Have Food Allergies? Read the Label

Since 2006, it has been much easier for people allergic to certain foods to avoid packaged products that contain them, says Rhonda Kane, a registered dietitian and consumer safety officer at the Food and Drug Administration.

This is because a federal law requires that the labels of most packaged foods marketed in the U.S. disclose—in simple-to-understand terms—when they are made with a “major food allergen.”

Eight foods, and ingredients containing their proteins, are defined as major food allergens. These foods account for 90 percent of all food allergies:

• milk
• egg
• fish, such as bass, flounder, or cod
• crustacean shellfish, such as crab, lobster, or shrimp
• tree nuts, such as almonds, pecans, or walnuts
• wheat
• peanuts
• soybeans

The law allows manufacturers a choice in how they identify the specific “food source names,” such as “milk,” “cod,” “shrimp,” or “walnuts,” of the major food allergens on the label. They must be declared either in:

• the ingredient list, such as “casein (milk)” or “nonfat dry milk,” or
• a separate “Contains” statement, such as “Contains milk,” placed immediately after or next to the ingredient list.

“So first look for the ‘Contains’ statement and if your allergen is listed, put the product back on the shelf,” says Kane. “If there is no ‘Contains’ statement, it’s very important to read the entire ingredient list to see if your allergen is present. If you see its name even once, it’s back to the shelf for that food too.”

There are many different ingredients that contain the same major food allergen, but sometimes the ingredients’ names do not indicate their specific food sources. For example, casein, sodium caseinate, and whey are all milk proteins. Although the same allergen can be present in multiple ingredients, its “food source name” (for example, milk) must appear in the ingredient list just once to comply with labeling requirements.

"Contains" and "May Contain" Have Different Meanings 

If a “Contains” statement appears on a food label, it must include the food source names of all major food allergens used as ingredients. For example, if “whey,” “egg yolks,” and a “natural flavor” that contained peanut proteins are listed as ingredients, the “Contains” statement must identify the words “milk,” “egg,” and “peanuts.”

Some manufacturers voluntarily include a “may contain” statement on their labels when there is a chance that a food allergen could be present. A manufacturer might use the same equipment to make different products. Even after cleaning this equipment, a small amount of an allergen (such as peanuts) that was used to make one product (such as cookies) may become part of another product (such as crackers). In this case, the cracker label might state “may contain peanuts.”

Be aware that the “may contain” statement is voluntary, says Kane. “You still need to read the ingredient list to see if the product contains your allergen.”

When in Doubt, Leave It Out

Manufacturers can change their products’ ingredients at any time, so Kane says it’s a good idea to check the ingredient list every time you buy the product—even if you have eaten it before and didn’t have an allergic reaction.

“If you’re unsure about whether a food contains any ingredient to which you are sensitive, don’t buy the product, or check with the manufacturer first to ask what it contains,” says Kane. “We all want convenience, but it’s not worth playing Russian roulette with your life or that of someone under your care.”

Unexpected Link Between Cancer and Diabetes Revealed

New study connects the cancer gene Lin28 to glucose metabolism; may shed light on unifying principles in type 2 diabetes

BOSTON, Sept. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A pathway activated in cancer plays an unexpected key role in metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, according to a study by researchers at Children's Hospital Boston. Evidence that the Lin28/let-7 pathway influences the cellular response to glucose provides a unifying theme to perplexing data that associates human genetic variation with diabetes risk.

The multi-institutional research team led by George Q. Daley, MD, PhD, director of Stem Cell Transplantation and a leader in the Stem Cell Research Program at Children's Hospital Boston – reported their findings in the September 30 issue of the journal Cell.

Let-7 is a microRNA, a small RNA that dampens the expression of a large set of genes related to cell growth and development. Previously, the Daley lab reported that Lin28, an RNA-binding protein found at high levels in the embryo, blocks let-7 production and is aberrantly expressed in about 15% of all cancers.

"The relationship between Lin28 and let-7 is ancient, found in organisms as diverse as worms, mice, and humans," said Daley, a professor of biological chemistry and molecular pharmacology at Harvard Medical School and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. "This suggested to us that the Lin28/let-7 pathway was profoundly important, but we didn't expect such exciting results."

