Lifestyle and home remedies for Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
By Mayo Clinic staff

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition in which a blood clot (thrombus) forms in one or more of the deep veins in your body, usually in your legs. Deep vein thrombosis can cause leg pain, but often occurs without any symptoms.

Deep vein thrombosis can develop if you’re sitting still for a long time, such as when traveling by plane or car, or if you have certain medical conditions that affect how your blood clots.

The primary goal of your self-care plan should be preventing deep vein thrombosis from occurring.

To prevent deep vein thrombosis from worsening or happening again:

* Check in with your doctor regularly to see if your medication or treatments need to be modified.
* Watch how much vitamin K you’re eating if you take blood thinners. Vitamin K can affect how drugs such as warfarin work. Foods high in vitamin K include green leafy vegetables and canola and soybean oils.
* Exercise your lower calf muscles if you’ll be sitting a long time. Whenever possible, get up and walk around. If you can’t get up to walk around, try raising and lowering your heels while keeping your toes on the floor, then raising your toes while your heels are on the floor.
* Move. If you’ve been on bed rest, because of surgery or other factors, the sooner you get moving, the less likely blood clots will develop.
* Make lifestyle changes. Lose weight, quit smoking and control your blood pressure. Obesity, smoking and high blood pressure all increase your risk of deep vein thrombosis.
* Wear compression stockings to help prevent blood clots in the legs if your doctor recommends them.
* Be on the lookout for excessive bleeding, which can be a side effect of taking medications such as blood thinners. Talk to your doctor about activities that could cause you to bruise or get cut, as even a minor injury could become serious if you’re taking blood thinners.

SOURCE: mayoclinic.com

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This infection is a rare but very severe type of bacterial infection that can destroy the muscles, skin, and underlying tissue. Necrotizing refers to something that causes tissue death.

Many different types of bacteria can cause this type of infection. A very severe and usually deadly form of necrotizing soft tissue infection is due to Streptococcus pyogenes, which is sometimes called “flesh-eating bacteria.”

How do you say It?

The pronunciation is neck-row-tize-ing fash-e-i-tis, it means decaying infection of the fascia.

What Is It?

It is a bacterial infection caused commonly by group A Strep bacteria, which is the same bacteria that causes common Strep throat. Usually easily killed by antibiotics, sometimes a very strong variety of Strep occurs. This is the one that causes the life-threatening cases and is known as the “flesh-eating” bacteria. NF can also be caused by other bacteria, or a mixture of bacteria. The bacteria destroys soft tissue at the subcutaneous level, and often is coupled with toxic shock syndrome, both are deadly alone, together they are even more so. If muscle is destroyed, it is necrotizing myositis.

How do you get it?

Most often the bacteria enter the body through an opening in the skin, quite often a very minor opening, even as small as a paper cut, a staple puncture, or a pin prick. It can also enter through weakened skin, like a bruise, blister, or abrasion. It can also happen following a major trauma or surgery, and in some cases there appears to be no identifiable point of entry.

Click here Quick Fact Sheet for Flesh Eating Bacteria

Click here to Visit the National Necrotizing Fasciitis website

Chef Survives Flesh Eating Bacteria

Chef Matt Murphy has the hands of a culinary artist in his kitchen at the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans — but he’s also a rugged man who hasn’t shied from being battered and bloodied  playing his favorite sport, rugby.

So when he felt pain after tripping over one of his daugters’ toys just over a year ago, Murphy’s first instinct was to simply suck it up and move on. Little did he know he was beginning an agonizing medical odyssey that he came through only with first-rate medical care  and a lot of luck.

Master chef Murphy had contracted necrotizing fasciitis (NF), more commonly called flesh-eating disease — an ailment that sounds like it comes from a science-fiction thriller but is an all too real and deadly threat. Its mortality rate is 90 percent, and even those lucky few who survive often have limbs amputated.

What is eosinophilic esophagitis?

Eosinophilic esophagitis is an inflammatory condition in which the wall of the esophagus becomes filled with large numbers of eosinophils.

The esophagus is the muscular tube that propels swallowed food from the mouth into the stomach. Esophagitis refers to inflammation of the esophagus that has several causes. The most common cause of esophagitis is acid reflux which most frequently results in heartburn, though acid reflux also can cause ulcers on the inner lining of the esophagus. Other less common causes of esophagitis include viruses (such as herpes simplex), fungi (such as Candida), medications that get stuck in the esophagus (such as the antibiotic, tetracycline), and radiation (such as for treatment of lung cancer). Doctors believe that eosinophilic esophagitis is a type of esophagitis that is caused by allergy just like asthma, hay fever, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis even though the exact substance that is causing the allergy is not known. The hallmark of eosinophilic esophagitis is the presence of large numbers of eosinophils in the tissue just beneath the inner lining of the esophagus.

Eosinophils are white blood cells (leukocytes) manufactured in the bone marrow and are one of many types of cells that actively promote inflammation. They are particularly active in the type of inflammation caused by allergic reactions. Thus, large number of eosinophils can accumulate in tissues such as the esophagus, the stomach, the small intestine, and sometimes in the blood when individuals are exposed to an allergen. The allergen(s) that causes eosinophilic esophagitis is not known. It is not even known whether the allergen is inhaled or ingested. Eosinophilic esophagitis is more common among individuals with other allergic conditions such as asthma, hay fever, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis.

Eosinophilic esophagitis affects both children and adults. For unknown reasons, men are more commonly affected than women, and it is most commonly found among young boys and men.

This article primarily deals with the diagnosis and management of swallowing problems (dysphagia), the most common complication in adults with eosinophilic esophagitis.

http://www.medicinenet.com/eosinophilic_esophagitis/article.htm
More info from this article

Kids and Teens with EE (Eosinophilic Esophagitis) Needed for Research Study
What is the purpose of this study?

Cincinnati Children’s is conducting a research study to evaluate the effects of an experimental drug, reslizumab, in treating eosinophilic esophagitis in children, adolescents and teens.
Who will be included in this study?

Children, adolescents and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 18 years old with eosinophilic esophagitis may be eligible to participate.
What is involved?

The study lasts for 18 weeks and includes 6 visits. The following is a list of procedures that will take place during the study:

* Screening visit with physical exam and upper endoscopy
* 4 infusion visits, one month apart
* 9 weekly phone calls
* 1 follow-up visit with upper endoscopy

More Info