

Thacker attributed the phenomenon to the extreme and prolonged winter that the city experienced this year and the cloud cover in the past week. ?Usually, infection causing viruses subside by the end of February. this year, with winter extending up to March, bouts of viral infections have also continued. The dust storm and the cloud cover in the city in the past week have contributed to pathogens hanging to particulate matter in the air,? he said.

Doctors advise basic hygiene and exercise. ?People should avoid drinking cold water and iced drinks, especially after stepping indoors from a high temperature. It is very important to wash hands thoroughly before and after meals,? said Dr Shahid Barmare, physician at Kohinoor Hospital.

Reader’s Comments | Post a comment

A significant number of passengers were still suffering from the symptoms of a major flu-outbreak aboard the luxury cruise ship ‘Arcadia’, when it called at the port of Walvis Bay last Friday. Many were not able to disembark at major ports, as the symptoms included severe coughing and shortness of breath, obliging especially elderly passengers to stay aboard.

Passengers referred to the flu as the “Arcadian Cough.” Many were confined to their cabins onboard and advised to stay indoors. The ship’s medical staff was inundated with patients taking ill on the journey, some whom were treated and returned to their cabins while some were kept in the ship’s hospital for observation.The passengers shared their frustrations over the flu outbreak online by posting blogs and updates to networking sites, including Facebook and YouTube. The outbreak also fetched headlines in newspapers in the smaller port cities along the way and highlighted the importance of hygienic standards and the regular sterilisation of passenger ships to avoid pest outbreaks or germ and virus infections that target and compromise the human immune system.“Arcadia” is on a four-month world cruise that started in Southampton, via the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal to Asia, Australia, the Indian Ocean and Cape Town. It is now on the north-bound return-journey to the United Kingdom traveling via Walvis Bay, St. Helena and Tenerife.

< Prev   next >

Leading diagnostic test solutions provider Quidel Corporation (QDEL) has won the European CE Mark for its new virus test dubbed the “Quidel Molecular RSV + hMPV Assay” designed for the detection of respiratory syncytial virus (“RSV”) and human metapneumovirus (“hMPV”). RSV and hMPV are two distinct viruses that cause respiratory illness with very similar symptoms.

RSV infection, a viral disease of the lungs, is a major cause of respiratory illness (such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia) in young children. according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, RSV infection is responsible for between 75,000 and 125,000 hospitalizations annually in the U.S. Virtually all infants suffer from an RSV infection before the age of two. Early detection and management are critical, given the potentially serious complications associated with RSV infection.

Identified in 2001 by investigators from the Netherlands, hMPV is the second most common cause (after RSV) of upper and lower respiratory infection in young children. Studies have shown that most children are exposed to hMPV infection by the age of five. the condition which manifests itself through symptoms such as cough, runny nose, nasal congestion and fever, affects roughly 7% of children who are hospitalized with respiratory infection.

the Quidel Molecular RSV + hMPV assay is among the several promising upcoming assays from the California-based company’s expanding molecular diagnostics programs. it is the company’s third molecular diagnostic test to be cleared for marketing in Europe. Quidel received CE Mark for the Influenza A+B and hMPV tests (its first and second molecular diagnostic tests, respectively) in August and September 2011, respectively.

Quidel noted that the European approval of the RSV + hMPV assay has opened the path for the launch of another molecular test for infectious disease in Europe. the test is yet to be approved for sale in the U.S.

Quidel develops and markets diagnostic solutions aimed at improving patient outcomes and offering economic benefits to the healthcare system. the company’s products are designed to detect and diagnose a host of critical diseases such as influenza, RSV, herpes and thyroid disease. Quidel competes with Alere Inc (ALR) among others.

the company’s rapidly expanding range of molecular diagnostics tests is expected to offer a number of important benefits to the end-users including increased ease of use and lower processing time.

