Dr. Phil Hariram's Health Blog

Image via Wikipedia Osteoarthritis can be grouped into two types, primary and secondary. In primary, the cause is generally unknown and in secondary it can develop following damage to the joint or mis-alignment. When osteoarthritis develops the surface of the cartilage splits, and focal erosions develops leading to exposure of the underlying bone. The exposed [...]

Image via Wikipedia Osteoarthritis is the commonest disease to affect joints. It is long thought to be the result of ageing and injury but it is not an inevitable consequence of growing old. In osteoarthritis, there is focal cartilaginous loss and resultant bony reaction in the form of growth or sclerosis. X-ray remains the simple [...]

Image via Wikipedia There are many types of arthritis. Listed below are the important ones. Inflammatory Arthritis: Includes Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Psoriatic Arthritis. Connective Tissue Disease: Includes Systemic Lupus Erythematosis, Polyarteritis Nodosa. Crystal Deposition Disease: Gout. Degenerative joint Disorder: Primary and Secondary Osteoarthritis. Arthritis related to Infection: Septic Arthritis. Arthritis due to Systemic Disease: [...]

Image via Wikipedia Gout develops when the level of uric acid in the blood stream is higher than normal. When this happens urate crystal are deposited in and around the joints. There are two types of gout, primary and secondary. The body eliminates uric acid from the blood naturally and most of this (66%) is [...]

Image via Wikipedia Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis. In gout, crystals of uric acid is deposited in and around the joints. For this deposit of urate to occur, the circulating level of uric acid in the blood must be higher than normal. Gout has been recorded through the centuries. Hippocrates wrote about it [...]

When the level of uric acid in the blood is too high, gout can develop. It was known as the patrician’s malady in the past because it was considered a disease of over indulgence amongst the wealthy. High purine diet can affect gout and red meat is high in purine. The rich ate red meat [...]

My son, in his teens, did not have acne but I noticed that when he went  off on Ice Hockey weekends, he always returned very spotty. At home his diet was controlled but when away he had lots of junk foods. I always suspected that that there is a strong relationship between diet and acne. [...]

Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis should benefit from the new range of drugs called Tumour Necrotic Factor Inhibitors (Anti-TNF). Tests on three of these new drugs slowed progression and reduced symptoms by up to 50%. Research at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, has shown that these three drugs are most effective in combination with the [...]

The commonest symptom of acid reflux is heartburn. Do not worry unnecessarily if you have heartburn. Most of us have heartburn at some time or other especially when we over indulge. Usually a single dose of antacid settles the problem. However, if the heartburn pain returns after treatment and becomes recurrent then the lower esophageal [...]

Image via Wikipedia Hoarseness is a change in voice quality. Hoarseness lasting more than two weeks needs proper evaluation. A possible cause of hoarseness is GERD. Reflux from the stomach can track up into the larynx and pharynx. And when this happens the larynx can become inflamed and subsequently hoarseness can develop. One patient came [...]