Health related information and news from around the world.

Hair styling gelsHair stylings gels are used to keep the hair in place and to provide a film which smoothes out the cuticles, making the hair appear shinier. Hair gels contain a resin called polyvinyl pyrollidone, which is also used in mascara. The main problem is that this chemical attracts water, making it sticky in humid weather. To get around this, a newer chemical, called polyvinyl pyrollidone vinyl acetate (PVPVA), has been incorporated into many gels. The main problem with this is that it builds up on the hair and is often not removed by regular shampooing. If you do use a styling gel, it is important to use a good cleansing shampoo to prevent a build up of flaky gel. Styling gels do not damage the hair, but rather protect it. They are also available as sprays, many of which contain the same glue used in Super Glue, called methyl methacrylate. This is a potent source of allergic reactions.
Hair permsThe desire to have thick, wavy hair has transcended all fashion trends so that hair-perming products remain ever-popular. Most perming solutions are made from a chemical called thioglycollate, which breaks the hair bonds, allowing them to be either curled or straightened. This chemical is also used in hair removal products, and damages the hair shafts.The old-fashioned perms, called alkaline perms, were extremely damaging, but gave a long-lasting, tight curl. More recently, a gentler acid perm has become popular due to its less damaging effects on the hair. However, the curls tend to be looser and do not last as long, and the solution often causes allergic reactions.Home perms, which can be bought from chemists, can be based on either a very weak thioglycollate solution or a sulphite solution. These produce a much weaker curl, but are quite safe for home use. Sulphite perms, however, can cause severe reactions in asthma sufferers.
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The symptoms of toxoplasmic encephalitis are what physicians call focal neurologic symptoms: paralysis or weakness on one side of the body, loss of speech, loss of coordination, and certain kinds of seizures. Such symptoms occur generally when there is a problem in a specific part of the brain.     Toxoplasmic encephalitis is caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii that is usually acquired by eating undercooked meat or by contact with cat excrement; the parasite is not transmitted from one person to another. About 30 percent of American adults are infected with Toxoplasma gondii, and most of them are, and will remain, unaware of it. The parasite causes severe disease primarily in people with severe immunosuppression. It seems to be most common in people with AIDS when the CD4 count is less than 100.     Toxoplasmic encephalitis can be diagnosed with a blood test that detects antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, but the test is unreliable in people with AIDS. The alternative test is one of the methods—CAT scans or MRI scans—for imaging the brain. Either of these will show a characteristic pattern of inflammation in the brain. Some people might require a brain biopsy.     The standard treatment for toxoplasmic encephalitis is an antibiotic, pyrimethamine, given in combination with other antibiotics, either sulfonamides or clindamycin. These drugs are given initially by vein and then by mouth in relatively high doses. Most people improve within two weeks; brain scans three to four weeks after treatment begins generally show reduction in the size of the area of inflammation.     Toxoplasmic encephalitis is one of the many infections in people with AIDS that responds well to treatment but recurs when antibiotics are discontinued. For this reason, in the majority of cases, antibiotics are continued indefinitely.*132\191\2*

Until recently, the evidence for oral chondroitin sulfate was very weak. However, in 1998, the journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage published a supplement devoted to updating the science on this supplement. Three double-blind placebo-controlled studies were reported that provide evidence that chondroitin sulfate is an effective treatment for arthritis.One of these was a 6-month double-blind placebo-controlled study that followed 85 participants with osteoarthritis of the knee. In this study, participants received 400 mg of chondroitin sulfate twice a day or an identical-appearing placebo. Researchers evaluated improvement in arthritis symptoms by recording the level of pain as judged subjectively by the patient, the time it took to walk about 22 yards on flat ground, and the overall effectiveness of the treatment as rated by physicians and participants.The results showed that after 1 month of treatment, there was a 23% decrease in joint pain in the chondroitin sulfate group versus only a 12% decrease in the placebo group. By 6 months there was a 43% improvement in the chondroitin sulfate group versus only a 3% improvement in the placebo group (the placebo effect sometimes wears off after a while). Walking speed did not improve over the 6 months with chondroitin sulfate (it stayed the same), while in the placebo group walking speed gradually and steadily declined. Finally, physicians rated the improvement as “good” or “very good” in 69% of those taking chondroitin sulfate but in only 32% of those taking placebo.This was a reasonably long-term study that involved enough participants to be meaningful. However, another study lasted even longer, a full year, but it enrolled only 42 participants. Again, the results showed that chondroitin sulfate produced tangible benefits as compared to placebo, with the differences generally increasing steadily over the entire year.Another study was larger than either of these two, enrolling 127 participants, but it lasted for only 3 months. Again, the results were positive.Finally, an earlier study found that the benefits of chondroitin sulfate, like glucosamine sulfate, persist for months after treatment is stopped. This study compared chondroitin sulfate to the drug diclofenac sodium (Voltaren). Two previous controlled studies also compared chondroitin sulfate to NSAIDs. All together, six controlled trials have been performed in humans, involving a total of over 450 participants.*41/306/5*