Read the full analyst report on QDEL

Read the full analyst report on ALR

Unless you live somewhere east of New York, there’s still at least several hours left before December 23rd comes to an end.  but Google is eager to help everyone with kids get Christmas Eve off to a good start, and so the company’s put together lists of all the Santa-related treats its engineers have concocted or come across this year.

First, we’ll mention the Google Doodle you can already see.  then there’s the option to send someone a personalized call from Santa, which our own Mike Sachoff covered earlier this month.  just remember to come up with an explanation why Santa won’t hold an honest back-and-forth dialogue.

Next, in an email to WebProNews, a Google representative noted, "Starting tomorrow on Christmas Eve and visible throughout Christmas Day, the Street View feature in Google Maps will celebrate the holidays with a special Santa Pegman."

Then here’s another interesting idea: "Visit noradsanta.org to see Santa on Google Maps and in 3D on Google Earth.  You’ll also be able to watch 28 city-specific videos of Santa as he passes through various places on both noradsanta.org and youtube.com/noradtrackssanta."

Finally, if you really feel like verging on information overload, there’s a NORAD/Santa Facebook page and a Twitter account, and Google’s thought of a real-time search query users can run to keep track of all the updates.

Here’s wishing everybody a safe and happy Christmas Eve and Day.

THREE people have died from melioidosis in the Northern Territory, with a record 54 cases diagnosed part way through the wet season.

The highly infectious illness is prevalent in Australia’s north after heavy rain brings melioidosis bacteria to the surface from where it exists deep in the ground.People catch melioidosis when it enters their bodies via cuts and sores or by breathing it in when it is stirred up by the wind.It causes severe pneumonia and blood poisoning, and even with the best medical care about 10 to 15 per cent of people who catch the disease will die.Director of the Northern Territory’s Centre for Disease Control, Vicki Krause, said the 54 cases diagnosed was the highest number ever recorded by this date in the season.People at risk should stay indoors during heavy wind or rain, Dr Krause said. that included those who drank too much, had kidney disease, lung disease, cancer or were taking steroids."Symptoms of melioidosis can vary greatly but most commonly we see indications of pneumonia such as fever, cough and breathing difficulties," Dr Krause said in a statement.The symptoms can also include weight loss and sores that won’t heal.

School and health officials announced Thursday the investigation of a possible case of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, at Western Middle School.

The case could also affect Western Alamance High School, as the student under examination rides a school bus shared between the middle school and high school. the number of the bus the student rides, as well as the number of students who share that bus, wasn’t available Thursday.

The student’s case hadn’t yet been confirmed by lab testing. Results of those tests are expected by early next week.

Health department officials had identified 84 families with children at risk of contracting pertussis and as of Thursday night had made contact with about 75 percent of those families, said health department spokesman Eric Nickens Jr. the remaining families would be contacted Friday, he said.

Students found to be at risk for pertussis will be encouraged to begin taking a course of azithromycin, an antibiotic. the cost of the drug runs between $14 and $45 at most pharmacies, said Communicable Disease Program Coordinator Ayo White.

This case isn’t believed to be connected to eight cases confirmed at and around B. Everette Jordan Elementary last month.

Alamance-Burlington Schools notified the Alamance County Health Department of the possible case Thursday morning. the student was in “close contact” with someone who had a lab-confirmed case of pertussis, said Dr. Kathleen Shapley-Quinn, the health department’s medical director.

The student’s age, grade and sex weren’t being released Thursday, health department officials said, though Shapley-Quinn referred to the student as “she” and “her” several times during a news conference Thursday afternoon.

The student, who has been vaccinated against pertussis, has been sick for about a week. Pertussis symptoms — including a runny nose and low fever that progress to fits of five to 15 coughs with no breaths between — can take as long as 21 days to appear.

An investigation into the possible spreading of pertussis will initially involve students who were within 3 feet of the individual for 15 minutes or more, White said. the investigation could expand if other cases are identified.

Pertussis is considered a major health threat to infants, who don’t have the lung capacity to handle the coughing fits. For older children and adults, the illness causes more discomfort than health risks, Shapley-Quinn said.

