Dengue

January 1, 2011. I was informed that my good friend Roselyn had been hospitalized because of dengue. I was worried. I don't know her condition and my first reaction was fear. I don't know that much about that illness. All I know is that one can acquire it from a mosquito bite and that it is deadly. So I did a research so an ordinary citizen like me would be informed. Here are the common questions and answers that we must know about DENGUE:

What is dengue fever? What is dengue hemorrhagic fever?
Dengue fever is a flu-like illness spread by the bite of an infected mosquito.
Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a severe, often fatal, complication of dengue fever.
                                                                                                  
What is the infectious agent that causes dengue?
Dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever are caused by any of the dengue family of viruses. Infection with one virus does not protect a person against infection with another.


How is dengue spread?
Dengue is spread by the bite of an Aedes mosquito. The mosquito transmits the disease by biting an infected person and then biting someone else.

Where is dengue found?
Dengue viruses occur in most tropical areas of the world. Dengue is common in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Australia, and the Americas. It is widespread in the Caribbean basin. Dengue is most common in cities but can be found in rural areas. It is rarely found in mountainous areas above 4,000 feet.
The mosquitoes that transmit dengue live among humans and breed in discarded tires, flower pots, old oil drums, and water storage containers close to human dwellings. Unlike the mosquitoes that cause malaria, dengue mosquitoes bite during the day.

What are the signs and symptoms of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever?
Dengue fever usually starts suddenly with a high fever, rash, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and muscle and joint pain. The severity of the joint pain has given dengue the name "breakbone fever." Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are common. A rash usually appears 3 to 4 days after the start of the fever. The illness can last up to 10 days, but complete recovery can take as long as a month. Older children and adults are usually sicker than young children.
Most dengue infections result in relatively mild illness, but some can progress to dengue hemorrhagic fever. With dengue hemorrhagic fever, the blood vessels start to leak and cause bleeding from the nose, mouth, and gums. Bruising can be a sign of bleeding inside the body. Without prompt treatment, the blood vessels can collapse, causing shock (dengue shock syndrome). Dengue hemorrhagic fever is fatal in about 5 percent of cases, mostly among children and young adults.

How soon after exposure do symptoms appear?
The time between the bite of a mosquito carrying dengue virus and the start of symptoms averages 4 to 6 days, with a range of 3 to 14 days. An infected person cannot spread the infection to other persons but can be a source of dengue virus for mosquitoes for about 6 days.

How is dengue diagnosed?
Dengue is diagnosed by a blood test.

Who is at risk for dengue?
Anyone who is bitten by an infected mosquito can get dengue fever. Risk factors for dengue hemorrhagic fever include a person's age and immune status, as well as the type of infecting virus. Persons who were previously infected with one or more types of dengue virus are thought to be at greater risk for developing dengue hemorrhagic fever if infected again.

What is the treatment for dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever?
There is no specific treatment for dengue. Persons with dengue fever should rest and drink plenty of fluids. They should be kept away from mosquitoes for the protection of others. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is treated by replacing lost fluids. Some patients need transfusions to control bleeding.

How can dengue be prevented?

-Cover water drums and water pails at all times to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.
-Replace water in flower vases once a week.
-Clean all water containers once a week. Scrub the sides well to remove eggs of mosquitoes sticking to the sides.
-Clean gutters of leaves and debris so that rain water will not collect as breeding places of mosquitoes.
-Old tires used as roof support should be punctured or cut to avoid accumulation of water.
-Collect and dispose all unusable tin cans, jars, bottles and other items that can collect and hold water.

REFERENCE:

http://www.doh.gov.ph/healthadvisories/dengue

http://www.dhpe.org/infect/dengue.html

Global Warming

My recent status in Facebook:

Global Warming. I always hear it. Whenever people ask “why is it so hot nowadays?”  I hear replies like “It’s because of global warming” or “It’s because of climate change.” But global warming is more than that. Every human being on our planet has the responsibility to know ALL about it.

(photo via:http://corneliusllw.blogspot.com/2010/06/truth-of-global-warming.html)

What is global warming?

Global warming is when the earth heats up (the temperature rises).  It happens when greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and methane) trap heat and light from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere, which increases the temperature. To understand it more, imagine a car on a very hot day. The heat and light from the sun can get into the car, by going through the windows, but it can’t get back out. Thus making heat build up inside the car. This is what global warming is all about. The heat and light can get through the atmosphere, but it can’t get out. The excessive amount of carbon dioxide and other gases on our atmosphere trapped it from getting out. As a result, the temperature rises. 