In the current study, Daley and his team, led by Hao Zhu and Ng Shyh-Chang, set out to study cancer by developing a trio of mouse models with altered expression of Lin28 and let-7. What they discovered, instead, were profound effects on glucose metabolism. When fed a high-fat diet, normal mice develop obesity and diabetes, but mice engineered to express surplus Lin28 remained lean and processed glucose efficiently while mice engineered to express surplus let-7 became diabetic even on a normal diet.

"The results were startling," said Daley. "Previously we had considered these molecules only as regulators of cell growth and cancer. But in these mice we discovered remarkable effects on sugar processing and diabetes."

Molecular studies showed that Lin28 and let-7 exert their influence on glucose control at multiple points along the evolutionarily ancient insulin signaling pathway. Components of this pathway, which manages growth and glucose metabolism at the cellular level, are also tied to the survival of multiple kinds of cancer.

"Cancer cells have a metabolism that is very embryo-like," Daley noted, "so we speculate that tumors take advantage of the Lin28/let-7 pathway to turn back the clock, in metabolic terms. It's a avenue we'll to study further."

To link their findings in mice to human metabolism, the researchers examined data on genetic variation found in patients with type 2 diabetes together with co-author David Altshuler of Harvard Medical School, a world authority on the genetics of diabetes. They found that many diabetes-associated genes were known or predicted let-7 targets.

"It can be difficult to link genetic association data to actual biochemical pathways in the cell," Daley explained. "Let-7 has hundreds, maybe even thousands, of gene targets. The genetic data, coupled to the striking similarities between the way our mice and patients with diabetes handle glucose argues that regulation by Lin28/let-7 is a unifying feature of many genes associated with diabetes."

The study was supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; the National Human Genome Research Institute; the National Institute of General Medical Sciences; the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology, and Research; the American Cancer Society; the American Diabetes Association; the Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

Children's Hospital Boston is home to the world's largest research enterprise based at a pediatric medical center, where its discoveries have benefited both children and adults since 1869. More than 1,100 scientists, including nine members of the National Academy of Sciences, 11 members of the Institute of Medicine and nine members of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute comprise Children's research community. Founded as a 20-bed hospital for children, Children's Hospital Boston today is a 396 bed comprehensive center for pediatric and adolescent health care grounded in the values of excellence in patient care and sensitivity to the complex needs and diversity of children and families. Children's also is the primary pediatric teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. For more information about research and clinical innovation at Children's, visit: http://vectorblog.org .

Colorectal cancer drug may cause permanent nerve damage

Oxaliplatin, a platinum-based anticancer drug that's made enormous headway in recent years against colorectal cancer, appears to cause nerve damage that may be permanent and worsens even months after treatment ends. The chemotherapy side effect, described by Johns Hopkins researchers in the September issue of Neurology, was discovered in what is believed to be the first effort to track oxaliplatin-based nerve damage through relatively cheap and easy punch skin biopsies.

The Johns Hopkins investigators emphasize that the drug therapy clearly improves length of survival in advanced cancer by months to years, and that the goal of their new study is to find ways of preventing or slowing the damage through nerve-protective therapies identfied through simple skin testing.

Many patients who take oxaliplatin report bothersome neurological side effects, including pain in the hands and feet and a numbness or tingling in the throat that affects swallowing, according to study leader Michael Polydefkis, M.D., M.H.S., associate professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of the EMG Laboratory and Cutaneous Nerve Laboratory at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Though these symptoms develop over time in the majority of patients, some report neuropathies as early as when the drug is first infused.

To get a better sense of how oxaliplatin affects nerve cells, Polydefkis and his colleagues recruited eight cancer patients about to begin oxaliplatin treatment at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. All had been diagnosed with advanced colon cancer.

Before their first oxaliplatin infusion, each patient underwent a comprehensive neurological examination, including nerve conduction testing, a clinical exam to look for signs of nerve damage, and a punch biopsy that removed tiny (3-mm diameter) portions of skin near their knees and ankles. Once oxaliplatin treatment began, consisting of infusions over two days once every two weeks for 12 cycles, the researchers performed the same tests after 30, 90 and 180 days. Another 180 days after they finished with treatment, the patients received one final exam.

