Yellow Fever: About & Facts

Yellow fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes. The "yellow" in the name refers to the jaundice that affects some patients.The disease is caused by the yellow fever virus and is spread by the bite of an infected female mosquito. It infects only humans, other primates, and several species of mosquitoes. In cities, it is spread primarily by Aedes aegypti, a type of mosquito found throughout the tropics and subtropics.

In 2013, yellow fever resulted in about 127,000 severe infections and 45,000 deaths, with nearly 90% of these occurring in Africa. Nearly a billion people live in an area of the world where the disease is common. It is common in tropical areas of South America and Africa, but not in Asia. Since the 1980s, the number of cases of yellow fever has been increasing. This is believed to be due to fewer people being immune, more people living in cities, people moving frequently, and changing climate.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

• Yellow fever begins after an incubation period of three to six days.
• Most cases only cause a mild infection with fever, headache, chills, back pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle pain, nausea, and vomiting. In these cases, the infection lasts only three to four days.
• In 15% of cases, however, people enter a second, toxic phase of the disease with recurring fever, this time accompanied by jaundice due to liver damage, as well as abdominal pain.
• Bleeding in the mouth, the eyes, and the gastrointestinal tract cause vomit containing blood

TRANSMISSIONS

The yellow fever virus is an arbovirus of the flavivirus genus and is transmitted by mosquitoes, belonging to the Aedes and Haemogogus species. The different mosquito species live in different habitats - some breed around houses (domestic), others in the jungle (wild), and some in both habitats (semi-domestic).

PREVENTIONS

1. Vaccination

Vaccination is the most important means of preventing yellow fever. In high-risk areas where vaccination coverage is low, prompt recognition and control of outbreaks using mass immunization is critical for preventing epidemics. It is important to vaccinate most (80 % or more) of the population at risk to prevent transmission in a region with a yellow fever outbreak.
Several vaccination strategies are used to protect against outbreaks: routine infant immunization; mass vaccination campaigns designed to increase coverage in countries at risk; and vaccination of travellers going to yellow fever endemic areas

2. Mosquito control

The risk of yellow fever transmission in urban areas can be reduced by eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites by applying larvicides to water storage containers and other places where standing water collects. Insecticide spraying to kill adult mosquitoes during urban epidemics can help reduce the number of mosquitoes, thus reducing potential sources of yellow fever transmission.

Depression: Treatment & Therapies

What is depression?

Depression is a low mood that lasts for a long time, and affects your everyday life. In its mildest form, depression can mean just being in low spirits. It doesn’t stop you leading your normal life but makes everything harder to do and seem less worthwhile. At its most severe, depression can be life-threatening because it can make you feel suicidal or simply give up the will to live.

We all have times when our mood is low, and we’re feeling sad or miserable about life. Usually these feelings pass in due course. But if the feelings are interfering with your life and don't go away after a couple of weeks, or if they come back over and over again for a few days at a time, it could be a sign that you're experiencing depression.

Signs and symptoms

You may be depressed if, for more than two weeks, you've felt sad, down or miserable most of the time, or have lost interest or pleasure in usual activities, and have also experienced several of the signs and symptoms across at least three of the categories below.

It’s important to remember that we all experience some of these symptoms from time to time, and it may not necessarily mean you're depressed. Equally, not everyone who is experiencing depression will have all of these symptoms.

Behaviour :

• not going out anymore
• not getting things done at work/school
• withdrawing from close family and friends
• relying on alcohol and sedatives
• not doing usual enjoyable activities
• unable to concentrate

Thoughts:

• 'I’m a failure.'
• 'It’s my fault.’

• 'Nothing good ever happens to me.'
• 'I’m worthless.'
• 'Life’s not worth living.'
• 'People would be better off without me.'

