Q Sir, I am tested HIV positive, for almost 3 years i was in a relationship with a boy, but now we broke up and hes getting married to someoneelse. He wants to be sure that hes not HIV positive.... I have asked him to do the CDcount, but is there any other test which can give accurate result... Pls advice.... Also is it possible that after being in relationship with an HIV person one can still result as Negative???

Sexual relationship between HIV positive and HIV negative partners is called as "mixed status" relationship. For mixed-status couples, the possibility of HIV infection is a constant reality. There is always a risk, but it can be minimized. Antiretroviral therapy can lower the viral load and may decrease chance of HIV positive partner transmitting it to the HIV negative partner, but does not prevent it. Safe sex practices and use of condom may lower the risk of transmission. Do not share syringes, water, drug preparation equipment with others. In your case, the boy needs to do HIV test ( it is diagnosed by presence of antibodies to the HIV virus in blood) and also visit a good HIV consultant to get investigated and counseled thoroughly. HIV testing is carried out on voluntary basis with appropriate pre-test and post-test counseling.

Q is epilepsy treatable?

Rather to say curable, epilepsy is very well treatable with medication (anti-epileptic drugs). Epilepsy is the disorder of the brain and central nervous system where abnormal electrical impulse leads to uncontrolled, involuntary movement of the body. The balance between the factors that begin electrical activity and factors that restrict it is lost, resulting in the body jerking. Several reasons are cited for the cause of the disease like neurocysticercosis (worms from intestine reach brain), tuberculosis of brain, brain tumour, brain stroke and even genetic. In most of the cases, the cause of the fits remains unknown. Neurologist would be able to select the best medication depending on the type of epilepsy and also age and sex of patient. The medicines are required to be taken for long-term without any discontinuation. Avoid driving, swimming and hazardous activities, as occurrence of seizures during these activities can be dangerous. With all above simple management you can live normal life with Epilepsy.

Q Can kissing catch thrush from a female partner?

Yes. You can catch oral thrush by kissing from a female partner. The fungus causing the disease is present in the oral cavity of the patient and can easily spread to other during kissing.

Q Can dark circles be treated completely with laser?

There are very effective modern laser and light treatments that can permanently remove the dark circles under your eyes.However, these dark circle treatments must be directed at the underlying medical cause of the dark circles for removal to be effective. Always consult a good doctor and ensure that he knows what he is doing. Since the skin under the eyes is delicate, a wrong laser treatment may cause serious damage to the eyes. You may also consult a dermatologist to recover from dark circles.

Q My mother is 69 years, last year we accidntally came to know that she has polycystic kidney disease. She never had any symptoms of this disease. When she went for an ultra sound scan for porlonged cough, doctor deteced PKD, then a nephrologist suggested to go in for continuous dialysis and we have been doing the same twice a week. She is normal now. Should we continue doing dialysis? She is not BP or Sugar patient

Whether to continue with dialysis or not will depend upon how well is the kidney functioning. Frequency of dialysis can be decided only by nephrologist considering her response to the treatment. Do regular consultation with your doctor and follow his advises.

Q Pericarditis develops after what?

In most the cases the cause of pericarditis is unkown. In some cases it may develop due to viral infection or after a major heart attack. Other causes include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease, trauma to heart region, side effect of medications such as blood thinning medicines, etc.

Q Can you have a normal ECG but an abnormal chest X-ray ?

Yes. This can happen. As both the investigations serve different purposes. ECG is restricted to evaluate and diagnose heart conditions. It does not give an idea about other structures in your chest cavity. But a chest X-ray is more elaborated and preliminary examination to detect any problems inside thoracic cage. Most commonly chest X-ray is advised to see lung condition, but its scope does not limit there. A normally functioning heart with problems to other organs and spaces inside chest cavity can give normal ECG with an abnormal chest X-ray.

Q What Psychological Factors Contribute to Mental Illness?

The reasons which cause mental illness- Significant interpersonal loss and family instability, such as death of loved one, misfortune, poor relationship with family, domestic partner violence, separation, and divorce, emotional detachment have all been identified as risk factors. Financial stress, unemployment, and a drop in socioeconomic status can also be triggers for mental illness. This is also the case for a range of acute and chronic health problems, such as pain syndromes, or diagnoses of conditions like HIV or cancer. Some mental illnesses have been linked to an abnormal balance of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters help nerve cells in the brain communicate with each other. If these chemicals are out of balance or are not working properly, messages may not make it through the brain correctly, leading to symptoms of mental illness. In addition, defects in or injury to certain areas of the brain also have been linked to some mental conditions.

Q My wife is not able to absorb the sperm after relationship and thats way she is not able to get pregnant.

After sexual intercourse it is normal for some amount of seminal fluid to ooze out from the vagina. This will not affect your wifes chance of getting pregnant. However if you are trying since more than a year and have not succeed than it is necessary that both of you get yourself examined. For female examination like ultrasonography and for males semen analysis is recommended.

Q What are the symptoms of an abscessed tooth?

An abscessed tooth is a painful infection at the root of a tooth or between the gum and a tooth. Its most commonly caused by severe tooth decay. Other causes of tooth abscess are trauma to the tooth, such as when it is broken or chipped, and gingivitis or gum disease. Sharp or shooting pain are common symptoms of an abscessed tooth. Symptoms include fever, pain when chewing, sensitivity of the teeth to hot or cold, bitter taste in the mouth, foul smell to the breath, swollen neck glands, general discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling, redness and swelling of the gums and swollen area of the upper or lower jaw.