Test results showed that each of the patients' nerve function and neuropathy symptoms worsened over time and that results from the punch skin biopsies neatly mirrored the side effect arc. Using a microscope, the researchers saw that nerve cells' long extensions, called axons, degenerated over the course of oxaliplatin therapy. This progression persisted after treatment stopped. Even 180 days after their last doses, seven out of the eight patients' axons continued to wither.

"This drug has rapidly become the standard of care for people with advanced colon cancer, but we really knew little about how oxaliplatin affects nerves over time," he says. "With people living longer lives on oxaliplatin, it's important to know more about these neurological side effects so patients and their physicians can make educated choices on how this drug is used, and perhaps suggest ways to limit the damage."

The new study strongly suggests that punch skin biopsies could be an easy and inexpensive way to follow nerve cell degeneration, a crucial prerequisite for testing the effectiveness of drugs currently in development to trace, prevent or slow nerve damage.

"Skin biopsies can be done pretty easily, uniformly and cheaply anywhere, including hospitals, doctors' offices and clinics, and those places can have the tissue sent to Hopkins for analysis," Polydefkis says. "High-quality neurological testing isn't nearly as easy or economical to do, so it's possible that the biopsies could play a pivotal role in bringing neuroprotective drugs to fruition."

Teens With Lots of Friends More Likely to Start Drinking: Study

WEDNESDAY Sept. 28, 2011 -- Adolescents with large social networks of friends and acquaintances are more likely to start drinking alcohol than teens who play a less central role in their high school social scene, new research finds.

The findings from the study of 2,610 U.S. students in grades 7 through 11 suggest that limiting the size of a teen's social network may help delay the start of drinking.

In addition, being close to more popular people increased the risk that an adolescent would start drinking, the researchers found.

The study is published in the September/October issue of the journal Academic Pediatrics.

The results show that parents have an important role to play, according to study author Marlon Mundt of the University of Wisconsin, Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.

"Parental modeling of responsible alcohol use and having fun together as a family offer protective benefit against adolescent alcohol initiation," Mundt explained in a journal news release. "The results are similar to previous research showing that low family bonding and parental drinking are linked to the onset of alcohol consumption."

Cheap Drug Helps Smokers Quit, Study Finds

WEDNESDAY Sept. 28, 2011 -- For people trying to quit smoking, the drug cytisine works better than a placebo, and its comparatively low cost makes it an appealing alternative to newer stop-smoking medications, researchers say.

Over the course of a year, researchers found cytisine, a nicotine substitute, more effective than a placebo in helping smokers stop the habit, and the researchers said its affordability could be an advantage in poorer countries.

"Many smokers can stop without help, but many are addicted and will continue until they die unless they get help," said lead researcher Robert West, from the Health Behaviour Research Center at University College London in England.

"The key feature of this drug is that it is extremely cheap and so affordable by just about anyone in the world who can afford to smoke," he added.

Cytisine, sold as Tabex in former socialist economy countries for four decades, has now been shown to be an effective and safe way of helping smokers quit, West added. But it does not have U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, so it is not available in the United States.

The drug is extracted from the Cytisus laborinum L. (Golden Rain acacia) plant, and as a smoking-cessation aid it is similar to nicotine replacement drugs such as Chantix, patches and gums.

In Poland, where the study was done, cytisine costs $15 for a course of treatment, the researchers noted. In China, an 8-week course of nicotine-replacement therapy costs $230; an 8-week course of Zyban (bupropion) costs $123 and a 12-week course of Chantix (vareniclene) costs $327, while a pack of cigarettes typically costs 73 cents and sometimes much less, they said.

"Cytisine could save many thousands of lives, particularly in low- and middle-income countries," West said. "But it could also save health care systems and insurers in high-income countries millions on their drugs bill."

About 5 million people globally die prematurely from smoking each year, the study authors noted.

The study, published in the Sept. 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, was largely paid for by Britain's publicly funded National Prevention Research Initiative.

For the study, West's team randomly assigned 740 smokers to cytisine or a placebo for 25 days. In addition, the participants received minimal counseling to help them quit. More than 80 percent of participants had already tried to quit.

After one year, 8.4 percent of those who had taken cytisine were still not smoking, compared with 2.4 percent of those who received the placebo, the researchers found.

Adverse side effects occurred more often in those receiving cytisine and included stomach ache, dry mouth, difficulty breathing and nausea. But, these were generally mild and not long lasting, the authors noted.

