RESUMO
Meniere's disease is defined by the presence of three essential symptoms: episodic vertigo, tinnitus, and sensorineural hearing loss. The mainstay of its management constitutes lifestyle modification and medical and surgical therapies. Cupping therapy is an ancient treatment that is still widely used especially in the Middle East, Africa, and the United Kingdom. This study portraits the case of a 54-year-old patient suffering from long-standing Meniere's disease. The patient was treated with the routine treatment that was to no avail. It was decided that the patient undergoes cupping therapy. Over two years of monthly cupping therapy sessions, the patient reported a decrease in intensity and frequency of symptoms until its disappearance. Cupping therapy has shown a positive outcome on the patient. According to our search, there is a previous case report published in 2020 that shares multiple similarities with our case. Further studies on cupping therapy and its efficacy, mechanism of action, and complications on a larger scale are advised.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: There is substantial evidence that most SARS-CoV-2 infections are mild or even asymptomatic, yet they can transmit the virus to others. The current study described the clinical presentation of mild COVID-19 cases isolated in the ministry of health (MOH) quarantines in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study targeted the SARS-CoV-2 PCR +ve asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 patients isolated in the Saudi MOH quarantines in Riyadh city between July and December 2020. The confirmed COVID-19 patients were enrolled and interviewed by telephones after obtaining the informed consent. RESULTS: The study included 223 patients with a mean age of 32.5±10.7 years old. The majority were male 156 (70%). Only 27 [12.1%; 95% CI = (8.1-17.1%)] were asymptomatic. General fatigue was the most common reported symptom, 43.5%, followed by headache with 42.6%, and cough by 38.1%. Anosmia and ageusia were reported by 33.2% and 31.4%, respectively. The least common reported symptoms were vomiting, earache, and nausea with 1.8%, 4.0%, and 7.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The top five clinical manifestations of mild COVID-19 cases were general fatigue, headache, cough, anosmia, and ageusia. Only 12% of confirmed COVID-19 cases were asymptomatic.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Although cupping remains a popular treatment modality worldwide, its efficacy for most diseases, including hypertension, has not been scientifically evaluated. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the efficacy of wet-cupping for high blood pressure, and the incidence of the procedure's side effects in the intervention group. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: This is a randomized controlled trial conducted in the General Practice Department at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between May 2013 and February 2014. There were two groups (40 participants each): intervention group undergoing wet-cupping (hijama) in addition to conventional hypertension treatment, and a control group undergoing only conventional hypertension treatment. Three wet-cupping sessions were performed every other day. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured using a validated automatic sphygmomanometer. The follow-up period was 8 weeks. RESULTS: Wet-cupping provided an immediate reduction of systolic blood pressure. After 4 weeks of follow-up, the mean systolic blood pressure in the intervention group was 8.4 mmHg less than in the control group (P=0.046). After 8 weeks, there were no significant differences in blood pressures between the intervention and control groups. In this study, wet-cupping did not result in any serious side effects. CONCLUSION: Wet-cupping therapy is effective for reducing systolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients for up to 4 weeks, without serious side effects. Wet-cupping should be considered as a complementary hypertension treatment, and further studies are needed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01987583.