Production of these gases comes from different sources:

1. Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning power plants. In most cases, fossil fuels are burned to create electricity. Our ever increasing addiction to electricity from coal burning power plants releases enormous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Every day, more electric gadgets flood the market, and without widespread alternative energy sources, we are highly dependent on burning coal for our personal and commercial electrical supply

2. Carbon dioxide emissions from burning gasoline for transportation. With our population growing at an alarming rate, the demand for more cars and consumer goods means that we are increasing the use of fossil fuels for transportation and manufacturing.

3. Methane emissions from animals, agriculture such as rice paddies, and from Arctic seabeds. Methane is another extremely potent greenhouse gas, ranking right behind CO2. When organic matter is broken down by bacteria under oxygen-starved conditions (anaerobic decomposition) as in rice paddies, methane is produced.

So what if the Earth gets hotter?

A rise of 1 degree Fahrenheit doesn't seem much. But increase in the Earth’s temperature (no matter how small) causes drastic changes in our climate and a LOT of things too. A warmer Earth may lead to a wide range of impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans. Even if we stopped emitting greenhouse gases (GHGs) today, the Earth would still warm by another degree Fahrenheit or so. Scientists predict that the Earth could eventually warm by as little as 2.5 degrees or as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Global warming is "bad" for a number of reasons. (Please read every word and think about it)

§  A rise in sea level. Global warming will cause a sea level rise of 9 – 88 cm (3.5 – 34.6 inches). This small rise would cause SIGNIFICANT DISRUPTION to coastal communities. If the whole Greenland ice sheet melted this would lead to a global rise of 7 m (23 ft).

(photo via: http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2009/03/7-terrifying-global-warming-pictures.php)

§  More active weather systems. More energy in the atmosphere will lead to more active weather systems, with more frequent and more VIOLENT STORMS.

(photo via: http://planetsave.com/2009/06/07/global-warming-effects-and-causes-a-top-10-list/)

§  Disturbed rainfall patterns. Rainfall patterns will be significantly disrupted, with FLOODS in some places and DROUGHTS in others.

(photo via: http://planetsave.com/2009/06/07/global-warming-effects-and-causes-a-top-10-list/)

§  Acidification of the oceans. Carbon dioxide dissolves in water by reacting to make H₂CO₃ - carbonic acid, causing GREAT DAMAGE to fish stocks and coral reefs.

(photo via: http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2009/03/7-terrifying-global-warming-pictures.php)

§  Tipping points/feedback loops. There are many possible tipping points and feedback loops. As glaciers disappear, the planet will not be able to reflect as much solar radiation back into space. When northern permafrost melts, the organic material will decompose and release methane. As the oceans warm, their ability to dissolve carbon dioxide decreases, and if they ever reach a certain temperature, the methane stored under pressure on the seafloor will vaporize.

§  Spread of tropical diseases. As northern latitudes become warmer, previously RARE TROPICAL DISEASES will gain a foothold there.

§  Disruption of ocean currents. The disruption of ocean currents could shut down the Gulf Stream with unpredictable consequences.

§  Habitat loss or change faster than animals can adapt. Temperature zones will move north and south (depending on the hemisphere) too quickly for animals to follow or adapt to new habitats. The loss of polar habitats will leave animals such as polar bears with no place to go.

(photo via: http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2009/03/7-terrifying-global-warming-pictures.php)

§  Loss of mountain glaciers exacerbating summer droughts. Mountain glaciers act as natural reservoirs, releasing water which falls as snow in the winter during the summer. The loss of these glaciers will lead to floods in winter and droughts in the summer.

(photo via: http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2009/03/7-terrifying-global-warming-pictures.php)

What now?

Whew! It really is alarming. If we don’t act now to stop it, what would happen to us? I know it is not that simple. We cannot walk all the way to our work and not use cars. We cannot close those fuel burning power plants. We use it to produce electricity. We need electricity in our daily living. Comfort has a price to pay off too. But what I’m saying is there’s gotta be another way! There are many possible wedges, including improvements to energy efficiency and vehicle fuel economy (so less energy has to be produced), and increases in wind and solar power, hydrogen produced from renewable sources, biofuels (produced from crops), natural gas, and nuclear power. I know there are lots of invention nowadays that has got to do with solar energy. Like cars who can run by solar power. This is not a one country battle. ALL countries should do something about it. And government of all nations should make laws as to what is best regarding global warming. They are in better position to do what needs to be done. But no matter who we are, we must do our share in saving our planet Earth. In our own small ways, we can help in fighting global warming.

