Diseases - old & recent

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Comment by Tammy Mellard Wheeler on March 11, 2010 at 8:31pm

As I go through my genealogy and to the cemeteries, it just amazes me that so many children so young died. It is so sad and think of what they can do today.

Comment by Tammy Mellard Wheeler on February 23, 2010 at 8:18pm

Interesting story. Yes, It is still called DT's. My husband and I watch Dr. G, and we learn a lot about COD's from her.

Comment by Charles Bazalgette on February 16, 2010 at 4:40pm

Likewise, sympathy for you and your cat.

I have another COD from my lot - 'delirium tremens'.
The family story is that this man was a racehorse owner and his horse won an important race, so he knocked the top off a bottle of champagne and poured it down the horse's throat, cutting himself in the process. When I saw the COD I had to conclude that it was the contents rather than the bottle that was the real cause. When I checked Wiki for DT's it said it occurred usually when a very heavy drinker STOPPED drinking, which surprised me. Do you think the 1860's definition is any different to today's?

Comment by Tammy Mellard Wheeler on February 15, 2010 at 9:44am

That is interesting. Sorry to hear about your dog. Just love him for as long as you can. Last January, we had to put my kitty to sleep because of ARF and we had to choose whether to put her down or not. We decided to because we were not going to let her suffer.

My ggrandfather died of lung problems from the war and secondary cause was asthma. I now have asthma and one of my aunts told me their side has a lot of lung problems.

Tammy

Comment by Charles Bazalgette on February 11, 2010 at 10:25am

Tammy,
Your very long and detailed reply below is presumably to my question about 'ulceration of mucous membrane...'. Just checking! Many thanks for that. I asked the question of one of my cousins, who is a rectal specialist, particularly if the mucous membranes could refer to those at the other end, and he mentioned such things as ulcerative colitis etc. Since you don't mention these things you obviously think the COD referred to the nasal membranes, and I'd like your comment on this.

Re sarcoma, my dog has one on his leg. It doesn't seem to cause him any pain but the point is that the cells move round the body via the lymphatic system (metastasis?) and attack organs such as the lungs. This is what will kill him eventually. He has had a long and active life so it's something we can accept.

Re heredity - interesting. My gggfr having respiratory problems... his son was asthmatic, and HIS son (my ggfr) died of cardiac failure after an asthma attcks lasting 13 hours. And I have asthma and naso-pharyngeal issues as well. So it does look as if there is some heredity at work here.

Comment by Tammy Mellard Wheeler on February 10, 2010 at 8:10pm

Wondering how many COD's were hereditary issues.

Comment by Tammy Mellard Wheeler on February 10, 2010 at 8:09pm

I have a COD here on one of mine which is: Sarsoma of leg. It sounds horrible, and this is what I found about it.

Soft Tissue Sarcoma?

A sarcoma is a type of cancer that develops from certain tissues, such as bone or muscle. There are 2 main types of sarcoma: osteosarcoma, which develops from bone, and soft tissue sarcomas. Soft tissue sarcomas can develop from soft tissues such as fat, muscle, nerves, fibrous tissues, blood vessels, or deep skin tissues. They can be found in any part of the body. Most of them develop in the arms or legs. They can also be found in the trunk, head and neck area, internal organs, and the area in back of the abdominal cavity (known as the retroperitoneum). Sarcomas are not common tumors, and most cancers are the type of tumors called carcinomas.

There are many types of soft tissue tumors, and not all of them are cancerous. When a tumor is not cancerous, it is called benign. When the term sarcoma appears in the name of a disease, it means the tumor is malignant (cancer). There are about 50 different types of soft tissue sarcomas (not all are listed here).

Comment by Tammy Mellard Wheeler on February 10, 2010 at 8:06pm

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back in touch with the board. This is what I found. It sounds like a horrible disease of course due to back then and their knowledge, the diseases were worse then.

Disorders of the Nasal Mucous Membrane

Nasal dryness: With age, the mucous membrane becomes thinner, the number and size of elastic fibers and the amount of submucosal tissue decrease, and mucus-secreting structures atrophy, resulting in decreased mucus production and nasal dryness. Buffered saline nasal sprays, used as needed, may help.

Rhinorrhea: There are many causes of rhinorrhea, including allergies. In elderly persons, exposure to cold air or intake of certain foods (especially hot or spicy foods) may cause excessive watery, dripping nasal secretions. This effect probably results from age-related changes in the function of parasympathetic vasomotor secretory fibers in the nose. Ipratropium bromide 0.03% nasal spray is effective, although it should be used with caution in patients who have narrow-angle glaucoma or benign prostatic hyperplasia. Anticholinergic antihistamines are dangerous in the elderly and should not be used; antihistamines without anticholinergic properties have no effect on rhinorrhea unless it is caused by allergy.

Epistaxis (nosebleed): With age, the nasal mucous membrane atrophies and blood vessel walls in the nose thin. As a result, epistaxis is relatively common among the elderly.

Anterior epistaxis may result from ulceration of the mucosa overlying old septal spurs, from deviations (particularly in patients taking anticoagulants, such as daily aspirin for general cardiovascular prophylaxis), or from use of oxygen through nasal cannulas. Posterior epistaxis, the more serious type, is most commonly caused by rupture of a branch of the sphenopalatine artery, located near the posterior tip of the inferior turbinate. Hypertension may play a role. Rarely, a tumor is the cause.

Coagulopathies, if present, should be corrected at least temporarily, so that a thrombus can form and the mucous membrane can heal. Acute anterior epistaxis may be managed with oxymetazoline 0.05% nasal spray, which has long-acting vasoconstrictive properties and no significant systemic effects. It is applied to the bleeding site with cotton; the site is then compressed externally for at least 20 minutes until the bleeding stops. Alternatively, bleeding sites can be cauterized and protected with a petroleum-based ointment until they heal.

For posterior epistaxis, nasal packing is usually needed to control the bleeding, particularly in hypertensive patients. After the nose is anesthetized with a lidocaine-based spray, a vasoconstrictive nasal spray (eg, oxymetazoline 0.05%) is used. Then, an epistaxis balloon is inserted into the nose and expanded with water until the bleeding is controlled. It is left in place for about 5 days. Prophylactic antibiotics are given to prevent sinusitis, and follow-up sinus x-rays should be obtained. Alternatively, a compressed sponge may be placed in the nose and kept moistened with oxymetazoline 0.05% spray. Elderly patients should be hospitalized so that their respiratory status and arterial blood gas levels can be monitored. Gauze packing, although tolerated well by most young patients, should not be used in the elderly. It causes nasal obstruction and often depresses the palate, partially obstructing the oral airway. In the elderly, hypoxia and carbon dioxide retention can result.

If epistaxis persists despite treatment, endoscopic nasal examination and cauterization of the bleeding vessel, transantral ligation of the sphenopalatine artery in the pterygomaxillary space, or angiography with embolization of the internal maxillary and sphenopalatine arteries may be performed. After treatment, a full set of sinus x-rays should be obtained to determine if sinusitis has developed or if the cause of the bleeding was a tumor.

Tammy Wheeler

Comment by Charles Bazalgette on February 7, 2010 at 3:07pm

My ggggfr died in England in 1849 and the cause of death was given as 'ulceration of mucous membranes leading to atrophy'. Any suggestions? I don't think this was the result of TB because I think it would have mentioned 'consumption'. Having been in the British Navy he had seen service in the West and East indies, so I wondered if it could have been picked up abroad and have been a chronic condition.

Comment by Tammy Mellard Wheeler on February 5, 2010 at 8:07pm

absolutely!

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