What are the downsides of donating blood?
There’s an unintended situational consequence that hasn’t really been addressed; other answers have the rest pretty well-covered.It’s when people line up en masse to donate after a major tragedy. There’s a shooting, or a big storm, or a terrorist attack, and everyone wants to help out, so they donate blood. The problem is that blood banks usually have a pretty good reserve. They can handle a sudden influx of patients, provided it’s only temporary. What really drains blood banks (pun intended) are chronically ill patients. They’re on chemo or dialysis and need blood transfusions every few weeks to stay alive.After a big traumatic event, people feel as if they’ve done their duty by donating blood. So they don’t donate for a while after that. And blood banks notice. Weeks later, they simply won’t have as much blood as they normally do, because blood products cannot be stored forever. They can be refrigerated for about 6 weeks, but freezing will damage the cells. So the patients with chronic illnesses are the ones that wind up suffering.This was unfortunately proven in full force after 9/11. Everyone went to donate blood. But none of it was used. People who survived the attack ran out of the buildings and were treated for minor injuries. Maybe some had broken limbs, but everyone who couldn’t run out was vaporized. I live in Boston now and have heard stories about how MGH was prepared to receive a bunch of lifeflights, figuring New York would be overwhelmed….but none came. So the influx of donated blood was, very sadly, not helpful, and wound up going to waste.Figured I’d share a morbid anecdote. Donate blood any time if you’re able. If the Red Cross informs you that you have a rare blood type, maybe you can make it regular. My dad tests negative for a virus called CMV, which is found in about 95% of adults. Preemies and newborns cannot be transfused with CMV+ since their immune systems are naive, so any adult who lacks susceptibility is going to be a serious commodity.But if you’re like me, 10 pounds under the weight limit, with such a low resting BP that experienced NPs can blow out my veins, there are plenty of other ways to help out.
What foods do you eat with the coconut oil diet?
I've never heard of the 'coconut' diet but I can tell you that Tongans and Samoans consume the most coconut, coconut oil and coconut cream/milk than any other society. They are also the most obese society in the world. I wouldn't be touching coconut if you're trying to LOSE weight!
Do u think abnormal increase of SGPT is an indication of cancer?
I will rule out other causes FIRST.IT depends on clinical setting.There are other commom causes of increasein SGPT.More common causes of elevated liver enzymes include:Over-the-counter pain medications, particularly acetaminophen (Tylenol, others)Certain prescription medications, including statin drugs used to control cholesterolDrinking alcoholHeart failureHepatitis AHepatitis BHepatitis CNonalcoholic fatty liver diseaseObesityOther causes of elevated liver enzymes may include:Alcoholic hepatitis (severe liver inflammation caused by excessive alcohol consumption)Autoimmune hepatitis (liver inflammation caused by an autoimmune disorder)Celiac disease (small intestine damage caused by gluten)Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infectionEpstein-Barr virusHemochromatosis (too much iron stored in your body)Liver cancerMononucleosisPolymyositis (inflammatory disease that causes muscle weakness)Sepsis (an overwhelming bloodstream infection that uses up neutrophils faster than they can be produced)Thyroid disordersToxic hepatitis (liver inflammation caused by drugs or toxins)Wilson's disease (too much copper stored in your body)SO increase in SGPT is not an indication for cancerOncologist Max Hospital
Why are vaccines effectiveness still a debate, when maybe the debate should shift to preservatives/additives in vaccines?
Because talking about additives is rationalization. Anti-vaxxers start with the assumption that vaccines are bad, and whenever one of their arguments is utterly defeated, they find a new reason for their believe. When MMR was found safe, and the study claiming it was causing autism part of a multi million dollar fraud, focus shifted to mercury. When people noticed that mercury isn’t contained in vaccines anymore, another additive was decided to be dangerous.Back in the 1980s, when lead in petrol was a serious problem, people campaigned for lead free petrol. The amount of lead was reduced, then unleaded petrol became available. Although more expensive than leaded petrol, enough people chose it to make it worth selling it. More and more station offered it, finally, when cars with catalytic converters became wide spread, leaded petrol became more and more rare and finally died out. Every step of this process was considered a partial victory by environmental groups, although unleaded fuel was the goal from the very beginning of the debate.Comparing anti-lead and anti-vaxx you see that the former had a concrete concern. Whether you thought that this concern was serious enough to require action depends on your political opinion, but if you did you had a clear idea of what the goal was and what a partial success was. On the other hand anti-vaxx is not concerned about e.g. mercury, as there is hardly anyone who became in favour of vaccination once mercury was abolished.