Commenting on the study, Dr. Michael C. Fiore, a professor of medicine and director of the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, said that "the findings are encouraging and promising, but need to be replicated."

Around the world there are some 8 billion smokers, Fiore said. "Many of them want to quit, but don't have access to the counseling we know would help, and many of the medicines are too expensive for them to purchase," he said.

"If there is a medication that is safe, effective and inexpensive, it would be an important advance," he added. However, the results of this study need to be replicated in other groups to ensure that it is both safe and effective before cytisine can be considered such a drug, he said.

Another expert, Dr. Steven Schroeder, director of the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center at the University of California, San Francisco, added that "if cytisine comes on the market in the U.S. and it's cheap, that's great."

Schroeder said if people in a trial of cytisine were to receive as much counseling as they do in trials of other drugs, such as Zyban and Chantix, and if treatment was longer, then similar quit rates of 15 to 25 percent would be seen.

"I think you would see better results," he said.

DRUG INSPECTOR EXAMINATION & SYLLABUS OF DRUG INSPECTOR EXAM

PLAN OF DRUG INSPECTOR EXAM

1. The written examination will consist of two papers with 250 marks.

Paper	Subject	Maximum Marks	No. of objective multiple choice question	Duration of the Examination
1	2	5	4	6
Paper-I	Pharmacy	200	100	2 Hours
Paper-II	General Knowledge	50	50	1 Hour

2. (i) All question papers will be set in English and the same should be answered in English only.
(ii) The candidates are not allowed to bring calculators or any other electronic devices to the examination hall/examination campus for use.
(iii) Mobile phones, pagers or any other communication devices are not allowed inside the premises of the Examination Centre and Office of the Commission.
Any infringement of these instructions shall entail disciplinary action including ban from future examination.
3. There will be negative marking for wrong answers.

SYLLABUS FOR WRITTEN EXAMINATION FOR RECRUITMENT TO THE POST OF DRUGS INSPECTOR.

PAPER-I PHARMACY
There should be 8 units containing the following :

Unit-1- FORENSIC PHARMACY
1. Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940 and Rules thereunder, 1945 with amendments.
2. Pharmacy Act, 1948.
3. Drug Price Control Order, 1995.
4. Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971.
5. Poison Act, 1919 and Dangerous Drugs Act, 1930.
6. Drugs and Magic Remedy Act, 1954.
7. Medical and Toilet Preparation Act, 1955.
8. Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act.
9. Trademark Registration Act.
10. Pharmaceutical Ethics.

Unit-2- MANUFACTURING PHARMACY
1. Tablet and Tablet coating.
2. Capsule.
3. Emulsion, Suspension, Ointment and Cream.
4. Ophthalmic Solutions.
5. Blood Fluid and Electrolytes.
6. Parenteral preparation and Quality Control.
7. Surgical Dressing.
8. Biological preparation … (Sera, Vaccine and Anti-Sera)
9. Biopharmaceutics.

Unit-3- PHARMACEUTICAL ANALYSIS
1. Limit Test.
2. Bio-Assay.
3. Sterility Test.
4. Pyrogen Test.
5. Theory & Application of Colorimeter, Florimeter, Nephlometer and Turbidometer, U.V.Visilile Spectrophotometer.
6. Kerl Fischer Titration.
7. Alcohol determination.
8. Microbiological Assay of Vitamins, Antibiotics and Vaccine Preparation.

Unit-4- MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
Structure, Storage, Preparation & Brand names of the Following Classes (Definition, Classification etc.) :
1. Steroids
2. Sedatives and Hypnotics.
3. Psycho-therapeutic Agents.
4. Antihistaminic Agents.
5. Analgesics (narcotic, non-narcotic and NSAID)
6. Cardiovascular Agents.

Unit-5 -PHARMACOGNOSYSource, Chemical constituents, uses and adulteration of the following classes of natural drugs, Rauwolfia, Ipecacuahna, Belladona, Cinchona, Cinnamon, Digitalis, Senna, Aloe, Noxvomica, Opium, Kurchi, Brahmi, Tulsi, Bael and Ephedra.

Unit-6- PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
Introduction and General Principle-
Mode of action, Drug receptor interaction, Drug, antagonist, Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs, Routes of administration, Bioavailability, Drug dependence and addiction, Drug abuse and toxicity, Adverse drug reaction, Drug allergy, Biostatistics.

