Serious disease problems

The most serious disease problems encountered in organic crops are blight in potatoes and seedbome diseases in cereals. Plant breeders are improving blight resistance in potatoes. As organically grown cereal seed cannot be treated, it is very important that it is tested for seed-borne diseases such as fusarium and smut. Foliar diseases in organic... 

If you have a serious disease problem in your garden that you cannot diagnose, you may want to turn to private consultants or to government sources, such as the Cooperative Extension Service, for help. Your local extension agent may immediately recognize the problem. If not, he or she can serve as a contact with specialists from your state university. 

Anxiety disorders and insomnia represent relatively common medical problems within the general population. These problems typically recur over a person s lifetime (3,4). Epidemiological studies in the United States indicate that the lifetime prevalence for significant anxiety disorders is about 15%. Anxiety disorders are serious medical problems affecting not only quaUty of life, but additionally may indirecdy result in considerable morbidity owing to association with depression, cardiovascular disease, suicidal behavior, and substance-related disorders. 

I he gastrointestinal (GI) tract is subject to more diseases and disorders than any other system of the body. Some drugs used for GI disorders are available as nonprescription drug, thereby creating the potential problems of misuse and overuse of the drugp and the disguising of more serious medical problems. 

Formaldehyde is a harmful compound released from walls and furnitures in new houses because adhesives containing HCHO are often used in constmction materials. In addition, H CHO is emitted by tobacco smoke and combustion exhaust gases. Long exposure to HCHO causes serious health problems called sick house diseases. In Japan, the concentration of HCHO in indoor air is regulated [54] to under 0.08 ppm based on the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Alzheimer s disease is the most common form of age-related dementia and one of the most serious health problems in the industrialized world. AD is an insidious and progressive neurodegenerative disorder that accounts for the vast majority of dementia and is characterized by global cognitive decline and the accumulation of P-amyloid deposits and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. Family history is the second greatest risk factor for... 

On the other hand, insufficient NO production also causes serious medical problems. Many diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis and restenosis involve a deficiency of NO production. Therefore, a compound that can release NO under specific conditions can be used therapeutically to palliate NO underproduction. In fact, the best known NO donor, glyceryl trinitrate, has been used for over a century to relieve acute attacks of angina pectoris. 

Botulism also affects animals, where intoxication is caused by C. botulinum types C and D. A bovine disease visceral botulism was reported in Germany (Bohnel et al., 2001). It was caused by a long-lasting exposure to low quantities of botulin toxin that interfered with the neurological control of intestinal physiology. Visceral botulism in cows may pose a health risk for milk consumers, although to date there are no precise data on how serious the problem is (Cobb et al., 2002). 

Some plants regularly eaten by humans contain neurotoxins that pose serious health problems. On Guam, for example, the seeds of Cycas circinalis used to be an important source of carbohydrates. Seeds of Cycas rumphii were ground into flour for tortillas. However, the seeds contain jS-N-methylamino-i-alanine, a suspected excitotoxin that overstimulates and destroys nerve cells. This compound causes a parkinsonism-like disease in macaques (Spencer et al, 1987). Other toxins have been proposed to be responsible for the disease, among them cycasin, another cycad toxin (Stone, 1993). 

The people who are most at risk for health problems from particulate exposure are those who already have some form of respiratory disorder or heart disease, the elderly, and children. Such problems begin to appear when the ambient concentration of pollutants reaches about 40 pg/m for PM25 particulates and about 150 pg/m for PM particulates. Such concentrations are observed during dust storms, along dusty unpaved roads, and in areas with high levels of motor vehicle traffic, for instance. Increasing concentrations of both PM2 5 and PMj particulates result in more serious health problems, including asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and cardiac problems. 

Problems with human repair systems account for several serious diseases. One is the rare skin condition xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), an... 

As indicated earlier, COX-2 selective drugs may reduce the risk of toxicity to the stomach, kidneys, and other tissues because these drugs spare the production of normal or protective prostaglandins in these tissues.3 These drugs may cause other problems such as diarrhea, heartburn, gastrointestinal cramps, and an increased risk of upper respiratory tract infection. As indicated in Chapter 15, COX-2 drugs have also been associated with serious cardiovascular problems (heart attack, stroke), and these drugs should be avoided in people at risk for cardiac disease. 

Some people will refuse antidepressants when their doctors offer to prescribe them, because they fear that taking the drug is an admission of a serious disease or problem. The very nature of depression may also leave the patient without hope of relief and discourage them from seeking help or accepting the antidepressants. 

Persons with a history of acute bronchial asthma should not receive hydromorphone. Persons with a history of head injury, increased pressure within the brain, seizures, serious abdominal problems, liver disease, kidney disease, thyroid disease, prostate disease, and low blood pressure should use hydromorphone with great caution. Also, the elderly should receive hydromorphone with great caution. 

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