1. The least amount of electricity you use, the better. By conserving electricity, we decrease the need for those fossil fuel power plants to emit carbon dioxide. If you can survive without using air conditioner or television or other electronic gadgets, you not only save money in your electronic bill. You also help mother Earth!
2. Plant trees. Trees and other plants collect carbon dioxide. They help in purifying the air we breathe. And they will lessen the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.
3. Recycle. In our country, garbage is a big problem. What happens to tons of garbage that they collected every day? They were not properly disposed and sometimes they were burned. If we recycle, less trash goes to the dump, and less trash gets burned.  As a result, there are fewer greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere.
4. Walk. If you can walk your way to another place, do so. Or use a bike. It would lessen the pollution cause by vehicles. Plus it’s a good exercise!
5. Don’t smoke. Bad for the atmosphere and bad for your health.
6. Watch what you buy.  By opting for a refrigerator with the Energy Star label -- indicating it uses at least 15 percent less energy than the federal requirement -- over a less energy-efficient model, you can reduce carbon dioxide pollution by nearly a ton in total. Many things, such as hairspray, now are made to have less of an impact on the atmosphere. Opt for products that would not harm our environment. Less greenhouse gasses will rise into the air, and global warming will slow down.

Blogger’s Note:

I really hope that my status in facebook wouldn’t happen. It may be a hoax or whatever but I’m really glad I came to deep study as to what global warming is all about. I understand it better now. And from now on, I take a firm stand against GLOBAL WARMING! No to Global Warming! YES to a cleaner and better EARTH!

REFERENCE:


http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Global_warming)

http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/global_warming.htm

http://planetsave.com/2009/06/07/global-warming-effects-and-causes-a-top-10-list/

http://www.mass.gov/Eoaf/docs/osd/epp/massepp_glossary.doc

http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/f101.asp

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-solutions.html

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/09/climate_100.html

my sister's keeper

SYNOPSIS

Conceived by means of in vitro fertilization, Anna Fitzgerald (Abigail Breslin) was brought into the world to be a genetic match for her older sister, Kate (Sofia Vassilieva), who suffers from acute promyelocytic leukemia. Because of her sister's dependency on her, Anna is unable to live the life she wants; in and out of the hospital constantly, she cannot take part in extracurricular activities such as cheerleading or soccer. When Kate turns 13 she goes into renal failure. Knowing that she will have to donate one of her kidneys to her sister, Anna sues her parents for medical emancipation and the rights to her own body. Attorney Campbell Alexander (Alec Baldwin) agrees to work for Anna pro bono. The film is interlaced with flashbacks that detail the strong relationship between Kate and Anna, as well as how Kate's illness has affected her siblings' lives. Before the result of the case is known, it is revealed that Kate had asked Anna to file for medical emancipation. Believing that she would not survive the surgery, Kate wants to die. Anna wins the case, and due to her sister's wishes does not donate her kidney. Kate later dies at the hospital. The family moves on with their lives, being changed by Kate's death, but every year on Kate's birthday they go to Montana, which was her favorite place in the world.

from http://www.imdb.com

MY VIEW ON THIS MOVIE:

I can really relate to Sara (Cameron Diaz). I know how tough it is to accept that your child can and will die. A mother would do EVERYTHING for the sake of her child.  Even if sometimes, you go way too far. And a mother would never give up no matter what.  She loves all her children but Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) needs her attention more. But as the story goes, there is no shame in dying. Its just part of life. It is inevitable.


I really cried at the part where Sara and Kate we're alone in the hospital. Then Kate said "Remember that summer when I went away to camp? And I was so scared that’d miss you guys. Before I got on the bus...you told me to take a seat on the left side right next to the window so I'd be able to look back and see you there. I get the same seat now. It's gonna be okay." It’s just hard to lose someone especially if it is your own child or your own sister. It's just hard to accept. But life goes on..   

I recommend this movie for everyone. It will bring you to tears. Makes you appreciate your family despite problems. Until my next movie review....