Students at Western Middle and Western Alamance have been vaccinated against pertussis but the vaccine’s efficacy can weaken as children and adults age and infection by the bacteria that causes the illness is still possible in some cases, Shapley-Quinn said. Children and adults are encouraged to receive a Tdap booster vaccination to help prevent the illness’ contraction and spreading.

The health department isn’t recommending that parents keep healthy children home from school. If parents are concerned that their children might be ill, they should contact their primary physician, Shapley-Quinn said.

Parents and families of students believed to be at risk for contracting pertussis will be contacted by the health department, said department spokesman Eric Nickens Jr.

Other parents and residents concerned about pertussis can call 336-516-7715 and speak to a nurse. Nickens encouraged residents to leave a message at that number if they didn’t get an answer and said that all messages would be returned by the department.

Date: Monday Jan. 9, 2012 1:13 PM ET

TORONTO — Were you out of commission for most of the holidays? Laid low by some alien that invaded your throat and-or chest and-or sinuses and wouldn’t let go?

Well, you weren’t alone. There seems to be a whole lot of coughing, sneezing and nose-blowing going on.

But if you put it down to flu, you probably ought to think again. There’s been very little influenza activity in Canada so far this year, though surveillance data suggests it is just now starting to pick up. if you’ve been sick already this winter, it likely wasn’t with influenza — which means, unfortunately that there’s still time to catch flu too.

So if it wasn’t influenza, what did you have? Well, there are a bunch of viruses that cause what the medical world describes as an “ILI” or influenza-like illness.

Human metapneumoviruses, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV for short), adenoviruses and rhinoviruses — the commonest cause of the common cold — can all trigger head colds or more severe cold- and flu-like symptoms.

But people rarely see doctors when they are suffering from uncomplicated colds or the flu, and when they do, doctors rarely run a test to identify the cause. why bother? if it’s a virus — and chances are good this time of year whatever is ailing you is viral — the medical arsenal has little to offer. the infection just has to run its course.

So there’s no way for the average person to know what the culprit is. Heck, even the experts don’t generally know.

Dr. Danuta Skowronski, an influenza specialist at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, was sick over the entire Christmas season. Two weeks later, her voice still sounds like it belongs to someone else. while she knows a lot about respiratory ailments, she can only make an informed guess about what it was that hit her.

“I’m quite sure it’s not influenza. I didn’t have the fever, the general aches,” Skowronski says. “Whatever it is, it’s hung on for a good long time, so I don’t think it’s a rhinovirus. RSV or human metapneumo are options … but I’ve not been tested so I don’t know.”

Every Friday during the fall, winter and spring, the Public Health Agency of Canada publishes a report on influenza activity called FluWatch. it contains a graph showing the percentage of positive tests for a handful of respiratory viruses as well as flu.

The data present a national picture, which may not help you home in on what’s going around in your particular community. but it does show that right around the end of the year there was a big surge in cases of RSV. Most of the activity has centred around new Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario.

The virus attacks the lungs and breathing passages, according to material on the website of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Most people recover within a week or two, though infection can be severe in premature infants, toddlers with heart or lung problems, children and adults with compromised immune systems and people over the age of 65.

RSV is the most common cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis — inflammation of the small airways of the lung — in children under 12 months old in the U.S., the CDC says. That’s probably true about Canada as well, says Dr. John Spika, director general of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s centre for immunization and respiratory infectious diseases.

“We are hearing about more people being out ill. And it may well be that some of that illness may be due to RSV at this point in time,” Spika says.

RSV circulates every year, though it doesn’t sweep across the entire country in the way flu does, Spika says. He notes, though, that RSV causes a lot of problems in remote northern communities, where young kids who come down with it often have to be flown out for hospital care down south. “They develop an asthma-like illness.”

While it might be interesting to know what to blame your illness on, from a public health or personal care point of view, it doesn’t make a lot of difference.