Unit-7- HOSPITAL & CLINICAL PHARMACY
Handling of prescription, Incompatibility, Storage conditions of drugs, Clinical
Pharmacy and its role in Hospital.

Unit-8 - ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY & HEALTH EDUCATION
1. Elementary knowledge of following systems :-
Blood, Digestive system, Respiratory system, Eye, Ear, Reproductive system and
Urinary system.
2. Nutrition, First aid, Population Control, Aids Control.

PAPER-II (GENERAL KNOWLEDGE ) : The paper in General Knowledge will
include knowledge of current events and matters as of everyday observation and experience in their scientific aspects of life as may be expected of an educated person. The paper will also include questions on History of India and Geography of such standard which the candidates should be able to answer without special study.

Pharmapedia: Top 10 incurable diseases

10. EBOLA
EVD is a viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF). Its name is derived from the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ebolavirus first emerged in 1976 in outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Zaire and Sudan. The strain of Ebola that broke out in Zaire has one of the highest case fatality rates of any human pathogenic virus, roughly 90%, with case-fatality rates at 88% in 1976, 59% in 1994, 81% in 1995, 73% in 1996, 80% in 2001–2002, and 90% in 2003. The strain that broke out later in Sudan has a case fatality rate of around 50%.
Illness is characterized by the rapid onset of fever, malaise, muscle pain, headache and inflammation of the pharynx. Six days following vomiting and bloody diarrhea, individuals may develop maculopapular rash with bleeding at needle sites and bodily orifices. Other symptoms include: abdominal pain, fever, bloody vomit, maculopapular, malaise, joint and muscle pain, coagulopathy, chest pain, dry andsore throat, hemorrhagic diathesis , hiccups, nonbloody diarrhea, vomiting, chills, and fatigue, while later symptoms can include bleeding from the eyes, ears and mouth, depression, sensitivity to pain or seizures. Purpura, petechiae, sclerotic arterioles, and low blood pressure are characteristic as the disease progresses.

9. Polio
Poliomyelitis is often called polio or infantile paralysis. It is an acute viral infectious disease which spread from person to person mainly by the fecal-oral route. Poliomyelitis was first recognized by Jakob Heine in 1840. And poliovirus was identified in 1908 by Karl Landsteiner.
Approximately 90% of polio infections cause no symptoms at all. If the virus enters the blood stream then only affected individuals can exhibit a range of symptoms if the virus enters the blood stream. In rare of cases the virus enters the CNS, primarily infecting and destroying motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness & acute flaccid paralysis. Spinal polio is the commoniest occurred type, characterized by asymmetric paralysis that most often involves the legs. Bulbar polio causes weakness of muscles innervated by cranial nerves. Bulbospinal polio is a combination of bulbar and spinal paralysis.
Now prevention of diseases is possible but could not have proper cure once you catch by polio.

8. Lupus Erythematosus
Lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease which is categorized for a collection of diseases with problems in immunity. Symptoms of these diseases can affect many different body systems including kidneys, blood cells, heart, joints, skin & lungs.
The main reasons behind SLE are genetics, environmental factors, drug reaction etc. One manifestation of SLE is abnormalities in apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death in which aging or damaged cells are neatly disposed of as a part of normal growth or functioning. SLE is not understood well enough to be prevented, but, when the disease develops, quality of life can be improved through flare prevention. The warning signs of an impending flare include increased fatigue, pain, rash, fever, abdominal discomfort, headache, and dizziness. Early recognition of warning signs and good communication with a doctor can help individuals remain active, experience less pain, and reduce medical visits.

7. Influenza
Influenza is commonly referred as flu. It is caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae. The most common symptoms of the disease are chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness/fatigue and general discomfort.
Three types of influenza viruses characterized for infection, named as influenzavirus A, B, C. Aquatic birds are the natural hosts for a large variety of influenza A. Occasionally, viruses are transmitted to other species and may then cause devastating outbreaks in domestic poultry or give rise to human influenza pandemics. Very recent known pandemic occurred by H1N1 (swine flu) which was by Type A influenza virus. Type B viruses are affecting human less common than type A. And this viruses mutate slower than influenza virus type A. Because of this lack of antigenic diversity, immunity to influenza B is acquired at early age.

6. Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease
Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease or CJD is a degenerative neurological disorder (brain disease) that is incurable and invariably fatal. CJD is at times called a human form of mad cow disease, given that bovine spongiform encephalopathy is believed to be the cause of variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease in humans.
CJD is the most common among the types of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy found in humans. In CJD, the brain tissue develops holes and takes on a sponge-like texture. This is due to a type of infectious protein called a prion. Prions are misfolded proteins which replicate by converting their properly folded counterparts.The first symptom of CJD is rapidly progressive dementia, leading to memory loss, personality changes and hallucinations. This is accompanied by physical problems such as speech impairment,  myoclonus, balance and ataxia, changes in gait, rigid posture, and seizures.

5. Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is most commonly occurring disease in all around the world. It is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. This high blood sugar produces the classical symptoms of polyuria, polydipsia and polyphagia.
Two types of DM are known such as Type - I and Type- II. Type - I diabetes is also known as juvenile onset of diabetes which occurred due to complete loss of β-Cell {insulin producing cells} or almost  complete reduction of insulin secretion in the body.
Type-II diabetes is also known as mature onset of diabetes. In which complete sensitivity to insulin is lost by body cells. And thus body cell could not take glucose which increase blood sugar level. It is non-insulin dependent diabetes. Rise in glucose level can cause ketoacidosis, kidney dysfunction, retinal degenration, neurotic dysfunction and also associated with cardiovascular disorders.

4. AIDS
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. It is cused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Infection with HIV occurs by the transfer of blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculate, or breast milk. Within these bodily fluids, HIV is present as both free virus particles and virus within infected immune cells. The four major routes of transmission are unsafe sex, contaminated needles, breast milk, and perinatal transmission. Screening of blood products for HIV has largely eliminated transmission through blood transfusions or infected blood products in the developed world. From its discovery in 1981 to 2006, AIDS killed more than 25 million people.
HIV infects vital cells in the human immune system such as helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells), macrophages, and dendritic cells. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ T cells through three main mechanisms: First, direct viral killing of infected cells; second, increased rates of apoptosis in infected cells; and third, killing of infected CD4+ T cells by CD8 cytotoxic lymphocytes that recognize infected cells. When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and the body becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections.

3. Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Commonsymptoms of asthma include wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and coughing, and use of accessory muscle. Symptoms are often worse at night or in the early morning, or in response to exercise or cold air. Some people with asthma only rarely experience symptoms, usually in response to triggers, whereas other may have marked persistent airflow obstruction. Asthma can be classified as: Acute asthma, chronic asthma. It can be occupational and exercise induced asthma. Status asthmaticus is an acute exacerbation of asthma that does not respond to standard treatments of bronchodilators and steroids. Nonselective beta blockers have caused fatal status asthmaticus. There are no. of causes available for asthma such as genetics, allergy to any substances, environment, tobacco etc.

2. Cancer:Cancer or neoplastia is a large, heterogeneous class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth, invasion that intrudes upon and destroys adjacent tissues, and often metastasizes, wherein the tumor cells spread to other locations in the body via the lymphatic system or through the bloodstream. These three malignant properties of cancer differentiate malignant tumors from benign tumors, which do not grow uncontrollably, directly invade locally, or metastasize to regional lymph nodes or distant body sites like brain, bone, liver, or other organs.
Researchers divide the causes of cancer into two groups: those with an environmental cause, and those with a hereditary genetic cause. Cancer is primarily an environmental disease, though genetics influence the risk of some cancers. Common environmental factors leading to cancer include tobacco use, poor diet and obesity, infection, radiation, lack of physical activity, and environmental pollutants. These environmental factors cause or enhance abnormalities in the genetic material of cells.

1. Common Cold:
The name common cold came into use in the 16th century, due to the similarity between its symptoms and those of exposure to cold weather. The common cold virus is transmitted mainly from contact with saliva or nasal secretions of an infected person, either directly, when a healthy person breathes in the virus-laden aerosol generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or by touching a contaminated surface and then touching the nose or eyes.
Symptoms are cough, sore throat, runny nose, and nasal congestion; sometimes this may be accompanied by conjunctivitis (pink eye), muscle aches, fatigue, headaches, shivering, and loss of appetite. Fever is often present thus creating a symptom picture which overlaps with influenza.