1. The Black Death is a form
of "blood poisoning" caused by a bacteria called Yersinia
pestis
transmitted by flea bite. The Y. pestis typically and
historically had the black rat as its mammalian host, an animal found
in
close association with human dwellings. An additional flea borne
infection by a Rickettsia organism causes typhus.
2. Exercise causes a rise in
the "good" HDL cholesterol in addition to lowering the
amount
of the "bad" cholesterol. Ironically, that is the very
relationship
sought by drug companies for their cholesterol lowering
medications.
Exercise with a proper diet remains the main treatment for elevated
cholesterol
levels.
3. Aspirin interupts an
enzyme
function in the platelets (cell membrane fragments found in the blood)
. This prevents the platelets from adhering to each other and
forming
small clumps, an initial step in clot formation. Treatment with
aspirin
contributes to a decrease in recurrent heart attacks thought to be the
result of the lessened chance of clot formation in the coronary
arteries.
4. High blood pressure can be
caused by all but caffeine. Often, a patient can avoid the
need for high blood pressure medication by avoiding the use of
decongestant
nasal sprays, alcoholic beverages, and ephedrine like herbal weight
loss
remedies.
5. West Nile Virus infection
is a brain and spinal cord infection associated with a
virus
transmitted to man by a mosquito bite and currently responsible for
illness
in the US. The animal host to the virus (animal infected but not
killed) is usually the bird. Late in the summer and autumn the
bird
population becomes less supportive for the mosquito and man becomes a
more
common host to the mosquito carrying the virus. Draining pooled
water
around the home and using mosquito repellant will help control the
mosquito
population and decrease your chance of being infected.