Afyakenya.com

Every woman knows the symptoms: the bloating, weight gain and mood swings that occur a few days before their period. This is Premenstrual Syndrome or PMS — the physical and emotional disturbances that occur in the second half of your menstrual cycle and end with the onset of your period. The symptoms vary from woman to woman and from month to month. Read more…

Every woman is born with a pair of ovaries each about the size and shape of an almond, located in the pelvis. During menstrual cycle, ovaries grow tiny cyst-like structures called ovarian follicles which produce Estrogen and Progesterone hormones that regulate menstration and pregnancy. Read more…

Resistance is growing against the strongest treatment for children with malaria in Kenya, reports the journal of Infectious Tropical Diseases.

The fixed dosed Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT) syrup is regarded as the most effective paediatric drug.

Another study shows growing resistance of malaria parasites in western Cambodia to arteminisinin-based pesticides. Research in last month’s edition of New England Journal of Medicine confirms that it takes longer to clear the parasites in the blood of Cambodian patients.

In the new study, researchers studied 40 patients in western Cambodia and north-western Thailand. While it took 48 hours for the parasite to be cleared from Thai patients, clearance took 84 hours in the Cambodian patients the study showed. Infection recurrence rates were also higher in the Cambodian patients.

Its not 100 per cent resistance, but the parasites are much less sensitive or partly resistant,” lead author Arjen M Dondorp told scidev.net, an online publication on science and development. “That is very worrying because that is the big step to complete resistance.

The WHO essential medicines list is predominantly for adults. “Children cannot be treated as little adults when it comes to medicines, says Dr J L Amugada, a leading Nairobi paediatrician. Paediatric formulation are prepared according to the body weight of the child-patient and it guarantees better therapy fidelity.

Published on the Standard on 13/08/2009 By Dann Okoth

Visiting your dentist at least twice a year for check ups and cleaning can prevent many dental problems and maintain optimal oral health.Dentists deal with the prevention and treatment of diseases and malformations of the teeth, gums, and oral cavity, and the removal, correction and replacement of decayed, damaged or lost teeth.

During your visit you may encounter many terminologies but do not be intimidated. Paedodontics dentists are dedicated to the oral health of children from infancy to their teen years. Orthodontics deals with the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dental and facial irregularities by a variety of appliances and methods, including braces, for straightening the teeth.

Periodontal (gum) disease is a serious disease that begins with bacterial growth in the mouth via plaque and calculus deposits. They destroy the attachment fibres and supporting bone that hold your teeth in place. Majority of adults have some form of disease resulting in bad breath, red swollen or bleeding gums and eventual tooth loss. They are treated by removal of plaque and calculus by scaling and other methods.

Prosthodontics is the replacement for missing teeth. Two types of dentures are available including complete — when all teeth are missing — and partial — when some natural teeth are present. Restorative dentistry involves fillings, root canals, crowns and bridges. A tooth with a cavity must be filled before the cavity gets any larger. The tooth needs to be with durable materials including silver or white fillings.

Published on the Standard on 20/08/2009 by Dr Sameer Yakub

The writer is a dentist at Aga Khan University Hospital