Tag Health

A child undergoing fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) receives healthy human donor stool by colonoscopy, enema, nasogastric (NG) tube, or capsule form—commonly referred to as “poop pills.” When severe intestinal infections, such as Clostridium difficile (C. diff), continue to worsen even after receiving antibiotic treatment, a prescription for it may be issued.

C. diff is a dangerous illness that can produce crippling diarrhea. In the United States, C. diff caused 29,000 adult fatalities in 2011 alone. Antibiotics are the first line of treatment for C. diff, however, recurrence is frequent. Antibiotics are unlikely to be effective by the third episode of severe C. diff, therefore, your child’s physician may explore FMT as a treatment alternative.

Many more illnesses are now being investigated with FMT, based on its efficacious treatment of C. diff infections. Nonetheless, it remains an experimental treatment and should not be tried without a doctor’s supervision.

Not every child is a suitable candidate for FMT. There is considerable risk associated with the procedure, especially if your child recently received a bone marrow transplant or is receiving immunosuppressive medication.

How does FMT operate?

Thousands of bacteria and other species make up the “ecosystem” of the GI tract, which supports physical health. This ecology is upset when your child receives an antibiotic, which promotes the growth of bacteria that cause illness, such as C. diff.

“Good” germs from the donor’s feces are introduced into the recipient during a fecal microbiota transplant. Good bacteria start to proliferate and stop C. diff from happening again.

Before being used for FMT, stool donors are carefully vetted, and stool samples are subjected to a battery of tests.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation, also referred to as a “stool transplant” or “poop pill,” makes use of the expanding body of information regarding the gut microbiota, or the community of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in our gastrointestinal system.

Is FMT able to treat Crohn’s disease?

Is there a promising gastrointestinal treatment for inflammatory bowel disease? That is the hypothesis underlying two recent studies looking into the possible application of FMT in the management of pediatric ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

Getting Ready for the FMT

Given the uncertainty surrounding the long-term effects of fecal microbiota transplant, you will be required to sign an informed consent form on your child’s behalf.

Your child’s GI tract needs to be empty for the transplant to go through. This usually entails not eating or drinking anything but clear liquids for the day before the procedure.

To induce a bowel movement, your child with a mild to moderate C. diff infection might also be instructed to drink a liquid; but, children with more serious infections won’t adhere to the same routine.

Concerning the FMT process

There are various FMT methods available, including:

Colonoscopy: A catheter-tipped syringe is used to inject donor stool through a thin, hollow tube that has a camera attached to it. The tube is inserted up the colon.

Enema: A fecal enema frequently requires multiple procedures due to the donor stool’s inability to reach the colon, while being less intrusive than a colonoscopy.

Nasogastric (NG) tube: A thin, flexible feeding tube is used by medical professionals to pass donor stool down a patient’s neck and into their stomach through their nostrils.

pill form, commonly referred to as “poop pills.”

FMT’s future

According to recent research, children with certain GI disorders, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, may benefit from FMT. As a result of research showing that introducing “good” bacteria might correct an immune system imbalance, we are also beginning to explore FMT for peanut allergy.

FMT is a popular subject among physicians and researchers. About 170 studies on FMT with a range of applications, including type 2 diabetes, cirrhosis, and HIV, may be found on ClinicalTrials.gov. Additionally, researchers are examining if administering “poop pills”—a type of probiotic taken by peanut-allergic individuals—that include the “good” bacteria from a non-allergic person can prevent allergic reactions in a clinical trial at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Mental health is essentially about how people think, feel and act as they face real life situations. Our mental health decides how we cope up with stress, relate with each other and make decisions. Mental health also influences the way individuals look at themselves, their lives and those who constitute their lives. 

If physical health is important, mental health is more important at every stage of life. Moreover, both of them are intrinsically connected – because a healthy mind lives in a healthy body. Mental Health Disorders are More pronounced among young people than many realize.

Many studies show that at least 1 in 5 adolescents have a mental health disorder at some time. Yet, even less than one in five of these children receive the mental health care they need. Among youth, at least 1 out of 10 has a serious emotional issue at any given time.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has a wise slogan, ‘No health without mental health.” Unfortunately, the stigma that so often surrounds mental health, millions of people shy away from receiving the help they desperately need and overlook this monumentally prevalent health issue. In the US, as per data from National Alliance on Mental Illness, in a normal year, almost one in five, or 18.5% of American adults experience mental illness issues. 

Some of the most common and widely reported mental illnesses include depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, dementia, and eating disorders. Depression is clearly the most important cause of disability worldwide and is also the most significant contributor to the disease globally , greatly impacting people and their families emotionally, physically, socially, and also financially. Mental illness doesn’t spare anyone irrespective  of their race, age, gender, ethnicity, culture or sexual orientation.

Mental illness being so prevalent worldwide, it is crucial to recognize the early warning signs. One should look out for signs such as:

#Abnormal sleeping or eating patterns.

# Generally withdrawing from people.

# Lack of energy, and a feeling of helplessness.

#Feeling lost, confused, nervous, angry, or on the edge.

# Unable to do daily chores.

# Major mood swings, and 

thoughts of self-harm.

# Increase in drug or alcohol intake.

Why do we need a soul mate?

We often think of our life partner as the one who is also our soulmate. Alas! I wish this would have been true. In reality, a soulmate and life partner are two different things. A soulmate is someone, who has a direct connection to your soul and is there by your side forever. A soulmate not only compliments you, but also completes you and makes your life awesome  than it ever was.

The level of trust between soulmates is absolute, and just the ability to trust another person on so many levels makes life so much more beautiful and exciting. You are fortunate because you no longer have to search for that true love. You are living it every moment, every day.

We all need that one very special person who truly cares for us without having a reason, because we matter for them. This is one person who accepts us for who we are without any expectation to change us or being judgmental.

Although many matching sites claim to find your soulmate, they usually fail. However, I recently saw one ad for a new social app called Connectd India, and they promised a soulmate for a date. The idea seems interesting.