The messaging from health professionals will be pretty much the same whether you have RSV or a rhinovirus, says Dr. Richard Rusk, the medical officer of health for communicable diseases with Manitoba Health.

Take care of yourself — get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids — and try to prevent spreading your bug to others by washing your hands, covering your cough and staying home if you can.

If your ailment left you speechless — in other words, laryngitis claimed your voice — you can also blame a virus.

“It’s kind of a good news, bad news thing when people develop laryngitis,” says Rusk. “I always tell my patients: ‘Well, the good news is you don’t have a severe bacterial infection that could end up hospitalizing you. you just have a virus. but the bad news is it could take you two weeks to get over it.”‘

With reports of flu activity picking up, it’s likely you’ll be hearing more about sick friends, family members or colleagues in the next few weeks.

The proportion of infected people who are too sick to go to work or who need to go to hospital is much higher with influenza than with the other respiratory viruses, says Dr. Allison McGeer, an infectious diseases specialist at Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital.

And McGeer says something else may be looming on the horizon, at least in some parts of the country. It’s not a respiratory virus — it doesn’t spread though coughing and sneezing. but it does make people miserable.

There have been 11 norovirus outbreaks in long-term care facilities in the Toronto area since Christmas, McGeer says, noting that could be a sign this may be an active norovirus year.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says that of the provinces and territories that report data to the National Enteric Surveillance Program, all have experienced norovirus outbreaks in long-term care and other institutions over the past few weeks.

Noroviruses attack the intestinal tract, triggering explosive diarrhea and vomiting. Like respiratory viruses, they also circulate during winter.

Cancer campaign pays off

10:00am Friday 16th December 2011 in News

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

MORE people are recognising their own symptoms of breast, bowel and lung cancer throughout St Helens, according to new research.

These three diseases remain the biggest cause of early death from cancer in the borough.

in 2008 an early detection programme called Get Checked was launched by the NHS Health Improvement Team to help publicise the key symptoms of these cancers to local people.

in January this year a hard-hitting Get Checked campaign, including a publicity drive in the St Helens Star, hit the streets of St Helens, with a key focus of encouraging the public to speak up about any breast, bowel or lung cancer symptoms they may have and not to be embarrassed about seeing their doctor.

Mel Forrest, a GP who specialises in early detection of cancer for the NHS in St Helens, says the Get checked campaign is making a real difference.

“It’s great to see people are really starting to take note of this life-saving campaign, as Get Checked continues to deliver first-class results for St Helens.

“The more we shout out about key cancer symptoms the more the public will instantly recognise them seek advice from their doctor.

“We all know if cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, the treatments on offer are much more effective.”

Dympna Edwards, interim director of public health for Halton and St Helens, said: “The results from this survey are extremely encouraging.

“The Get Checked early detection of cancer programme and its volunteers are changing people’s outlook on cancer.

“I would urge everyone to understand what’s right for their own body, and if they have any worrying symptom to not feel embarrassed, but to go to their GP and get checked.”

Around 10,000 people die in England each year because their cancer is diagnosed too late.

the NHS advises concerned individuals to see their doctor if they have had one of the following tell-tale warning signs of cancer for more than three weeks.

do you have any of these key bowel cancer symptoms?

Bleeding from your bottom – either in the toilet, in your stools, or when wiping.

Going to the toilet more often or your stools being more watery than usual for over three weeks.

Pain in your stomach that happens most days, lasts for more than a few minutes and isn’t helped by going to the toilet.

do you have any of these key breast cancer symptoms?

a lump in your breast or armpit.

a change in the appearance of your breast or nipple – such as skin dimpling or denting.

Discharge from one of your nipples – possibly blood-stained.

do you have any of these key lung cancer symptoms?

a persistent cough you’ve had for more than three weeks.

Coughing up blood – any amount of blood in your spit or phlegm should be checked out straight away.

Shortness of breath – feeling very out of breath, or more out of breath than is normal for you.

Read these News stories