Physical :

• tired all the time
• sick and run down
• headaches and muscle pains
• churning gut
• sleep problems
• loss or change of appetite
• significant weight loss or gain

PREVENTIONS FOR DEPRESSION CIRCUMSTANCES

• Get good sleep. For lots of people who experience depression, sleeping too little or too much can be a daily problem. Getting good sleep can help to improve your mood and increase your energy levels.
• Eat well. Eating a balanced and nutritious diet can help you feel well, think clearly and increase your energy levels.
• Keep active. Many people find exercise a challenge but gentle activities like yoga, swimming or walking can be a big boost to your mood.
• Look after your hygiene. When you're experiencing depression, it's easy for hygiene to not feel like a priority. But small things, like taking a shower and getting fully dressed whether or not you're going out of the house, can make a big difference to how you feel.
• Challenge your thinking. Students Against Depression have lots of information and activity sheets to try to help you challenge negative thinking.
• Try volunteering. Volunteering (or just offering to help someone out) can make you feel better about yourself and less alone.

DEPRESSION IS LIKE A WAR. YOU EITHER WIN OR DIE TRYING. SO ONE SHOULD ALWAYS TRY TO WIN THIS BATTLE.

Suicide: About & Facts

Suicide is the act of deliberately killing yourself or the act of taking one's own life. The main cause of this serious kind of activity is mental depression or disorder. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorder (such as depression, personality disorder, alcohol dependence, bipolar disorder) and physical illnesses, such as neurological disorders, cancer, and HIV infection. Others are impulsive acts due to stress such as from financial difficulties, troubles with relationships, or from bullying. Those who have previously attempted suicide are at higher risk for future attempts.

SOME STATISTICS

• Suicide resulted in 842,000 deaths globally in 2013 (up from 712,000 deaths in 1990). This makes it the 10th leading cause of death worldwide.
• Approximately 0.5% to 1.4% of people die by suicide, about 12 per 100,000 persons per year.Three quarters of suicides globally occur in the developing world.
• Rates of completed suicides are generally higher in men than in women, ranging from 1.5 times as much in the developing world to 3.5 times in the developed world.
• Suicide is generally most common among those over the age of 70; however, in certain countries those aged between 15 and 30 are at highest risk.

RISK FACTORS/CAUSES FOR SUICIDE

Mental disorders or mental pressures are the key factors for most of the suicide cases these days.The pressure can be put up on anyone ranging from fifteen years to seventy years.People who are mentally weak usually lead to these kind of raging activities.The pressure include various mental psychological,social,family and financial problem.Most of the children between the age of fifteen years to twenty four years faces the presure of education as well.Those children who can't handle this stress usually leads to suicide murders.That's why India is in top positions among children suicide cases.Mental pressure among children is also the reason that in india most of the suicide cases are against the children and not among adults.

Substance use is the second most common risk factor for suicide attempts.Substance use usually involves use of high addiction drugs that releases such type of toxics that damages the thinking capability of human mind.Substance use also involves consumption of alcoholic beverages. Alcoholics who attempt suicide are usually male, older, and have tried to take their own lives in the past. Between 3 and 35% of deaths among those who use heroin are due to suicide (approximately 14 fold greater than those who do not use). In adolescents who misuse alcohol, neurological and psychological dysfunctions may contribute to the increased risk of suicide.

Problem gambling is associated with increased suicidal ideation and attempts compared to the general population. Between 12 and 24% pathological gamblers attempt suicide. The rate of suicide among their spouses is three times greater than that of the general population. Other factors that increase the risk in problem gamblers include mental illness, alcohol and drug misuse.

PREVENTIONS FOR SUICIDAL BEHAVIOUR AND THOUGHTS

Structured counseling and psychotherapy.

Hospitalization for those with low adherence to collaboration for help and those who require monitoring & secondary symptom treatment.

Supportive therapy like substance abuse treatment, Psychotropic medication, Family psychoeducation and Access to emergency phone call care with emergency rooms, suicide prevention hotlines...etc.

Restricting access to lethality of suicide means through policies and laws.

Person-centered life skills training. e,g., Problem solving.

Therapeutic recreational therapy that improves mood.

Motivating self-care activities like physical exercise's and meditative relaxation.

SUICIDE DOESN'T END THE CHANCES OF LIFE GETTING WORSE, IT ELEMINATES THE POSSIBILITY OF IT EVER GETTING ANY BETTER.